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Sonny loved young kids and the elderly because they didn't cut him down.. I really looked up to Sonny.. He was a good man that didn't get the chance to prove it.. Nobody let him
He even started an orphanage in St. Louis. He served time as a mentor and a reformed Catholic priest in which he conducted sermons inside Jefferson City Prison with the help of his wife telling him what was inside the bible. He also planned to serve as a troubled youth mentor in Nevada, and planned to start a gym where he would teach kids to box, but sadly he died before he could do it.
@@goldenglove8513 you made a few good points, no question. but when you wrote that he was a "good man" i immediately thought - mafia enforcer - can't be good. whatever.
@@ace8184 well you obviously are making a strict judgment over that.. I thought the same thing too until I learned more about him and seen deeper into him and a man.. Just me though.. If I judged like that about hearing one bad thing people have done if go around saying everyone is a bad person.. 🤷🏼♂️ again, just me tho.. A mafia enforcer is also usually doing things like that because they have too. Forced too. I just feel that if we judged people for one bad thing, one that they might even wished they didn't do, we'd give nobody a chance 🤷🏼♂️
His story is heartbreaking, demonised by the media and papers, life at every opportunity tried to knock him down and he stood tall and fought back every single time, and when he finally got to the top he was treated like a villian. People talk about his intimidating glare all the time but I saw a misunderstood man who just wanted to be accepted for once in his life.
In my opinion he was the GOAT...His smile an love for the elderly and young children is all you need to know about this gentle giant. The fact that he was not given another chance to fight Ali tells you something was not right about professional boxing at the time. A lot of people fail to tell that he fought 13 or 14 more times after Ali. He would have beaten Ali if he would not have been influenced by organised crime.
Sonny Liston all time great, the unwanted champion the most misunderstood champion of all time. Sonny Liston is a true legend and he would have beat Ali if the bouts weren't corrupted. Sonny Listons life was shrouded in mystery his true age never confirmed, he was certainly older than was believed. A more tragic story in boxing couldn't be written. Sonny came into this world abused, he fought every day of his life inside and outside the ring. Sonny Liston was true toughness like Cleavland William's said "no man alive hits harder than Sonny Liston ".
A legend in my book. Who went against all odds, even when most of the world didn't want him to succeed. Imagine if he actually had the world lifting him up, instead pushing him down
Unfortunately, this is often the case with most Black people who excel during their time. I often wonder how many home runs Hank Aaron would have hit if the public was rooting for him instead of sending him death threats. How well would the Williams sisters would have been if they would have been well received when they were little girls, instead of getting boo’d.
If the world chose to lift him up, he would've been the largest figure in sports history, an icon that would overthrow people like Ali and Louis on influence within society, he would be a role model for all black and white people. But in this reality, he was just a survivor, a man disregarded by white people and black people alike, beaten down by society until he met his end. Did he deserve it, he had no choice but to accept it. He was born a victim of circumstance and died a victim of circumstance.
Sonny Liston is a name that needs to be held up high among all the greatest. Villanized, abused, rejected beaten and broken his entire life. Sonny wanted most for the black community to accept him and they never did. Sonny Liston grave stone reads "A Man " his death was as tragic as his life. Great boxer, great man, respectful, humble, a legend. Maybe history can try to reconcile the injustice of Sonny Listons treatment. True champion, toughest man to ever walk this earth, the loneliest as well.
Sonny Liston was a misunderstood man surrounded by bad company. He had a good heart but his company and unfair run ins with the law brought the worst out of him. You can tell by the interview that he was a reasonable man who tried to be mild tempered and really cared about kids and up and coming boxer’s.
That bad company was the only company that gave him a chance to make something of himself. Sonny in terms of his perception of reality was skewed because of what he went through, it didn't really matter what was right or wrong. The police, the government, and society brutalized him, beat him even as a child, he was robbed of having childhood by his own mother who abandoned him and father who sold him as a slave, when he asked for help, the crime syndicates gave him a home, 3 meals a day, a job, a car, and a career. If it wasn't for the mob, Sonny would have nothing, the mob releasing him from jail gave him the chance to meet his wife.
I had the privilege of seeing Sonny fight twice in Houston when I was in High School. I was a big boxing fan and I watched him work out at a gym in Houston. This was about 1960. He was the strongest boxer I ever saw. He could hit the large heavy bag almost to the ceiling. I saw him destroy Roy Harris and beat up on Cleveland Williams. He became my favorite boxer. His death was tragic.
Such a gentle person but the press painted his so badly as such he never got the respect he deserved even people from his hometown never recognized him as normal human being and he died a very sad person. Everybody deserves a second chance You will always be my champ, may your soul continue to rest in oeace
Sonny was always confrontational with law emforcement and rightfully so as they were trying to arrest him for literally no reason at all. The media of the time was brutal to this man…but every interview I’ve seen him in shows him to be a well spoken disciplined and rational individual. Show me one picture with Sonny and a child or elderly person that didn’t present a threat where he didn’t have the most genuine smile. Sonny was amazing
@@halfmaul2095 he was kinda forced into being affiliated with the mafia from his trainer and promoter. Coming out of jail and wanting to be a boxer along with that being his only skill he didn’t really have too many choices.
Sonny was just a man who wanted approval and to live a respectable life and not be known as a criminal. His story is very heartbreaking and human. I wish this man could know how respected of a champion he would be known as over fifty years later.
this is the way I think he would like to remembered a misunderstood, kind man who never really had a chance but went for it anyway. Regardless of whether you hate him or love him you can't deny the press did him dirty.
This is the first time I have heard Sonny's voice. He was really kinda a soft spoken man. A lot of those who are regarded as tough and dangerous men often are so soft spoken. We also know that Sonny loved kids--he was so good to them, I bet, because his own childhood was so horrific, the stuff of literal nightmares, and he wanted to show kids not only was he not scary, but that somebody truly cared. I saw one photo of him with a young boy who is holding Sonny's massive fist as Sonny is smiling the biggest, most sincere smile you could ever see on a man. A look of pure joy, the supposed "soulless beast" become a big innocent kid himself. Yes, he was a "bad man"--he was a complex man. He was a flawed man, as we are all flawed individuals. But he was not a true bad man. He had been thru the unimaginable in his life, and he was trying to the very end to overcome it all. He deserves far more respect than he ever got in life, and that he is finally getting some of his just due in death. On his grave you see the simple two words--"A Man." This was what he wanted to be regarded as, more than anything else. Not heavyweight champion, and certainly not the many ugly, even racist, names he was called by so many including much of the media in his day. Well, Sonny fought, in and out of the ring, and unfortunately his demons did find him in the end no matter the exact circumstances of his death, but he is, to me, and to many, just what he wished to be recognized as--"A Man." RIP Champ, you sure deserved so much better.
Yes indeed! His fists were the biggest - 15 Inches! And for a man of 6'1" height, he had Tyson Fury's ( Fury is 6'9" tall( reach of 84", with a lot more muscle than Fury possesses!! What I like about Sonny's hands - apart from their sheer size and muscle - are his fingernails Notice how beautiful they are - long, sensitive! Like an artist's fingers!
Honestly I think Sonny lost on purpose when he fought Ali because of the Mob. You can tell by his persona and him saying meeting his wife was the happiest moment of his life. All the Mob had to do was threaten his wife and he would have did anything for her. Liston destroyed Patterson. No way that he couldn’t have done the same to Ali. Not trying to take anything away from Ali. We all know how great he was. The mafia messed with Listons career and in the end I think they gave him a hot shot to keep him quiet. This man deserved so much better in his life. Rest in Peace Champ ❤️
The man had a brutal childhood; early adulthood wasn't a walk in the park either. Then, organized crime, racism, bad cops, drugs...the man somehow managed to be one of the top, (as in 3, 4?), heaviest hitters in the sport.
I dont see the scary man when i watch these videos. I see a soul that was seeking love and acceptance I been crying for the last couple days over his story.. sounds like he found that when he mey his wife ❤️❤️❤️ Rest easy Sonny. Ill never forget you. Ill always talk about you.
Your dad was a very intelligent boxing enthusiast. Sunny Liston wasn't just super strong and powerful, he was an excellent boxer as well. I would have loved to have seen him just go on a straight path without all these outside influences and see what he was truly capable of because we'll never know. And if you look back on his videos, what he did against all the odds was absolutely amazing. It's almost as if he could take somebody's head clean off if he hit them hard enough.
@@boxingmonthly Yeah, he was a criminal but at the same time you have to look at the surrounding circumstances of his life. Also, you have to judge how he tried to change not only his life but the lives of others for the better with his philanthropy to children's hospital's orphanages and elementary schools as well as his brief time as an understudy of pastor Alois Stevens to become a Chaplin and as a troubled youth mentor.
@@boxingmonthly The outside image of Liston is a hulkish intimidating brute, in which he's remembered for being a fearsome competitor in the ring, but no one really remembers his life outside of the ring bar his troubled past.
His humor & quick wit shows his intelligence.... He was really tough and adaptable in the ring. He made bad management choices,that limited his acceptance. A " criminal child wears a ball & chain." From Mark Knophler's song, " Song for Sony Liston".
Not most, all! In his prime, Sonny 'The Big Bear' Liston was indestructible, unstoppable! Not even Ali, in my opinion, if the two fights had been fair and square! Sonny Liston would have remained the Heavyweight Champ all through the 60s and into a part of the 70s too!
Died at 40 years , darn it. Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose.
@@david-lm7iu He's that far up in terms of talent as a head to head threat. His physicals check out to be the best that any boxer in the last 150 years up to 2011 when Tyson Fury came in with a one inch reach advantage. Accolade wise not the greatest, but by far the most talented boxer we ever have seen, but with a combination of Liston's age and lack of good boxing trainers as well as training regimen, he lagged behind Ali in some respects.
@@SurendranNambiathno false ali was scared of him had to wait years to fught him one of the greats we can call agree he was 42 to 44 when he fought ali in his prime at 22 and solid sources said his wife was kidnapped and not let go untill he threw the fight related to the muslim mafia .
We’d heard all those “Sonny is surly” stories, but he comes across here like a pretty decent guy. Too bad the public wouldn’t accept him for the champ that he was. George Foreman thought the world of him.
The Beatles thought he would be Ali (then Clay) and later put him on their album "Sargant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Besides kids and the elderly they seemed to have really liked him too. I like them, and after watching those two fights against Patterson, I'm terrified of him. It was like a boy vs a grown man, yet Floyd Patterson was the Heavy Weight Champion of the world in their first fight. He had a great left hook. Liston is criminally underrated IMHO.
Imagine, 5am wake up, run 5 miles, go to sleep. 10am wake up, breakfast, walk for a mile and a half , go back to sleep. Wake up in the afternoon, have a cup of tea then jump rope, heavy bag, boxing, calisthenics.
“It used to be that when they turn 18 they wanted a bicycle, now they turn 18 and they want a car.” Liston described what is wrong with the current generation including myself. The man was ahead of his time. As the saying goes “tough times create strong men, strong men create easy times, and easy times create weak men.”
people say liston was mean and rude to reporters and to be honest its bullshit i think he was just a quiet individual tied up with the lawwho was misunderstood
This shows you how the press can take a truth and twist it around. With such a tough life this man had and to be so nice and humble he could have been up there with Joe Louis as a hero to all. And to keep in mind like the fictional character Rocky Balboa he was a strong arm for the Mafia and only went after those who done the Mafia wrong and not just innocent Radom people but they knew what they were getting into. We forgave Rocky but many can’t forgive him. .But to me the truth was covered and the lie lived on. No boxing documentaries showed Liston as one of the greats but when you see him fight you know that he was one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Thank you for this gem.
As a young person, I only heard of Sonny Liston as "that guy Ali upset to become champion" - basically a footnote in boxing history. He was given less repect than a long list of guys who wouldn't have lasted three rounds with him on their best respective days. Yet somehow those guys are legends. Then you read about all the hell he went through as a child, that he had the biggest hands in boxing and an 84 inch reach. Then you are reminded of a conversation you had wit a fellow military officer who was a little guy with big hands and a long reach. He told me "I nearly starved to death as a child. Years later, doctors told me that disproportionate sized hands and arm length are common in cases of childhood malnutrition." Then you think about Sonny Liston and go "Yeah, that makes sense - he probably would have been 6'6'' with good childhood nutrition." I've noted with my rescue dogs - those who were starved as puppies tend to be shorter in body and in stature but with disproportionate feet. Then, you hear about all the hell he went through with police, the mob, the media, the boxing establishment, even Kennedy (son of a bootlegger) didn't want to give him a break. Sonny was just maligned and mistreated whereever he went based on his past (Look how many US Presidents made/inherited their money from the opium trade, or slavery, or forced labor on oil pipelines - yet LIston was unforgiveable). Yes, he was a holdup man and head-cracker for the mob when he was younger - because what else was he going to do at the time? But he tried to rise above it. He did everything he could to improve himself and win some respect and approval - and no one allowed it. Then you find out he went into the first Ali fight with a lame left shoulder - and had been drinking to numb the pain. And that for the second fight, it appears the mob literally kidnapped his family to persuade him to throw the fight to Ali. Regarding Ali, he not only never gave Liston (who was likely twice Ali's age when they fought - yet fought 14 more times) another chance - he also never gave Liston's protege, George Foreman a second fight. Despite old George's good natured banter, young George was desperate for a rematch and Ali would never give it to him - Ali knew he was very lucky in Zaire - that rope a dope would have never worked twice. The funniest part of this is, when I was young everyone was certain Mike Tyson was the best ever. As if he would beat Ali, Foreman, and Liston on the same night. Note - Tyson's best ever win was - a 41 year old, previously retired, Larry Holmes - when Tyson was 21. That was about it. Tyson avoided a ton of guys (Bowe, Lewis, Mercer, Holyfield when he could, even his sparring partner McCall). He either dominated early or folded. He might have been fast enough to catch a mover like Ali early but Foreman or Liston would easily defeat Tyson. And unlike Tyson, Liston avoided NOONE. Rather, Liston himself was avoided by over a dozen top heavyweights. Then you hear the interview with Sonny and think - this is really a well-spoken, kind, good guy - no antics - very disciplined - a man for whom you feel immediate respect. I know Tyson has mellowed in old age - but Liston was this way even before he fought Floyd. Huge respect to Sonny.
Sonny liston was given the shot for the title with Floyd Patterson. Cusdamoto warned Floyd to stay away from him with good reason. Floyd Patterson knew he wasn't a true champion unless he beat the best. Sonny liston was the best and he was a good man very misunderstood. Sad and tragic life, Sonny was a great champion he deserved much better.
Floyd Patterson already regained the title against Ingemar Johansson & confirmed his victory in 1961. So the next mandatory challenger was Sonny Liston.
@@clevelandwilliams5922 My point being is Floyd Patterson had Respect for Sonny Liston. In the early 60s Sonny Liston was villanized by the white media and the black community because he didn't fit the mold of being a good example. They tried to write him out of the history books.No matter what he did he was never accepted or recognized Mohammed Ali is undoubtedly great without question, his victories over Liston should not be defining as part of that legacy. Ali was in his 20s and Liston was actually closer to 40. The second fight was obviously a dive. Sonny liston handled Cleveland Williams at his peak, Ali Faught Williams after he suffered a gunshot wound. Recognition is often given selectively and not factually. Sonny liston spoke very respectfully of Patterson as well, defending him when the media called him a coward. Sonny never did much talking his point was made clear with his hands inside and outside the ring. Sonny liston was one of the strongest toughest men who ever walked this earth. Cleavland Williams even said that no man alive is stronger than Liston.
@@ryanarch9934 Yet again 3/4 small intestines, kidney removed & bullet lodged in the hip bone causing atrophy to occur. Then to loose 60 to 90 lbs which was entirely muscle. Now I will say this if Muhammad Ali greatest performance is against Cleveland Williams then Holmes should be afforded the same standard. So Holmes to me greatest performance is against Ali. Now let’s look at some timely events. Ali team refuse to defend against their No. 1 contender who was Cleveland Williams. He decides to give Liston a title re-match. Let’s look at that closely, the title fight between Clay v Liston 1 had no rematch clause inbuilt, unlike Patterson v Johansson series. Ali team & management went again convention and decided for rematch. This rematch was to take affect in Boston by 18th of Nov. 1964. Then all of a sudden Ali found himself with a hernia, which was never proved by medical. It was taken verbally and then the rematch was cancelled. On 28th of Nov 1964. Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was on track to fight a title WBA belt against Ernie Terrell found himself shot by a Texan Police Officer using a .357 magnum at point blank range. This was supposed to eliminate Williams as a Contender and become potential Champion. That was their fear, why because they couldn’t have The Big Cat Champion and beat Clay, when Liston dismantled this man after a barrage of power punches. What would that have said about the fix. Liston was going to take the dive in Boston as he did in Mayne, their issue was Williams was not about to play dirty for the fraternity. So come in Bud Adams who was joint manager, he encouraged Williams to go against the advice of Hugh Benbow and go out and celebrate. It just happened the police were on the tail of the vehicle of Williams just by coincidence by the way (yeah many can be fooled, not me). Then he was stopped and the officers weapon was drawn in the struggle, there was no need. Williams was defending himself and pushed nozzle of firearm down, to when the pistol was discharged and caused all the mess, damage & health issues, mentioned earlier. Williams was left on the street to die and they made or hoped he would’ve lost enough blood to die. But Good Lord was on Williams corner and kept him alive with the limited blood he had left in the system. Not only that the man when they took him to hospital was part of the setup so it looked and appeared legitimate. He survived and underwent life saving surgeries as a result. The surgeon even said himself he never saw a human specimen like Williams before or after, his abdominal muscles alone were 6 inches thick. Without that layer of muscle, it wouldn’t have cushioned the explosion of bullet. Now let’s get to the meat of this, Williams regained his physical conditioning, muscle weight & health to come back to the ring. Why “The man was virtually homeless” Boxing was his only way to get himself out of poverty. So he won 4 fights & 2 by Knockout, especially agains top flight contender Todd Herring in August. The win meant he Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was now a top 10 heavyweight. Because Ali didn’t fight Williams that was the sticking point between Ali v Terrell fight taking place. As Terrell beat Williams in his Prime in Chicago of 1963. It was that loss to Williams & win to Terrell that means Williams could not fight Clay to determine Liston logical challenger. When Clay got hit by a picture perfect and timed left hook by Cooper and was knocked out of the ring. If it wasn’t for ring ropes. Clay was going to the third row. That’s why the events I have mentioned needed to take place for protecting their paper big mouth champion or at that time champion in waiting. So Terrell fight was fixed because it happened on Terrell’s backyard and why was their a rematch when in 1962 he was knocked out by Williams in 7th round. Then the night of the fight Bud Adams shows up knowing Williams isn’t going to go down, does the thing and sends Williams a letter garnishing his winnings for the fight before he was to fight for the title. Williams just walked around shocked and made Ali look awesome that night and lost by 3rd Round Technical Knockout. Then a Ali v Terrell fight could eventuate in 1967. But Terrell was part of protection racket. All his fights were boring and even clinched his opponents down, which meant they couldn’t fight. But for some weird reason Terrell just walked around with hands up and ate leather from Ali. They did not want Ali to fight Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley or even Doug Jones. To me he was meant to obtain WBA heavyweight title so Ali could masquerade as Champion and not have to face up to dangerous & or capable challengers.
@@ryanarch9934 Yet again 3/4 small intestines, kidney removed & bullet lodged in the hip bone causing atrophy to occur. Then to loose 60 to 90 lbs which was entirely muscle. Now I will say this if Muhammad Ali greatest performance is against Cleveland Williams then Holmes should be afforded the same standard. So Holmes to me greatest performance is against Ali. Now let’s look at some timely events. Ali team refuse to defend against their No. 1 contender who was Cleveland Williams. He decides to give Liston a title re-match. Let’s look at that closely, the title fight between Clay v Liston 1 had no rematch clause inbuilt, unlike Patterson v Johansson series. Ali team & management went again convention and decided for rematch. This rematch was to take affect in Boston by 18th of Nov. 1964. Then all of a sudden Ali found himself with a hernia, which was never proved by medical. It was taken verbally and then the rematch was cancelled. On 28th of Nov 1964. Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was on track to fight a title WBA belt against Ernie Terrell found himself shot by a Texan Police Officer using a .357 magnum at point blank range. This was supposed to eliminate Williams as a Contender and become potential Champion. That was their fear, why because they couldn’t have The Big Cat Champion and beat Clay, when Liston dismantled this man after a barrage of power punches. What would that have said about the fix. Liston was going to take the dive in Boston as he did in Mayne, their issue was Williams was not about to play dirty for the fraternity. So come in Bud Adams who was joint manager, he encouraged Williams to go against the advice of Hugh Benbow and go out and celebrate. It just happened the police were on the tail of the vehicle of Williams just by coincidence by the way (yeah many can be fooled, not me). Then he was stopped and the officers weapon was drawn in the struggle, there was no need. Williams was defending himself and pushed nozzle of firearm down, to when the pistol was discharged and caused all the mess, damage & health issues, mentioned earlier. Williams was left on the street to die and they made or hoped he would’ve lost enough blood to die. But Good Lord was on Williams corner and kept him alive with the limited blood he had left in the system. Not only that the man when they took him to hospital was part of the setup so it looked and appeared legitimate. He survived and underwent life saving surgeries as a result. The surgeon even said himself he never saw a human specimen like Williams before or after, his abdominal muscles alone were 6 inches thick. Without that layer of muscle, it wouldn’t have cushioned the explosion of bullet. Now let’s get to the meat of this, Williams regained his physical conditioning, muscle weight & health to come back to the ring. Why “The man was virtually homeless” Boxing was his only way to get himself out of poverty. So he won 4 fights & 2 by Knockout, especially agains top flight contender Todd Herring in August. The win meant he Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was now a top 10 heavyweight. Because Ali didn’t fight Williams that was the sticking point between Ali v Terrell fight taking place. As Terrell beat Williams in his Prime in Chicago of 1963. It was that loss to Williams & win to Terrell that means Williams could not fight Clay to determine Liston logical challenger. When Clay got hit by a picture perfect and timed left hook by Cooper and was knocked out of the ring. If it wasn’t for ring ropes. Clay was going to the third row. That’s why the events I have mentioned needed to take place for protecting their paper big mouth champion or at that time champion in waiting. So Terrell fight was fixed because it happened on Terrell’s backyard and why was their a rematch when in 1962 he was knocked out by Williams in 7th round. Then the night of the fight Bud Adams shows up knowing Williams isn’t going to go down, does the thing and sends Williams a letter garnishing his winnings for the fight before he was to fight for the title. Williams just walked around shocked and made Ali look awesome that night and lost by 3rd Round Technical Knockout. Then a Ali v Terrell fight could eventuate in 1967. But Terrell was part of protection racket. All his fights were boring and even clinched his opponents down, which meant they couldn’t fight. But for some weird reason Terrell just walked around with hands up and ate leather from Ali. They did not want Ali to fight Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley or even Doug Jones. To me he was meant to obtain WBA heavyweight title so Ali could masquerade as Champion and not have to face up to dangerous & or capable challengers.
@@clevelandwilliams5922 Cleveland williams was a physically perfect fighter. Sonny liston dismantled Williams because Sonny was more powerful and had superior skill. As far as Ali vs Williams being fixed who knows to define that fight as Ali greatest fight is nonsense. To say Ali faced no dangerous competition, you would then be implying George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Ron Lyell, Earny shavers, Jimmy Ellis were all nobodys. Also taking into account George Foreman was younger and at the peak of his career. Mohammad Ali is no paper champion he is most definitely among the greats. The only man to ever KO George Foreman or was that fixed as well. My point is simple his victories over liston I don't regard as definitive of his career for obvious reasons. I'm not discrediting Ali simply stating a fact. Ali fought and beat the best in the toughest era. If the Williams fight was fixed it doesn't define his career. Mohammed Ali is not regarded as the greatest for no reason. Ali was not the greatest skilled boxer in terms of defense power or fundamental boxing skills. Ali is among the greatest for having natural speed, reflexes, character, heart a granite chin and the will to face adversity. Ali is not even among my all time favorites but there is no question of his greatness. Larry Holmes career is not defined by beating a worn out Ali either. George Foremans career is not defined by loosing to Jimmy young just as Joe Fraziers greatness Is not in question for being Kod twice by Foreman. Rocky Marciano could be regarded as the greatest for having a perfect record but realistically he beat Joe Louis who was well past it and a long list of nobodies. Ali being the greatest ever is an opinion Ali being among the greats is a matter of fact.
Sonny when young, fully trained and focused (without the fucking Mob's influence) would have been an absolute nightmare for any heavyweight who ever lived - and that includes Ali. A beautiful skilfully balanced boxer with great footwork, a horrifyingly brutal jab, totally devastating power and a granite chin (just ask Cleveland Williams). Oh and Mike Tyson would have had the shit kicked out of him in 5 rounds or less.
We will never know what would've happened if a Prime Liston from 1958-1960 fought a prime Ali from 1966-1967. I believe that Ali's Boxing Style was all wrong for Sonny . Sonny's KO punch is in the same league as Foremans & Shavers. If he hits Ali with the perfect punch it's lights out.
@@richardmilliken8705 Foreman trained with an old Liston and said that Liston was stronger than him, he said "no one made me box like Sonny Liston". Johnny Tocco, who trained Liston, Foreman and Tyson said Liston was the strongest and hit the hardest. Sonny was essentially a better Foreman. I think Ali would win against prime Liston but by decision.
Humble decent person. why he was disliked is not clear. It is necessary for the newspaper press to make a bad person out of someone. Write who knows if he was really a bad person? Скромный достойный человек. почему его невзлюбили не понятно. Надо обязательно газетной прессе из кого то делать плохого человека. Напишите кто знает действительно ли он был плохим человеком?
Sonny Liston was born in the poorest conditions imaginable in the United States at the time and was homeless by the time he was 13 years old, abandoned by his family during the great depression period in the United States, he had no choice to at an early age to commit to an early life of crime in order to survive. He was arrested 19 times in his youth, but his life turned around when he met a Catholic Pastor by the name of Alois Stevens and a preacher by the name of Father Murphy in which Sonny dedicated his life towards faith and turning his life around. He even funded orphanages, visited sick children at hospitals, conducted sermons in prisons, and was a certified troubled youth mentor. But the public never gave him a chance due to the bad press surrounding his criminal ties to organized crime, they never let bygones be bygones, Black people during the civil rights era feared the stigma that Liston's criminal past would bring on to the civil rights movement if they accepted him, in which they flat out rebuffed Liston and even banned him from attending civil rights rallies. White people feared him because he represented the paranoid fear that they had against black people, a literally dangerous negro, a mobster, a criminal but White people then devised a way to use him against black people in order to shut down the civil rights movement which only added a greater stigma to his already bad reputation with the public. In which Liston due to his already low morale holding the title was described by his own wife, giving the Ali fights away. He died before the public could've really put him in a positive light in mainstream media and is generally considered a forgotten great in the sport of heavyweight boxing. In which it was declared in his autopsy report that he died due to a heroin overdose, many think it's a mob murder, but with no substantiated evidence of their being a struggle inside of Liston's home, and Geraldine Liston taking 3 hours to clean up Liston's mansion before calling the police, it is highly suspected that Liston killed himself in either an accidental overdose or a successful suicide attempt.
Sonny Liston could barely read - he never had the privilege of attending school and by the time he did, he was so much bigger than the other kids and so, they mocked him like kids do. So Sonny dropped out... Later in life, especially around the time of this interview (i.e., in the build-up to the Title fight with Patterson), the Press had started calling him all kinds of dirty names: Monster, Beast, etc., and had been howling that he should not be given the chance to fight Patterson, who was an ideal Black American Role Model! So no wonder he mistrusted the Press and was uncomfortable in interviews! Sonny loved kids and got along famously with older people - reason, he did not feel any threat from them. He even adopted a boy later. This interview is precious because it has rare moments when Sonny is smiling, laughing genuinely! In the ring and facing the media, he was always the Dreaded Intimidator that even Mike Tyson says he himself never was, imagine! Sonny was always a hunk but when he smiles, WoW! What a handsome hunk he becomes!!
People talked horrible about him. I always thought he had a sweet demeanor and a genuine, pretty smile. Wouldn't want to be the guy catching those 15 inch fists from those 84 in arms. 😵
@@skepchica I like Sonny Liston as he was too! If only: 1. He had the chance to educate himself 2. The press and cops had not hounded him day and night 3. Philadelphia had turned up to welcome The Big Bear when he defeated Patterson and returned with the Champion's Belt we would then have seen a lot more of Liston, as he would have got rid of his unfortunate connection with the Mob! Days before his mysterious death, he was negotiating a deal to referee a match in Japan. I would give an eye tooth to have watched Liston referee a Heavyweight Title Match! Gosh! What a sight that would have been, how different from the Phantom Punch match that Jersey Joe Walcott refereed!! Sonny Liston would have been greatly sought after as Referee, I am sure!! Although nature lavished strength, fitness and health on him, his cursed luck left him with nothing, vis-à-vis his massive talent... What a sad thing...
@@SurendranNambiath Your 1,2 and 3 was spot on, but he was never going to get that because he was black. Not like a sweet faced light skinned well spoken young man like Floyd Patterson. In the 60s period we're so ignorant about race, Sonny had a checkered past, Sonny was dark skinned and not particularly well spoken so in 1960 America, he had no chance. As far as the mob goes- back in those days the mob had deep ties in boxing, not just with Sonny. They probably had someone throw a fight or two, bit they were more known for approaching you and demanding 30% of your purse. Cus D'Amato refused to deal with any federation with mob involvement and really helped shut some of it down. I never heard about his job as a referre. I knew about a guy in Canada that agreed to his terms to fight him, only to discover he died the day before. Sad story, but I liked seeing him finally being talked about in the way he deserves. America really has a lot to be ashamed of when it comes to race- and Sonny was steamrolled for it.
I hope somebody updates his gravestone to say: Charles “Sonny” Liston: Forever Heavyweight Champion of the world. A great boxer. And an even greater man.
Incroyablement plus humble que ali!!doux,calme,pas aigri ou decu, honorable par son âme...etonnant liston si mal aimé et mal jugé avec delit de "sale gueule"les masses sont si bêtes, si primaires....
It's almost like he was the finished product of the model champion that people like Joe Louis trailblazed. He is the embodiment of no matter what circumstances you're born in, you can always succeed. A man that was arrested 100 times, a man that was a slave, a man whom grew up with nothing but his own two fists, a man that had to fight his way through whole entire prisons just to have a second chance on life. He served time as a Catholic minister, he created orphanages, visited sick children in hospitals, served time as a mentor for troubled youths in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. His life was written like one giant triumph, in which if the public. Only to be disregarded like trash as soon as he lost to Ali. His life will always be remembered as a sad stepping stone to Muhammad Ali.
Sonny was a beast.....he was bigger n stronger than Ali but he lacked a bit of speed and counter punching and footwork.....the man could've beaten Ali but he fell into his game
So, Father Murphy needed to ask a question that was meant to bash young people not having much enthusiasm although he didn't show much enthusiasm himself. Great contribution😑
Sonny would have cleaned up the division by now there is no doubt about it. He only measured 185cm and weighed 95kg but he had the measurements of a giant as did his hands and reach.
I'm not real big on boxing. But I do have a pretty good knowledge of boxing history. If Rocky Marciano had come out of retirement around 1960 as he said he thought of doing in one interview. He likely would have eventually fought Ali or Sonny Liston. If either one of them had defeated Marciano it probably would have been a repeat of the Jack Johnson Jim Jeffries fight of 1910. Maybe even some rioting would have resulted as it did after the Johnson -Jefferies contest.
Watch my episode about the phantom punch and the controversy around the Ali vs Liston bouts: ruclips.net/video/MKkq0KFBCQ0/видео.html
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Sonny loved young kids and the elderly because they didn't cut him down.. I really looked up to Sonny.. He was a good man that didn't get the chance to prove it.. Nobody let him
He even started an orphanage in St. Louis. He served time as a mentor and a reformed Catholic priest in which he conducted sermons inside Jefferson City Prison with the help of his wife telling him what was inside the bible. He also planned to serve as a troubled youth mentor in Nevada, and planned to start a gym where he would teach kids to box, but sadly he died before he could do it.
what do you mean he was a good man? he was a mafia enforcer!!
@@ace8184 you obviously don't get my point and are speaking on ignorance. You need to educate yourself on how the man really was..
@@goldenglove8513 you made a few good points, no question. but when you wrote that he was a "good man" i immediately thought - mafia enforcer - can't be good. whatever.
@@ace8184 well you obviously are making a strict judgment over that.. I thought the same thing too until I learned more about him and seen deeper into him and a man.. Just me though.. If I judged like that about hearing one bad thing people have done if go around saying everyone is a bad person.. 🤷🏼♂️ again, just me tho.. A mafia enforcer is also usually doing things like that because they have too. Forced too. I just feel that if we judged people for one bad thing, one that they might even wished they didn't do, we'd give nobody a chance 🤷🏼♂️
His story is heartbreaking, demonised by the media and papers, life at every opportunity tried to knock him down and he stood tall and fought back every single time, and when he finally got to the top he was treated like a villian. People talk about his intimidating glare all the time but I saw a misunderstood man who just wanted to be accepted for once in his life.
The retribution starts when the fake news is exposed.
that's a real African
Yes
I agree 👍 the crazy thing is his story parrales with Mike Tyson so much especially when the media tried to knock them down!🥊🥊
He was a criminal. Actions have consequences.
RIP Sonny Liston...
You're remembered,
you're respected you're loved🥊
look at when they ask him the happiest moment of his career
guy's suffering from major depressive disorder imo. flat affect
Nice to see him smiling. He got such a beautiful, for a man they say never smiled.
In my opinion he was the GOAT...His smile an love for the elderly and young children is all you need to know about this gentle giant. The fact that he was not given another chance to fight Ali tells you something was not right about professional boxing at the time. A lot of people fail to tell that he fought 13 or 14 more times after Ali. He would have beaten Ali if he would not have been influenced by organised crime.
Sonny Liston all time great, the unwanted champion the most misunderstood champion of all time. Sonny Liston is a true legend and he would have beat Ali if the bouts weren't corrupted. Sonny Listons life was shrouded in mystery his true age never confirmed, he was certainly older than was believed. A more tragic story in boxing couldn't be written. Sonny came into this world abused, he fought every day of his life inside and outside the ring. Sonny Liston was true toughness like Cleavland William's said "no man alive hits harder than Sonny Liston ".
A legend in my book. Who went against all odds, even when most of the world didn't want him to succeed. Imagine if he actually had the world lifting him up, instead pushing him down
wow that was beautiful.
Unfortunately, this is often the case with most Black people who excel during their time. I often wonder how many home runs Hank Aaron would have hit if the public was rooting for him instead of sending him death threats. How well would the Williams sisters would have been if they would have been well received when they were little girls, instead of getting boo’d.
If the world chose to lift him up, he would've been the largest figure in sports history, an icon that would overthrow people like Ali and Louis on influence within society, he would be a role model for all black and white people. But in this reality, he was just a survivor, a man disregarded by white people and black people alike, beaten down by society until he met his end. Did he deserve it, he had no choice but to accept it. He was born a victim of circumstance and died a victim of circumstance.
@@kantovagrant3194 my god that is beautiful. no homo lol.150% true too. I'm gona have to bookmark that.
Sonny Liston is a name that needs to be held up high among all the greatest. Villanized, abused, rejected beaten and broken his entire life. Sonny wanted most for the black community to accept him and they never did. Sonny Liston grave stone reads "A Man " his death was as tragic as his life. Great boxer, great man, respectful, humble, a legend. Maybe history can try to reconcile the injustice of Sonny Listons treatment. True champion, toughest man to ever walk this earth, the loneliest as well.
Sonny Liston was a misunderstood man surrounded by bad company. He had a good heart but his company and unfair run ins with the law brought the worst out of him. You can tell by the interview that he was a reasonable man who tried to be mild tempered and really cared about kids and up and coming boxer’s.
This is my favourite comment
@@masonkemp6251 Thank you. I based a lot of my comment on his biography and you could definitely see by the interview.
That bad company was the only company that gave him a chance to make something of himself. Sonny in terms of his perception of reality was skewed because of what he went through, it didn't really matter what was right or wrong. The police, the government, and society brutalized him, beat him even as a child, he was robbed of having childhood by his own mother who abandoned him and father who sold him as a slave, when he asked for help, the crime syndicates gave him a home, 3 meals a day, a job, a car, and a career. If it wasn't for the mob, Sonny would have nothing, the mob releasing him from jail gave him the chance to meet his wife.
I had the privilege of seeing Sonny fight twice in Houston when I was in High School. I was a big boxing fan and I watched him work out at a gym in Houston. This was about 1960. He was the strongest boxer I ever saw. He could hit the large heavy bag almost to the ceiling. I saw him destroy Roy Harris and beat up on Cleveland Williams. He became my favorite boxer. His death was tragic.
Such a gentle person but the press painted his so badly as such he never got the respect he deserved even people from his hometown never recognized him as normal human being and he died a very sad person.
Everybody deserves a second chance
You will always be my champ, may your soul continue to rest in oeace
His laugh and smile say a great deal about him.
Sonny was always confrontational with law emforcement and rightfully so as they were trying to arrest him for literally no reason at all. The media of the time was brutal to this man…but every interview I’ve seen him in shows him to be a well spoken disciplined and rational individual. Show me one picture with Sonny and a child or elderly person that didn’t present a threat where he didn’t have the most genuine smile. Sonny was amazing
one of the greatest boxers of all time
RIP Sonny Liston
RIP Mafia member? Yes it's sad that he died, he was a champ anyway.
I BLESS SONNY'S SOUL IN A NAME OF JESUS CHRIST !
@@lion.42 He was mafia member, nothing to do with Jesus.
@@halfmaul2095 he was kinda forced into being affiliated with the mafia from his trainer and promoter. Coming out of jail and wanting to be a boxer along with that being his only skill he didn’t really have too many choices.
Sonny was just a man who wanted approval and to live a respectable life and not be known as a criminal. His story is very heartbreaking and human. I wish this man could know how respected of a champion he would be known as over fifty years later.
Most of us would break under this man’s circumstances, his real strength was within.
Dang, Sonny Liston is jacked!
this is the way I think he would like to remembered a misunderstood, kind man who never really had a chance but went for it anyway. Regardless of whether you hate him or love him you can't deny the press did him dirty.
Also the police.
Wow he’s actually smart and articulate. The media painted him as this evil and cruel person
He actually seemed like a nice guy
He would have been a nice guy people treated him like a villian.
A very respectful man that didn't get enough credit, a true gentleman. Rip 🙏
This is one of the best interviews with Mr. Liston I really like him and deserved more than a FAIR CHANCE acceptance 👍
RIP champ.
You are finally getting the respect from knowledgeable fans you deserve as one of the greatest fighters ever to live.
🥊
This is the first time I have heard Sonny's voice. He was really kinda a soft spoken man. A lot of those who are regarded as tough and dangerous men often are so soft spoken. We also know that Sonny loved kids--he was so good to them, I bet, because his own childhood was so horrific, the stuff of literal nightmares, and he wanted to show kids not only was he not scary, but that somebody truly cared. I saw one photo of him with a young boy who is holding Sonny's massive fist as Sonny is smiling the biggest, most sincere smile you could ever see on a man. A look of pure joy, the supposed "soulless beast" become a big innocent kid himself.
Yes, he was a "bad man"--he was a complex man. He was a flawed man, as we are all flawed individuals. But he was not a true bad man. He had been thru the unimaginable in his life, and he was trying to the very end to overcome it all. He deserves far more respect than he ever got in life, and that he is finally getting some of his just due in death. On his grave you see the simple two words--"A Man." This was what he wanted to be regarded as, more than anything else. Not heavyweight champion, and certainly not the many ugly, even racist, names he was called by so many including much of the media in his day. Well, Sonny fought, in and out of the ring, and unfortunately his demons did find him in the end no matter the exact circumstances of his death, but he is, to me, and to many, just what he wished to be recognized as--"A Man." RIP Champ, you sure deserved so much better.
Against all odds, one of The Best ever!
Look at the size of his arms
Yes indeed! His fists were the biggest - 15 Inches! And for a man of 6'1" height, he had Tyson Fury's ( Fury is 6'9" tall( reach of 84", with a lot more muscle than Fury possesses!!
What I like about Sonny's hands - apart from their sheer size and muscle - are his fingernails Notice how beautiful they are - long, sensitive! Like an artist's fingers!
@@SurendranNambiath you like his fingernails 😂 creep
Perko Sherrigh probably got his pump on before the interview; with a set of pushups or 2
Right?!
Honestly I think Sonny lost on purpose when he fought Ali because of the Mob. You can tell by his persona and him saying meeting his wife was the happiest moment of his life. All the Mob had to do was threaten his wife and he would have did anything for her. Liston destroyed Patterson. No way that he couldn’t have done the same to Ali. Not trying to take anything away from Ali. We all know how great he was. The mafia messed with Listons career and in the end I think they gave him a hot shot to keep him quiet. This man deserved so much better in his life. Rest in Peace Champ ❤️
The man had a brutal childhood; early adulthood wasn't a walk in the park either. Then, organized crime, racism, bad cops, drugs...the man somehow managed to be one of the top, (as in 3, 4?), heaviest hitters in the sport.
Top two with George and Sonny was his mentor.
It’s so sad to think that he was only 39 when he died. He had so much life ahead of him. May god bless his soul. RIP Sonny
He was closer to 50 when he passed away
more like 60
He died at 38
I dont see the scary man when i watch these videos. I see a soul that was seeking love and acceptance I been crying for the last couple days over his story.. sounds like he found that when he mey his wife ❤️❤️❤️
Rest easy Sonny. Ill never forget you. Ill always talk about you.
My Dad always thought Mr.Liston was a better boxer than Ali.
Your dad was a very intelligent boxing enthusiast. Sunny Liston wasn't just super strong and powerful, he was an excellent boxer as well. I would have loved to have seen him just go on a straight path without all these outside influences and see what he was truly capable of because we'll never know. And if you look back on his videos, what he did against all the odds was absolutely amazing. It's almost as if he could take somebody's head clean off if he hit them hard enough.
A better man yes, but he unfortunately will always be remembered for the past that he tried to erase and his two Ali fights.
@@kantovagrant3194 a better man?? Are you OK ?
@@boxingmonthly Yeah, he was a criminal but at the same time you have to look at the surrounding circumstances of his life. Also, you have to judge how he tried to change not only his life but the lives of others for the better with his philanthropy to children's hospital's orphanages and elementary schools as well as his brief time as an understudy of pastor Alois Stevens to become a Chaplin and as a troubled youth mentor.
@@boxingmonthly The outside image of Liston is a hulkish intimidating brute, in which he's remembered for being a fearsome competitor in the ring, but no one really remembers his life outside of the ring bar his troubled past.
His humor & quick wit shows his intelligence....
He was really tough and adaptable in the ring.
He made bad management choices,that limited his acceptance.
A " criminal child wears a ball & chain."
From Mark Knophler's song,
" Song for Sony Liston".
The training schedule. Amazing. Compare that to today. He'd still beat most of today's heavyweights.
Not most, all! In his prime, Sonny 'The Big Bear' Liston was indestructible, unstoppable! Not even Ali, in my opinion, if the two fights had been fair and square!
Sonny Liston would have remained the Heavyweight Champ all through the 60s and into a part of the 70s too!
He would kill both Wilder and Tyson Fury
@@michaelcorvin951 Oh absolutely!!
@@SurendranNambiath most of 60s/70s heavyweights (Liston,Foreman,Shavers, Ali, Ron Lyle, etc) would beat today's heavyweights (in my opinion)
@@michaelcorvin951 I would think so too! Frazier too, to add to yiur list!
Those were Boxing's Golden Years!
A fucking legend!!!
You're exactly right. Sonny Liston was an awesome awesome athlete.
Even after all I heard and seen, here he looks so calm and relaxed and looks like a nice guy to chat with
Great human he is/was.
Look that muscle his arm wow
Natural raw strength, power and force.
No steroids needed.
Phil.
Sonny Liston was an amazing champion true legend
A great left jab.
Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future spring to mind when I think of Liston,I feel he was unfairly treated and misunderstood
Ali treated Liston badly - the same with Frazier
Harassing him at his own home under the guise of 'bear hunting' was low
Ali recognised his behaviour later and always respected Sonny after their fights.
He said he was the greatest of all time.....after him.
Died at 40 years , darn it.
Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded there were no signs of foul play and declared Liston's death a heroin overdose.
He was the greatest, its sad he never get the respect he deserved
Certainly in the Top 3 Greatest Ever Heavyweights!
@@SurendranNambiath not top three dont be ridiculous
@@david-lm7iu Yes. Top 3 of all time. And I'm not a fan boy, some Boxing Pundits have said he's the 2nd Top. Seriously.
@@david-lm7iu He's that far up in terms of talent as a head to head threat. His physicals check out to be the best that any boxer in the last 150 years up to 2011 when Tyson Fury came in with a one inch reach advantage. Accolade wise not the greatest, but by far the most talented boxer we ever have seen, but with a combination of Liston's age and lack of good boxing trainers as well as training regimen, he lagged behind Ali in some respects.
@@SurendranNambiathno false ali was scared of him had to wait years to fught him one of the greats we can call agree he was 42 to 44 when he fought ali in his prime at 22 and solid sources said his wife was kidnapped and not let go untill he threw the fight related to the muslim mafia .
We’d heard all those “Sonny is surly” stories, but he comes across here like a pretty decent guy. Too bad the public wouldn’t accept him for the champ that he was. George Foreman thought the world of him.
what a scary guy just imagine going in the ring with him
The Beatles thought he would be Ali (then Clay) and later put him on their album "Sargant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". Besides kids and the elderly they seemed to have really liked him too. I like them, and after watching those two fights against Patterson, I'm terrified of him. It was like a boy vs a grown man, yet Floyd Patterson was the Heavy Weight Champion of the world in their first fight. He had a great left hook. Liston is criminally underrated IMHO.
Imagine, 5am wake up, run 5 miles, go to sleep. 10am wake up, breakfast, walk for a mile and a half , go back to sleep. Wake up in the afternoon, have a cup of tea then jump rope, heavy bag, boxing, calisthenics.
The most mysterious world heavyweight champion of all time.
“It used to be that when they turn 18 they wanted a bicycle, now they turn 18 and they want a car.” Liston described what is wrong with the current generation including myself. The man was ahead of his time. As the saying goes “tough times create strong men, strong men create easy times, and easy times create weak men.”
He was very muscular, altough in that time doesnt exist body building and weigh-lift
He was used as a mule by his dad, when he was barely 8... I am reminded of Conan the Barbarian - how Arnold developed his muscles in the film!
Humans have been muscular, "even before" the mordern gym equipment, look at all those ancient statues.
He learned to adapt to his surroundings on the streets and in jail
Rip the true champ
Who then is the false champ?
@@somegeezer6439 clay
@@solidcake3401 who's clay?
@@somegeezer6439 Cassius clay
@@david-lm7iu ah okay, I'm unfamiliar with him
people say liston was mean and rude to reporters and to be honest its bullshit i think he was just a quiet individual tied up with the lawwho was misunderstood
His brother said Sonny was told to take a dive for the Ali fight...then they wouldn't pay him so they killed him.
This shows you how the press can take a truth and twist it around. With such a tough life this man had and to be so nice and humble he could have been up there with Joe Louis as a hero to all. And to keep in mind like the fictional character Rocky Balboa he was a strong arm for the Mafia and only went after those who done the Mafia wrong and not just innocent Radom people but they knew what they were getting into. We forgave Rocky but many can’t forgive him. .But to me the truth was covered and the lie lived on. No boxing documentaries showed Liston as one of the greats but when you see him fight you know that he was one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Thank you for this gem.
His arms fill that shirt .. never seen other boxers like that.
Mike did.
@@eggsmann594
With steroids.
Right?!
@@buckleymordecai9605
Yes.
His muscles were so improved.
As a young person, I only heard of Sonny Liston as "that guy Ali upset to become champion" - basically a footnote in boxing history. He was given less repect than a long list of guys who wouldn't have lasted three rounds with him on their best respective days. Yet somehow those guys are legends. Then you read about all the hell he went through as a child, that he had the biggest hands in boxing and an 84 inch reach.
Then you are reminded of a conversation you had wit a fellow military officer who was a little guy with big hands and a long reach. He told me "I nearly starved to death as a child. Years later, doctors told me that disproportionate sized hands and arm length are common in cases of childhood malnutrition." Then you think about Sonny Liston and go "Yeah, that makes sense - he probably would have been 6'6'' with good childhood nutrition." I've noted with my rescue dogs - those who were starved as puppies tend to be shorter in body and in stature but with disproportionate feet.
Then, you hear about all the hell he went through with police, the mob, the media, the boxing establishment, even Kennedy (son of a bootlegger) didn't want to give him a break. Sonny was just maligned and mistreated whereever he went based on his past (Look how many US Presidents made/inherited their money from the opium trade, or slavery, or forced labor on oil pipelines - yet LIston was unforgiveable). Yes, he was a holdup man and head-cracker for the mob when he was younger - because what else was he going to do at the time? But he tried to rise above it. He did everything he could to improve himself and win some respect and approval - and no one allowed it.
Then you find out he went into the first Ali fight with a lame left shoulder - and had been drinking to numb the pain. And that for the second fight, it appears the mob literally kidnapped his family to persuade him to throw the fight to Ali.
Regarding Ali, he not only never gave Liston (who was likely twice Ali's age when they fought - yet fought 14 more times) another chance - he also never gave Liston's protege, George Foreman a second fight. Despite old George's good natured banter, young George was desperate for a rematch and Ali would never give it to him - Ali knew he was very lucky in Zaire - that rope a dope would have never worked twice.
The funniest part of this is, when I was young everyone was certain Mike Tyson was the best ever. As if he would beat Ali, Foreman, and Liston on the same night. Note - Tyson's best ever win was - a 41 year old, previously retired, Larry Holmes - when Tyson was 21. That was about it. Tyson avoided a ton of guys (Bowe, Lewis, Mercer, Holyfield when he could, even his sparring partner McCall). He either dominated early or folded. He might have been fast enough to catch a mover like Ali early but Foreman or Liston would easily defeat Tyson. And unlike Tyson, Liston avoided NOONE. Rather, Liston himself was avoided by over a dozen top heavyweights.
Then you hear the interview with Sonny and think - this is really a well-spoken, kind, good guy - no antics - very disciplined - a man for whom you feel immediate respect. I know Tyson has mellowed in old age - but Liston was this way even before he fought Floyd. Huge respect to Sonny.
What a fantastic post.
Very well said indeed.
Phil.
Amazing gentelman. True champion.
Sonny liston was given the shot for the title with Floyd Patterson. Cusdamoto warned Floyd to stay away from him with good reason. Floyd Patterson knew he wasn't a true champion unless he beat the best. Sonny liston was the best and he was a good man very misunderstood. Sad and tragic life, Sonny was a great champion he deserved much better.
Floyd Patterson already regained the title against Ingemar Johansson & confirmed his victory in 1961. So the next mandatory challenger was Sonny Liston.
@@clevelandwilliams5922 My point being is Floyd Patterson had Respect for Sonny Liston. In the early 60s Sonny Liston was villanized by the white media and the black community because he didn't fit the mold of being a good example. They tried to write him out of the history books.No matter what he did he was never accepted or recognized Mohammed Ali is undoubtedly great without question, his victories over Liston should not be defining as part of that legacy. Ali was in his 20s and Liston was actually closer to 40. The second fight was obviously a dive.
Sonny liston handled Cleveland Williams at his peak, Ali Faught Williams after he suffered a gunshot wound. Recognition is often given selectively and not factually. Sonny liston spoke very respectfully of Patterson as well, defending him when the media called him a coward. Sonny never did much talking his point was made clear with his hands inside and outside the ring. Sonny liston was one of the strongest toughest men who ever walked this earth. Cleavland Williams even said that no man alive is stronger than Liston.
@@ryanarch9934 Yet again 3/4 small intestines, kidney removed & bullet lodged in the hip bone causing atrophy to occur. Then to loose 60 to 90 lbs which was entirely muscle. Now I will say this if Muhammad Ali greatest performance is against Cleveland Williams then Holmes should be afforded the same standard. So Holmes to me greatest performance is against Ali.
Now let’s look at some timely events. Ali team refuse to defend against their No. 1 contender who was Cleveland Williams. He decides to give Liston a title re-match. Let’s look at that closely, the title fight between Clay v Liston 1 had no rematch clause inbuilt, unlike Patterson v Johansson series. Ali team & management went again convention and decided for rematch. This rematch was to take affect in Boston by 18th of Nov. 1964.
Then all of a sudden Ali found himself with a hernia, which was never proved by medical. It was taken verbally and then the rematch was cancelled. On 28th of Nov 1964. Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was on track to fight a title WBA belt against Ernie Terrell found himself shot by a Texan Police Officer using a .357 magnum at point blank range. This was supposed to eliminate Williams as a Contender and become potential Champion. That was their fear, why because they couldn’t have The Big Cat Champion and beat Clay, when Liston dismantled this man after a barrage of power punches. What would that have said about the fix. Liston was going to take the dive in Boston as he did in Mayne, their issue was Williams was not about to play dirty for the fraternity. So come in Bud Adams who was joint manager, he encouraged Williams to go against the advice of Hugh Benbow and go out and celebrate. It just happened the police were on the tail of the vehicle of Williams just by coincidence by the way (yeah many can be fooled, not me). Then he was stopped and the officers weapon was drawn in the struggle, there was no need. Williams was defending himself and pushed nozzle of firearm down, to when the pistol was discharged and caused all the mess, damage & health issues, mentioned earlier.
Williams was left on the street to die and they made or hoped he would’ve lost enough blood to die. But Good Lord was on Williams corner and kept him alive with the limited blood he had left in the system. Not only that the man when they took him to hospital was part of the setup so it looked and appeared legitimate. He survived and underwent life saving surgeries as a result. The surgeon even said himself he never saw a human specimen like Williams before or after, his abdominal muscles alone were 6 inches thick. Without that layer of muscle, it wouldn’t have cushioned the explosion of bullet.
Now let’s get to the meat of this, Williams regained his physical conditioning, muscle weight & health to come back to the ring. Why “The man was virtually homeless” Boxing was his only way to get himself out of poverty. So he won 4 fights & 2 by Knockout, especially agains top flight contender Todd Herring in August. The win meant he Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was now a top 10 heavyweight. Because Ali didn’t fight Williams that was the sticking point between Ali v Terrell fight taking place. As Terrell beat Williams in his Prime in Chicago of 1963. It was that loss to Williams & win to Terrell that means Williams could not fight Clay to determine Liston logical challenger. When Clay got hit by a picture perfect and timed left hook by Cooper and was knocked out of the ring. If it wasn’t for ring ropes. Clay was going to the third row. That’s why the events I have mentioned needed to take place for protecting their paper big mouth champion or at that time champion in waiting. So Terrell fight was fixed because it happened on Terrell’s backyard and why was their a rematch when in 1962 he was knocked out by Williams in 7th round.
Then the night of the fight Bud Adams shows up knowing Williams isn’t going to go down, does the thing and sends Williams a letter garnishing his winnings for the fight before he was to fight for the title. Williams just walked around shocked and made Ali look awesome that night and lost by 3rd Round Technical Knockout. Then a Ali v Terrell fight could eventuate in 1967. But Terrell was part of protection racket. All his fights were boring and even clinched his opponents down, which meant they couldn’t fight. But for some weird reason Terrell just walked around with hands up and ate leather from Ali. They did not want Ali to fight Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley or even Doug Jones. To me he was meant to obtain WBA heavyweight title so Ali could masquerade as Champion and not have to face up to dangerous & or capable challengers.
@@ryanarch9934 Yet again 3/4 small intestines, kidney removed & bullet lodged in the hip bone causing atrophy to occur. Then to loose 60 to 90 lbs which was entirely muscle. Now I will say this if Muhammad Ali greatest performance is against Cleveland Williams then Holmes should be afforded the same standard. So Holmes to me greatest performance is against Ali.
Now let’s look at some timely events. Ali team refuse to defend against their No. 1 contender who was Cleveland Williams. He decides to give Liston a title re-match. Let’s look at that closely, the title fight between Clay v Liston 1 had no rematch clause inbuilt, unlike Patterson v Johansson series. Ali team & management went again convention and decided for rematch. This rematch was to take affect in Boston by 18th of Nov. 1964.
Then all of a sudden Ali found himself with a hernia, which was never proved by medical. It was taken verbally and then the rematch was cancelled. On 28th of Nov 1964. Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was on track to fight a title WBA belt against Ernie Terrell found himself shot by a Texan Police Officer using a .357 magnum at point blank range. This was supposed to eliminate Williams as a Contender and become potential Champion. That was their fear, why because they couldn’t have The Big Cat Champion and beat Clay, when Liston dismantled this man after a barrage of power punches. What would that have said about the fix. Liston was going to take the dive in Boston as he did in Mayne, their issue was Williams was not about to play dirty for the fraternity. So come in Bud Adams who was joint manager, he encouraged Williams to go against the advice of Hugh Benbow and go out and celebrate. It just happened the police were on the tail of the vehicle of Williams just by coincidence by the way (yeah many can be fooled, not me). Then he was stopped and the officers weapon was drawn in the struggle, there was no need. Williams was defending himself and pushed nozzle of firearm down, to when the pistol was discharged and caused all the mess, damage & health issues, mentioned earlier.
Williams was left on the street to die and they made or hoped he would’ve lost enough blood to die. But Good Lord was on Williams corner and kept him alive with the limited blood he had left in the system. Not only that the man when they took him to hospital was part of the setup so it looked and appeared legitimate. He survived and underwent life saving surgeries as a result. The surgeon even said himself he never saw a human specimen like Williams before or after, his abdominal muscles alone were 6 inches thick. Without that layer of muscle, it wouldn’t have cushioned the explosion of bullet.
Now let’s get to the meat of this, Williams regained his physical conditioning, muscle weight & health to come back to the ring. Why “The man was virtually homeless” Boxing was his only way to get himself out of poverty. So he won 4 fights & 2 by Knockout, especially agains top flight contender Todd Herring in August. The win meant he Cleveland “The Big Cat” Williams was now a top 10 heavyweight. Because Ali didn’t fight Williams that was the sticking point between Ali v Terrell fight taking place. As Terrell beat Williams in his Prime in Chicago of 1963. It was that loss to Williams & win to Terrell that means Williams could not fight Clay to determine Liston logical challenger. When Clay got hit by a picture perfect and timed left hook by Cooper and was knocked out of the ring. If it wasn’t for ring ropes. Clay was going to the third row. That’s why the events I have mentioned needed to take place for protecting their paper big mouth champion or at that time champion in waiting. So Terrell fight was fixed because it happened on Terrell’s backyard and why was their a rematch when in 1962 he was knocked out by Williams in 7th round.
Then the night of the fight Bud Adams shows up knowing Williams isn’t going to go down, does the thing and sends Williams a letter garnishing his winnings for the fight before he was to fight for the title. Williams just walked around shocked and made Ali look awesome that night and lost by 3rd Round Technical Knockout. Then a Ali v Terrell fight could eventuate in 1967. But Terrell was part of protection racket. All his fights were boring and even clinched his opponents down, which meant they couldn’t fight. But for some weird reason Terrell just walked around with hands up and ate leather from Ali. They did not want Ali to fight Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley or even Doug Jones. To me he was meant to obtain WBA heavyweight title so Ali could masquerade as Champion and not have to face up to dangerous & or capable challengers.
@@clevelandwilliams5922 Cleveland williams was a physically perfect fighter. Sonny liston dismantled Williams because Sonny was more powerful and had superior skill. As far as Ali vs Williams being fixed who knows to define that fight as Ali greatest fight is nonsense. To say Ali faced no dangerous competition, you would then be implying George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Ron Lyell, Earny shavers, Jimmy Ellis were all nobodys. Also taking into account George Foreman was younger and at the peak of his career. Mohammad Ali is no paper champion he is most definitely among the greats. The only man to ever KO George Foreman or was that fixed as well. My point is simple his victories over liston I don't regard as definitive of his career for obvious reasons. I'm not discrediting Ali simply stating a fact. Ali fought and beat the best in the toughest era. If the Williams fight was fixed it doesn't define his career. Mohammed Ali is not regarded as the greatest for no reason. Ali was not the greatest skilled boxer in terms of defense power or fundamental boxing skills. Ali is among the greatest for having natural speed, reflexes, character, heart a granite chin and the will to face adversity. Ali is not even among my all time favorites but there is no question of his greatness. Larry Holmes career is not defined by beating a worn out Ali either. George Foremans career is not defined by loosing to Jimmy young just as Joe Fraziers greatness Is not in question for being Kod twice by Foreman. Rocky Marciano could be regarded as the greatest for having a perfect record but realistically he beat Joe Louis who was well past it and a long list of nobodies. Ali being the greatest ever is an opinion Ali being among the greats is a matter of fact.
Kids were so out of control back then
Sonny spent time as both a troubled youth mentor and a prison catholic priest
Sonny when young, fully trained and focused (without the fucking Mob's influence) would have been an absolute nightmare for any heavyweight who ever lived - and that includes Ali.
A beautiful skilfully balanced boxer with great footwork, a horrifyingly brutal jab, totally devastating power and a granite chin (just ask Cleveland Williams).
Oh and Mike Tyson would have had the shit kicked out of him in 5 rounds or less.
Sonny would demolish Mike Tyson in my opinion
@@michaelcorvin951
He would indeed.
Phil.
We will never know what would've happened if a Prime Liston from 1958-1960 fought a prime Ali from 1966-1967. I believe that Ali's Boxing Style was all wrong for Sonny .
Sonny's KO punch is in the same league as Foremans & Shavers. If he hits Ali with the perfect punch it's lights out.
@@richardmilliken8705
I agree 100% Rich.
Phil.
@@richardmilliken8705 Foreman trained with an old Liston and said that Liston was stronger than him, he said "no one made me box like Sonny Liston". Johnny Tocco, who trained Liston, Foreman and Tyson said Liston was the strongest and hit the hardest. Sonny was essentially a better Foreman. I think Ali would win against prime Liston but by decision.
Humble decent person. why he was disliked is not clear. It is necessary for the newspaper press to make a bad person out of someone. Write who knows if he was really a bad person? Скромный достойный человек. почему его невзлюбили не понятно. Надо обязательно газетной прессе из кого то делать плохого человека. Напишите кто знает действительно ли он был плохим человеком?
Sonny Liston was born in the poorest conditions imaginable in the United States at the time and was homeless by the time he was 13 years old, abandoned by his family during the great depression period in the United States, he had no choice to at an early age to commit to an early life of crime in order to survive. He was arrested 19 times in his youth, but his life turned around when he met a Catholic Pastor by the name of Alois Stevens and a preacher by the name of Father Murphy in which Sonny dedicated his life towards faith and turning his life around. He even funded orphanages, visited sick children at hospitals, conducted sermons in prisons, and was a certified troubled youth mentor. But the public never gave him a chance due to the bad press surrounding his criminal ties to organized crime, they never let bygones be bygones, Black people during the civil rights era feared the stigma that Liston's criminal past would bring on to the civil rights movement if they accepted him, in which they flat out rebuffed Liston and even banned him from attending civil rights rallies. White people feared him because he represented the paranoid fear that they had against black people, a literally dangerous negro, a mobster, a criminal but White people then devised a way to use him against black people in order to shut down the civil rights movement which only added a greater stigma to his already bad reputation with the public. In which Liston due to his already low morale holding the title was described by his own wife, giving the Ali fights away. He died before the public could've really put him in a positive light in mainstream media and is generally considered a forgotten great in the sport of heavyweight boxing. In which it was declared in his autopsy report that he died due to a heroin overdose, many think it's a mob murder, but with no substantiated evidence of their being a struggle inside of Liston's home, and Geraldine Liston taking 3 hours to clean up Liston's mansion before calling the police, it is highly suspected that Liston killed himself in either an accidental overdose or a successful suicide attempt.
@@joshuahall1581 Thanks for the information. Very interesting. sorry for him. In heaven, he is now well for him, since his karma is bright.
Sonny Liston🙏🏻❤️
Born one year after the great war
His sister whom was present at his live birth claimed that he was born November 2nd, 1919
He was murdered by a mafia and one of the best HW ever.He wasn't no addict.
Sonny Liston does not get enough credit for how good a boxer he was. The media really made him a villain which he was not.
He seems very nervous and uncomfortable.
yeah he definitely didnt like talking
Sonny Liston could barely read - he never had the privilege of attending school and by the time he did, he was so much bigger than the other kids and so, they mocked him like kids do. So Sonny dropped out...
Later in life, especially around the time of this interview (i.e., in the build-up to the Title fight with Patterson), the Press had started calling him all kinds of dirty names: Monster, Beast, etc., and had been howling that he should not be given the chance to fight Patterson, who was an ideal Black American Role Model! So no wonder he mistrusted the Press and was uncomfortable in interviews!
Sonny loved kids and got along famously with older people - reason, he did not feel any threat from them. He even adopted a boy later.
This interview is precious because it has rare moments when Sonny is smiling, laughing genuinely! In the ring and facing the media, he was always the Dreaded Intimidator that even Mike Tyson says he himself never was, imagine!
Sonny was always a hunk but when he smiles, WoW! What a handsome hunk he becomes!!
People talked horrible about him. I always thought he had a sweet demeanor and a genuine, pretty smile.
Wouldn't want to be the guy catching those 15 inch fists from those 84 in arms. 😵
@@skepchica I like Sonny Liston as he was too! If only:
1. He had the chance to educate himself
2. The press and cops had not hounded him day and night
3. Philadelphia had turned up to welcome The Big Bear when he defeated Patterson and returned with the Champion's Belt
we would then have seen a lot more of Liston, as he would have got rid of his unfortunate connection with the Mob!
Days before his mysterious death, he was negotiating a deal to referee a match in Japan. I would give an eye tooth to have watched Liston referee a Heavyweight Title Match! Gosh! What a sight that would have been, how different from the Phantom Punch match that Jersey Joe Walcott refereed!!
Sonny Liston would have been greatly sought after as Referee, I am sure!! Although nature lavished strength, fitness and health on him, his cursed luck left him with nothing, vis-à-vis his massive talent... What a sad thing...
@@SurendranNambiath Your 1,2 and 3 was spot on, but he was never going to get that because he was black. Not like a sweet faced light skinned well spoken young man like Floyd Patterson. In the 60s period we're so ignorant about race, Sonny had a checkered past, Sonny was dark skinned and not particularly well spoken so in 1960 America, he had no chance.
As far as the mob goes- back in those days the mob had deep ties in boxing, not just with Sonny. They probably had someone throw a fight or two, bit they were more known for approaching you and demanding 30% of your purse. Cus D'Amato refused to deal with any federation with mob involvement and really helped shut some of it down. I never heard about his job as a referre. I knew about a guy in Canada that agreed to his terms to fight him, only to discover he died the day before. Sad story, but I liked seeing him finally being talked about in the way he deserves. America really has a lot to be ashamed of when it comes to race- and Sonny was steamrolled for it.
I hope somebody updates his gravestone to say:
Charles “Sonny” Liston: Forever Heavyweight Champion of the world. A great boxer. And an even greater man.
Lol, media worked magic back in those days.
The guy sounds and acts like a deer, how did they turn him into a monster is beyond me.
The dude's on the cover of SGT Pepper album.
Top man.
Liston prawdziwy król wagi ciężkiej
The real champ
dude… to be built like that in his time haha, it wasn’t common
this guy for me is up there with the top black icons of history
You can tell that he’s calm and receptive but he wouldn’t back up an inch.
Sonny Liston from my home state born in sand slough Arkansas
Kawhii Leonard’s grandfather… Same hands and an equally fun guy
Hahaha "the kids don't have much enthusiasm for exercise "
The more things change. This guy looks super nice, I'm sure we'd get along
He looks soooo Sharp in that T-shirt.
They had better fitting shirts back then. It's probably a Ban-Lon.
Polo shirt.
Incroyablement plus humble que ali!!doux,calme,pas aigri ou decu, honorable par son âme...etonnant liston si mal aimé et mal jugé avec delit de "sale gueule"les masses sont si bêtes, si primaires....
It's almost like he was the finished product of the model champion that people like Joe Louis trailblazed. He is the embodiment of no matter what circumstances you're born in, you can always succeed. A man that was arrested 100 times, a man that was a slave, a man whom grew up with nothing but his own two fists, a man that had to fight his way through whole entire prisons just to have a second chance on life. He served time as a Catholic minister, he created orphanages, visited sick children in hospitals, served time as a mentor for troubled youths in Philadelphia and Las Vegas. His life was written like one giant triumph, in which if the public. Only to be disregarded like trash as soon as he lost to Ali. His life will always be remembered as a sad stepping stone to Muhammad Ali.
Jesus look at those arms.
These old time interviewers talk to sonny liston like he's a child. 👈
Some guy this man
Sonny was a beast.....he was bigger n stronger than Ali but he lacked a bit of speed and counter punching and footwork.....the man could've beaten Ali but he fell into his game
So, Father Murphy needed to ask a question that was meant to bash young people not having much enthusiasm although he didn't show much enthusiasm himself. Great contribution😑
His words regarding bicycles and cars- too true even today lol.
Tea with sunny !!
RIP Sonny Liston 🙏🏾
3:29
I’m doomer Father Murphy got scared right..u saw that too?! Lol🕊🎁💥😴
@@reekofilmz4728 what is funny ?
I’m doomer Not sure..
Just seemed like an ackward moment when they made quick eye contact
@@reekofilmz4728 ok
What year was this?
I would have got in the ring with some of these so called pro boxers when I was younger I would not have got in the ring with Sony.
Sonny would have cleaned up the division by now there is no doubt about it.
He only measured 185cm and weighed 95kg but he had the measurements of a giant as did his hands and reach.
Sonny the third best boxer after ali and foreman
I'm not real big on boxing. But I do have a pretty good knowledge of boxing history. If Rocky Marciano had come out of retirement around 1960 as he said he thought of doing in one interview. He likely would have eventually fought Ali or Sonny Liston.
If either one of them had defeated Marciano it probably would have been a repeat of the Jack Johnson Jim Jeffries fight of 1910. Maybe even some rioting would have resulted as it did after the Johnson -Jefferies contest.
RIP 🏆 CHAMP....
RIP...
Como ele era um ex-presidiario, nunca lhe deram uma nova chance de ser aceito pela sociedade. Isso é lamentável!
MY DREAM FIGHT (SONNY LISTON VS GEORGE FOREMAN)
Good bless sonny
Cleveland Williams Was A Big Muscle Strong Man and Sonny Liston Beat Cleveland Williams Bad.
If Sunny could have fought while he was in his prime, I don't think a 20 year old Michael Tyson cold have beaten him.
No version of Tyson would have beaten Sonny. He would have deposited Him on fucking Pluto.
@@philsymes War Sonny!
@@philsymes psh cmon now.
Mike Tyson Before Mike Tyson