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Sonny Liston

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Sonny Liston
File:Liston Sonny.jpg
Born
Charles L. Liston

Unknown
Died(1970-12-30)December 30, 1970 (aged about 38)
NationalityAmerican
Other namesSonny
The Big Bear[1]
Statistics
Weight(s)Heavyweight
Height6 ft 0+12 in (1.84 m)
Reach84 in (213 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights54
Wins50
Wins by KO39
Losses4
Draws0
No contests0

Charles L. "Sonny" Liston (Unknown – December 30, 1970) was a professional boxer and ex-convict known for his toughness, punching power, reach, and intimidating appearance who became world heavyweight champion in 1962 by knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round. But Liston failed to live up to his fearsome reputation in an unsuccessful defense of the title against Cassius Clay; underworld connections and an early death - along with his unrecorded date of birth - added to the enigma. He is ranked number 15 in Ring Magazine's 100 Greatest Punchers of All Time.

Early life

There is no record of Liston's birth; he once gave an age compatible with being born in 1928 but is said to be absent from the 1930 United States Census. The officially claimed date of birth was May 8, 1932 but Liston's aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was actually several years older.[2][3]

Liston was born the son of a sharecropper in Morledge Plantation, Johnson Township, St. Francis County, Arkansas and is believed to have been the 12th of 13 children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. He endured frequent beatings - the scars were still visible decades later - and was forced to pull the plow when his father's mule died.[4] To escape from his father's brutality, he hitchhiked to St. Louis and reunited with his mother and his cousins.

Liston was sentenced to prison as a teenager for taking part in the robbery of a gas station. When he robbed places he always wore the same yellow t-shirt, and became known to the local police force as the "Yellow Shirt Bandit". When he was caught running away from the gas station wearing the same yellow t-shirt, he was sentenced to 8 years in prison. His boxing talent was discovered by a Roman Catholic priest, and it was boxing that helped him get out on parole two years later, along with an endorsement from the priest. Liston never complained about prison, saying he was guaranteed 3 meals every day.[5] When Liston was nearing parole, he exhibited his skills for Frank Mitchell of the St Louis Argus which Father Stevens organised. Monroe Harrisson, a former pro light-heavyweight was brought to Sonny's prison for a sparring session. Tony Anderson, who was a leading light in the St Louis amateur programme came along as well. Liston and Wilson did 2 rounds, after which Wilson had taken enough. "Better get me out of this ring, he is going to kill me!" he exclaimed at the end.[6] On Halloween night in 1952, he was paroled. Much was later made of his being controlled by criminals. However, according to the priest who interested him in boxing, underworld figures became his management simply because they were the only ones willing to put up the necessary money.[4]

Amateur boxing career

After he was released from prison on October 30, 1952, Liston had a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year. He won several amateur tournaments, including the Golden Gloves, which was his first. One of his opponents was Olympic Heavyweight Champion Ed Sanders in Chicago, whom he beat. This win put him into the national finals in March 1953, where he beat the respected New Yorker Julius Griffin. Sonny got dropped in round one but got back up to claim the decision. This all only 5 months after leaving prison.

Liston then entered the 1953 AAU event, but he lost in the quarter finals to 17 year old Jimmy Carter, who he would later employ as a sparring partner. In the Kiel Auditorium in June 1953, Liston fought a boxer from a touring Western European side. He was up against Hermann Schreibauer, who only weeks earlier won bronze medal in the European Championships.[7] Liston KO'd him 2:16 into round 1. At this time the head coach of the St Louis Golden Gloves team Tony Anderson commented Liston was the strongest fighter he had ever seen.

Liston signed his profession contract in September 1953, only exclaiming during the signing "Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do."[6]

Professional boxing career

Liston made his professional debut on September 2, 1953, knocking out Don Smith in the first round in St. Louis, where he fought his first five bouts. Although he was dubbed the 'big bear' [8] at 6 ft 0+12 in (1.84 m) Liston was not a particularly tall heavyweight but was board with a strong burley build. and had a disproportionately long reach. His noticeably more muscular left arm and crushing left jab lends credence to the widely held belief that he was left-handed but utilized an orthodox stance. Some thought Liston relied too much on his ability to take a punch, his footwork and hand speed were also seen as slightly ponderous[9] A favorite song was "Night Train" which was repeatedly played during long rope jumping sessions. In his 6th bout, in Detroit, Michigan, Liston faced John Summerlin (19-1-2) on national television and won an eight-round decision. He later beat Summerlin in a rematch. The next bout was against Marty Marshall a journeyman with an extraordinarily awkward style, in the third round Marshall managed to hit Liston while he was laughing and broke his jaw. A stoic Liston finished the fight but lost the decision, this first loss did however mean that gamblers got better odds betting on him.

In 1955, he won six fights, he won five by knockouts, including a rematch with Marshall, whom he knocked out in six rounds, after first getting knocked down himself. A rubber match with Marshall in 1956 saw him the winner by a ten-round decision, but in May of that year he injured a police officer over a parking ticket, accounts of nightsticks breaking over Liston's skull during the arrest later aided perceptions of him as a nightmarish 'monster' who was impervious to punishment. The reality was - as a black detective warned Liston - that such behaviour would get him killed. He was paroled after serving six months of a nine-month sentence and prohibited from boxing during 1957, the police ordered him out of town. In 1958, he returned to boxing, winning eight fights that year. The year 1959 was a banner one for Liston: after knocking out Mike DeJohn in six he faced No. 1 challenger Cleveland Williams, a huge (for the era) fast-handed fighter who was billed as the hardest hitting heavyweight in the world. As well as the expected durability and punching power Liston showed heretofore unseen boxing skills, nullifying Williams' best work before stopping him in the third of an 'incredible' contest that many thought his most impressive performance, he rounded out the year by stopping Nino Valdez, also in three. In 1960, Liston won five more fights, including a rematch with Williams, who lasted only two rounds. He also had knockout wins over Roy Harris (one round) and top contender Zora Folley (three rounds). Elusive Eddie Machen was the only contender who was not knocked out. Machen lost the 12-round decision, however the match showed Liston to be possibly less effective against the skilled Boxing tactics of an opponent who ran,dodged,grappled and countered often and quickly (and at one point almost threw Liston out of the ring).[10] Despite his top ranking Liston had a very long wait for the management of world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson to consent to a match.

Patterson–Liston

In 1962, Floyd Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title. The fight was scheduled to be held in New York, but the New York Boxing Commission denied him a license because of his criminal record. As a result, the fight was moved to Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois. Leading up the fight, Sonny Liston was the major betting line favorite, though Sports Illustrated predicted that Patterson would win in 15 rounds. James J. Braddock, Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson picked Patterson to win. The fight also carried a number of social implications. Liston's connections with the mob were well known, and the NAACP was concerned about having to deal with Liston's visibility as world champion; it had encouraged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would tarnish the civil rights movement.[11] Patterson also claimed that John F. Kennedy did not want him to fight Liston either.[12] In the ring, Liston's size and power proved too much for Patterson's guile and agility and Patterson did not use his speed to his benefit. According to Sports Illustrated writer Gilbert Rogin, Patterson didn't punch enough and frequently tried to clinch with Liston. Liston battered Patterson with body shots and then shortened up and connected with two double hooks high on the head. The result at the time was the 3rd fastest knockout in boxing history.[13] After the fight questions were raised on whether the fight was fixed to set up a more lucrative rematch.[14]

Liston, however, was not a popular champion. After his knockout of Patterson, Liston practiced the speech he was going to give when the crowds greeted him at the airport in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia. However Liston was disappointed that on his return there was no one there except for airline workers, a few reporters and photographers and a handful of public relations staff. He left Philadelphia after he won the title in part because he believed he was being harassed by the police. While driving through Fairmount Park which he had to drive to get from the gym to his home he was stopped for "driving too slow" through the park. As a result in 1963 he moved to Denver, where he announced, "I'd rather be a lamppost in Denver than the mayor of Philadelphia." [15] Patterson and Liston signed for a rematch, held on the evening of July 22, 1963, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This fight lasted four seconds longer than their first fight, with Liston once again knocking out Patterson in the first round. They were Pattersons two worst defeats, and perhaps left Liston overconfident.

Liston–Ali

On the evening of February 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida he fought against Cassius Clay, whom odds-makers made a distant 7-1 underdog. Liston lost his title when he shockingly quit in his corner before the start of the seventh round, claiming he had hurt his shoulder. In fact a caustic Ointment had got into Ali eyes in round 5 which he considered a Liston trick smeered on the gloves. Infuriated, Ali fought an incredible sixth round and pumelled Liston mercilessly from all angles. Some thought this and the verbal prefight tirades truely got to 'the Ugly Bear'. In an earlier fight, Liston had fought a number of rounds with a broken jaw. On May 25, 1965, Liston encountered Ali again. The bout was originally scheduled for Boston, Massachusetts, but Ali, a week before the fight, was hospitalized with a hernia. The rescheduled match was held in the city of Lewiston, Maine. A who's who of former champions were in the ring and introduced prior to the fight including Floyd Patterson, James J. Braddock, Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis.

Less than two minutes into the fight, while he was pulling away from Liston, Ali hit Liston with a punch which did not seem to have much weight behind it. However, Liston landed carefully onto the canvas and sprawled out onto his back, spread-eagled. In the total shambles that followed, referee Jersey Joe Walcott never counted over Liston as he was trying to make Ali go to a neutral corner. Ali yelled hysterically at Liston, running around the ring, arms aloft. During this time Liston made an attempt to get back to his feet, before again rolling onto his back. After Liston finally got up, ringside boxing writer Nat Fleischer, who had no authority, informed Walcott that Liston had been on the canvas for over 10 seconds (during which time the fight had briefly resumed), and that the fight should be over. Walcott then waved the fight off even though he had never counted over Liston and had never made Ali go to a neutral corner, which meant the count in that fight is still at zero by the actual rules of boxing. The photograph of the suspicious knockdown of this fight is one of the most heavily promoted photos in the history of sports, and was even chosen as the cover of the Sports Illustrated special issue, "The Century's Greatest Sports Photos". Ali never stopped another opponent in the first round in the rest of his to follow glorious career.

While Liston publicly denied taking a dive, Sports Illustrated writer Mark Kram said that years later Liston told him, “That guy [Ali] was crazy. I didn’t want anything to do with him. And the Muslims were coming up. Who needed that? So I went down. I wasn’t hit.”[16] Former champions Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, and Gene Tunney, as well as Ali opponents George Chuvalo and Floyd Patterson, have all stated that they consider the fight to be a fake. The extent to which Liston's drug and alcohol use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Clay/Ali is not known; it was apparent to some that Liston was out of top condition for both fights.[4]

Subsequent fights

After the second loss to Ali, Liston took a year off from boxing, returning in 1966 and 1967, winning four consecutive bouts in Sweden, co-promoted by former World Heavyweight Champion Ingemar Johansson. These knockout victories included one over Amos Johnson, who had recently defeated Britain's Henry Cooper. In 1968, he won seven fights, all by knockout, including one in Mexico. America's first look at Liston since the Ali rematch was in a nationally broadcast match with No. 5 ranked Henry Clark who he stopped in seven rounds. A 10-round decision over Billy Joiner in St. Louis continued the run of victories and Liston at 38 years old (but having the appearance of a man of 50[3]) seemed on the verge of making a comeback to the big time, he talked of a fight with Joe Frazier, claiming "it'd be like shooting fish in a barrel". But, in December, Liston was counted out cold in the ninth round by Leotis Martin after dominating the majority of the fight, (Martin's career ended after the fight because of a detached retina). Liston had a tough battle but won his final fight against Chuck Wepner in June 1970. The referee stopped the bout in the 10th, with Wepner needing 57 stitches and having suffered a broken cheekbone and nose.

Death

Liston was negotiating to fight Canadian ChampionGeorge Chuvalo in Pittsburgh, when he was found dead by his wife in their Las Vegas home on January 5, 1971.[17] She entered the premises and smelled a foul odor emanating from the main bedroom. She entered and saw Sonny slumped up against the bed, with a broken foot bench on the floor. The day of his death on his death certificate is December 30, 1970. Police estimated it by judging the number of milk bottles and newspapers at the front door.[18] Following an investigation, Las Vegas police concluded that there were no signs of foul play. The cause of Liston's death remains a mystery. The police declared it a heroin overdose. An autopsy revealed traces of morphine and codeine of a type produced by the breakdown of heroin in the body. His body was so decomposed that tests were inconclusive and officially, he died of lung congestion and heart failure.[19]

Some, however, believe that the police investigation was a coverup, and the cause of Liston's death remains unresolved.[3] After winning the title, Liston at first refused to go on an exhibition tour of Europe when he was told he would have to get shots before he could travel overseas. Liston's wife also reported that her husband would refuse basic medical care for common colds because of his dislike of needles. This, coupled with the fact that Liston was never known to be a substance abuser (besides heavy drinking), prompted rumors that he could have been murdered by some of his underworld contacts. Sonny's wife had a very vivid dream the night of December 28, in which Sonny was in a shower shouting "Help me Geraldine, Help Me Geraldine".[20] Additionally, authorities could not locate any other drug paraphernalia that Liston presumably would have needed to inject the fatal dose, such as a spoon to cook the heroin or an appendage to wrap around his arm. This only added to the mystery surrounding his death. A friend of Liston's told "Unsolved Mysteries" that Liston had been in a car accident a few weeks prior to his death. Liston was hospitalized with minor injuries, and received intravenous medicine. This is believed to be the source of the puncture wound that authorities found upon discovering Liston's body.

Liston is interred in Paradise Memorial Gardens in Las Vegas. His headstone bears the simple epitaph "A Man."

Professional boxing record

50 Wins (39 knockouts, 11 decisions), 4 Losses (3 knockouts, 1 decision), 0 Draws [2]
Res. Record Opponent Type Rounds Date Location Notes
Win 50-4 United States Chuck Wepner TKO 10 (10) 29/06/1970 New Jersey Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, United States Wepner down in fifth by body punch. Fight stopped by ring doctor after round 9 because of multiple cuts on Wepner's face.
Loss 49-4 United States Leotis Martin KO 9 (12) 06/12/1969 Nevada International Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States For vacant NABF Heavyweight title.
Win 49-3 United States Sonny Moore KO 10 (10) 23/09/1969 Texas Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States
Win 48-3 United States George Johnson TKO 7 (10) 19/05/1969 Nevada Convention Hall, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win 47-3 United States Billy Joiner UD 10 28/03/1969 Missouri Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 46-3 United States Amos Lincoln KO 2 (10) 10/12/1968 Maryland Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Win 45-3 United States Roger Rischer KO 3 (10) 12/11/1968 Pennsylvania Civic Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 44-3 United States Willis Earls KO 2 (10) 03/11/1968 Chihuahua (state) Bull Ring, Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Win 43-3 United States Sonny Moore TKO 3 (10) 14/10/1968 Arizona Veteran's Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, United States
Win 42-3 United States Henry Clark TKO 7 (10) 06/07/1968 California Cow Palace, San Francisco, California, United States
Win 41-3 United States Billy Joiner RTD 7 (10) 23/05/1968 California Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, United States Joiner down in the 3rd. Joiner retired in his corner after 7 rounds.
Win 40-3 United States Bill McMurray KO 4 (10) 16/03/1968 Nevada Coliseum, Reno, Nevada, United States
Win 39-3 United States Elmer Rush TKO 6 (10) 28/04/1967 Sweden Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden Rush down twice in 4th, three times in 5th and four times in 6th.
Win 38-3 United States Dave Bailey KO 1 (10) 30/03/1967 Sweden Masshallen, Gothenburg, Sweden
Win 37-3 United States Amos Johnson KO 3 (10) 19/08/1966 Sweden Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
Win 36-3 Germany Gerhard Zech KO 7 (10) 01/07/1966 Sweden Johanneshov, Stockholm, Sweden
Loss 35-3 United States Muhammad Ali KO 1 (15) 25/05/1965 Maine St. Dominic's Hall, Lewiston, Maine, United States For World Heavyweight title.
Loss 35-2 United States Muhammad Ali RTD 6 (15) 25/02/1964 Florida Convention Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, United States Lost World Heavyweight title. Liston retired on his stool citing an injured shoulder.
Win 35-1 United States Floyd Patterson KO 1 (15) 22/07/1963 Nevada Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Retained World Heavyweight Title. Patterson down 3 times.
Win 34-1 United States Floyd Patterson KO 1 (15) 25/09/1962 Illinois Comiskey Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States Won World Heavyweight Title.
Win 33-1 Germany Albert Westphal KO 1 (10) 04/12/1961 Pennsylvania Convention Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 32-1 United States Howard King TKO 3 (10) 08/03/1961 Florida Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win 31-1 United States Eddie Machen UD 12 07/09/1960 Washington (state) Sicks' Stadium, Seattle, Washington, United States Liston penalized three points for low blows.
Win 30-1 United States Zora Folley KO 3 (12) 18/07/1960 Colorado Coliseum, Denver, Colorado, United States
Win 29-1 United States Roy Harris TKO 1 (10) 25/04/1960 Texas Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States Harris was down three times.
Win 28-1 United States Cleveland Williams TKO 2 (10) 21/03/1960 Texas Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, Texas, United States Williams was down for an 8-count before the knockout.
Win 27-1 United States Howard King TKO 8 (10) 23/02/1960 Florida Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win 26-1 Germany Willi Besmanoff TKO 7 (10) 09/12/1959 Ohio Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, United States The referee stopped the bout between rounds.
Win 25-1 Cuba Nino Valdez KO 3 (10) 05/08/1959 Illinois Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 24-1 United States Cleveland Williams TKO 3 (10) 15/04/1959 Florida Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States Williams was knocked down twice in the 3rd.
Win 23-1 United States Mike DeJohn TKO 6 (10) 18/02/1959 Florida Exhibition Hall, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win 22-1 United States Ernie Cab TKO 8 (10) 18/11/1958 Florida Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States Doctor stopped the bout due to Cab's left eye and nose being cut.
Win 21-1 United States Bert Whitehurst UD 10 24/10/1958 Missouri Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 20-1 United States Frankie Daniels KO 1 (10) 07/10/1958 Florida Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, United States
Win 19-1 United States Wayne Bethea TKO 1 (10) 06/08/1958 Illinois Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 18-1 Cuba Julio Mederos RTD 2 (10) 14/05/1958 Illinois Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 17-1 United States Bert Whitehurst PTS 10 03/04/1958 Missouri Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 16-1 United States Ben Wise TKO 4 (10) 11/03/1958 Illinois Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 15-1 United States Billy Hunter TKO 2 (10) 29/01/1958 Illinois Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win 14-1 United States Marty Marshall UD 10 06/03/1956 Pennsylvania Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 13-1 United States Larry Watson TKO 4 (10) 13/12/1955 Illinois Alnad Temple, East Saint Louis, Illinois, United States
Win 12-1 United States Johnny Gray TKO 6 (10) 13/09/1955 Indiana Victory Field, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Win 11-1 United States Calvin Butler TKO 2 (8) 25/05/1955 Missouri Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 10-1 United States Emil Brtko TKO 5 (10) 05/05/1955 Pennsylvania Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Win 9-1 United States Marty Marshall TKO 6 (10) 21/04/1955 Missouri Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States Marshall down once in round 5 and 3 times in round 6.
Win 8-1 United States Neal Welch PTS 8 01/03/1955 Missouri Masonic Temple, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Loss 7-1 United States Marty Marshall SD 8 07/09/1954 Michigan Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States Liston suffered a broken jaw during this fight.
Win 7-0 United States Johnny Summerlin SD 8 10/08/1954 Michigan Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win 6-0 United States Johnny Summerlin UD 8 29/06/1954 Michigan Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, United States
Win 5-0 United States Stanley Howlett PTS 6 31/03/1954 Missouri Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 4-0 United States Martin Lee TKO 6 (6) 25/01/1954 Missouri Masonic Temple, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 3-0 United States Bennie Thomas SD 6 21/11/1953 Missouri Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 2-0 United States Ponce de Leon PTS 4 17/09/1953 Missouri Kiel Auditorium, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
Win 1-0 United States Don Smith TKO 1 (4) 02/09/1953 Missouri Arena, Saint Louis, Missouri, United States

See also

References

  1. ^ http://www.fastload.org/so/Sonny_Liston.html - His opponent Muhammad Ali used this nickname against Liston, changing it to "the Big Ugly Bear" and leaving bear traps outside Liston's house
  2. ^ "The Mysterious Birth of Sonny Liston".
  3. ^ a b c d Tosches, Nick (2000). The Devil And Sonny Liston. Boston: Little, Brown. ISBN 0316897752.
  4. ^ a b c Reputations: Sonny Liston: The Champion Nobody Wanted,(2001) 50 min, BBC Documentary
  5. ^ Sares, Ted (November 22, 2006). "Boxing's Hard Times, Good Times". East Side Boxing.
  6. ^ a b Mee, Bob (2010). Liston and Ali: The Ugly Bear and the Boy Who Would Be King. London: Mainstream Publishing. ISBN 9781845966225.
  7. ^ > 1953 European Amateur Boxing Championships results
  8. ^ Jet 21 Jan 1971
  9. ^ sports illustrated Heavyweight In Waiting
  10. ^ fight video & Really A Hug Fest,by Emmett Watson.,Sports Illustrated, September 19, 1960 [1]
  11. ^ Esquire covers commemorate boxing's prime
  12. ^ http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/05/11/sportsline/main1610954.shtml Ex-Champ Floyd Patterson Dies At 71
  13. ^ Sonny Liston: The Facts http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/705/sonny-liston-facts/
  14. ^ The Facts About The Big Fight http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1147918/index.htm
  15. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1118820/3/index.htm O Unlucky Man
  16. ^ A TV documentary around 2000 detailed much the same with Liston's widow advising Sonny had told her similar. "Sonny Liston comments on Phantom Punch". boxingmemories.com. Retrieved 2011-03-16. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
  17. ^ The Sad Legacy of Sonny Liston
  18. ^ Like Fights Against Ali, Liston Death a Mystery
  19. ^ http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1118820/8/index.htm
  20. ^ Steen, Rob (2008). Sonny Liston: His Life, Strife and the Phantom Punch. London: JR. ISBN 9781906217815.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by World Heavyweight Champion
1962–1964
Succeeded by

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