An Apology to Sonny Liston...
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- čas přidán 20. 07. 2023
- In the annals of boxing history, there stands a formidable figure whose greatness has been overshadowed and misunderstood. In this video we delve into the captivating story of Sonny Liston, an enigmatic champion who deserves far more recognition and respect than he has received.
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George said in an interview with Ring Magazine: “Sparring with Liston is the most dangerous thing that I ever did in my entire life. No matter what I tried against him, it was me who had to revert back to boxing. Nobody made me box like Sonny Liston did and that happened every time we worked together. He taught me many things, including the importance of the jab.”
A good example of Sonny's sheer strength was an exercise he devised in training camp of loading an industrial sized wheelbarrow full of rocks, and wheeling it up and down a hill. Foreman, 19, and training with "the old man," could only carry one wheelbarrow for every 3 for Sonny: “His strength," said Foreman, "you just can't believe how strong he was!"
I saw a photo of Liston with a child and his smile was one of a good hearted man. One of the few times he showed his heart. But, as a man who had such a rough life, he learned to be tough.
I’ve heard his story countless times but everytime I hear it, it breaks my heart.
Sonny Liston. The man, the myth and the legend. RIP I hope you got the respect, recognition and acknowledgement you deserved in the next life.
Wasn't Liston scared of needles ? Wasn't he a drinker , not a heroin addict ?
Very happy to see that people are acknowledging the greatness of the legend.
More people need to hear and know about Sonny Liston. Thank you for watching!
Sorry sonny ya did the best you could all the real boxers love and admire you till this day you were a great champion in a chaotic time in boxing
When I was an amateur boxer in the 70's both my trainers were big fans of Liston, and Ali.
They told me about Liston skipping to night-train and how beautiful it was.
I didn't see it till the advent of youtube but they were right, Liston with a rope was beautiful.
Sonny is the best boxer in my heart, I wish the people of his time thought the same
Extremely underappreciated and disrespected partly because of the era he lived in, he FOR SURE needs to be recognized for his career and not just his two fights with Ali
What about Ali?
Chuck Wepner who fought both Liston and Foreman said that compared to Liston, Foreman was Mr. Friendly. He said that getting hit by George was like getting hit by an incredibly strong man, getting hit by Sonny was like getting hit by a baseball bat. Wepner left the ring of the Liston fight looking like he had just been in a horrific car accident. The fight was stopped by ring doctor after the 9th round, Wepner had 6 massive cuts to his face that required the most ever 338 stitches[1] and was pouring blood everywhere, his left eye was swollen completely shut, his cheek as well as nose were broken.
1. Chuck describes his record 338 stitches -- 'Chuck Wepner interview with Tony Polito' @14:20
( Liston expert, Paul Gallender said, "Sonny Liston was killed by the mobsters, with a heroin overdose, because he didn’t throw the Wepner fight")
I was watching a documentary about Sonny Liston a long time ago. Did you know that he was so hated that he was chased out of 3 cities? St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Denver. One person said in the documentary that Sonny Liston was born without a chance. Nobody knew the day he was born, and nobody knew the day that he died. His wife found him dead when she was coming home from out of town. Wow. 😢
Sonny was dealt a very bad hand, but he played it as best as he could. Sure, he did some shady things, but come on. But once he paid his debt, they should have left him alone.
My heart has hurt for sunny for years. He was no monster!
Yes
Although Ali had his problems growing up, as did many fighters of multiple races (it's not a profession people from prosperous families often choose), probably no fighter ever had a tougher childhood than Liston. Ali had two loving parents, was cultivated and supported by a Kentucky investment group of white businessmen, who got him to the Olympics. He never had to deal with the mob to make it as a fighter, and he always had the best trainers and cornermen, which makes a huge difference. He was also a tremendously good looking man who could talk a blue streak. So even though he came in for some hate, he was never despised the way Liston was. And Ali made use of the nation's prejudice to cast himself as the 'white knight' who would rid them of the 'thug'. Liston was ideal casting as the villain. However, he ultimately refused to play along, and neither fight was anything resembling a classic, though plenty of drama both times.
Today, we can see Liston was the true victim of racism, far more than Ali, who actually made use of racism to promote himself. Liston was a feared opponent, but never demeaned or insulted his competition. A thorough professional, who was respected by his fellow fighters. But he just wasn't what either white or black fight fans wanted. That must have been very disheartening. To have risen so high, and yet be on such shaky ground. Even if the second fight wasn't fixed, you can imagine him deciding he'd just had enough of the hate. Nobody wanted him.
Today, we can see there was a man there. Not a beast. But then, racism was so strong. And Ali, the so-called civil rights advocate, made full use of it to benefit himself.
@@christopherlyons5900 very true
We ourselves is not perfect how dare we judge others
@@christopherlyons5900 indeed
Poor lad beaten by his dad for no reason,....except for brutality; he had no chance.turned to crime and was hounded by the police and press,....what a massive shame; he was a great heavyweight to boot.
A very proper send-off to a man who was dealt a terrible hand. I think as years pass, his legacy will only grow.
I sure hope so. The alternative of him just becoming more disrespected is something I do not want happening
@ARTORIUSYT As long as boxing purists and content creators, such as yourself, keep putting out great content, I don't see that happening. With CZcams alone, I'm seeing more of him in my algorithms.
@@fdakis very glad to hear that!
The problem is the bias also keeps people from being realistic. E.g. Not being able to accept that Sonny Liston lost to Muhammed Ali in their second fight.
Sunny you were real champion, legend,,, rip
It saddens me how the world treated him. Rest in peace champ.
13:00: three Heavyweight Champions in the same ring. Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, and Jersey Joe Walcott.
Thank you for this. I think Sonny was just amazing as a human and a fighter.
I think so too. Thank you for watching!
@ARTORIUSYT absolutely! I appreciate the work that goes into what you do.
Sonny listen was wrongfully treated all his life. He was the best heavyweight ever.
Sonny was a great fighter, and he was a good guy that was painted as a villain throughout his career. He also possessed the greatest jab in Heavyweight history alongside Larry Holmes, but Sonny's jab might knock your teeth out or knock you out.
Hello. I just want to thank you for this beautiful video made for Charles "Sonny" Liston.
I really apperciate it. To me he is my boxing hero. So much against him and still walked forward.
Rest in peace champ. The great grandad of intimidation.
I to want to say. I'm sorry Sonny.
O.H
Sonny was for sure a victim of his time. Thank you for watching!
Ali fought both Foreman and Liston, and he said that when it came to George he just had to take the hits and wear big George down, in the case of Liston, he simply did not want to get hit at all. So for Ali it was certainly Sonny that hit harder. Foreman trained with Liston after the Olympics, preparing him for pro boxing. George said Sonny was the only man that had ever pushed him backwards with sheer strength alone. He also said that you were always really careful not to make Sonny mad! I think it is pretty safe to say that Sonny Liston hit harder than George Foreman.
How do you think Earnie Shavers compares to Liston in terms of strength and punching power?
Puncher of The Century Earnie Shavers is known for being the hardest puncher in Heavyweight boxing history. He scored 69 knockout wins, including 23 in the first round.
So powerful, both Joe Frazier and George Foreman told boxing writer Jerry Eisenberg they would never fight Shavers. Real fighters knew enough to avoid him. His incredible one punch power made him more than dangerous. George Foreman told him personally when Earnie lobbied for a fight, "hell no." Joe Frazier told Shavers bluntly when Shavers asked him for a shot, "No way, Earnie.”
Hall of Fame and all time greats Ali and Holmes both said Shavers power, especially his one punch power, was simply unrivaled. But they, and others, also said a lot more..
Angelo Dundee, the great trainer, said "Earnie wasn't really a good boxer, but God, his power was amazing."
Muhammad Ali said after his match with Shavers, "Earnie hit me so hard, he shook my kinfolk back in Africa"
And when fighters had to meet him, they left in awe. Tex Cobb said "Earnie could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle." He also said, "if a man hit any harder than Earnie I'd shoot him."
Ron Lyle: "Hey man, that's the hardest I've ever been hit in my life. And George Foreman could punch, but none of them could hit like Earnie Shavers did. When he hit you, the lights went out. I can laugh about it now, but at the time it wasn't funny."
Larry Holmes, comparing Shavers to Tyson, said "Earnie hit me harder than any other fighter, including Mike Tyson. He hit me and I was face down on the canvas hearing saxophonist Jimmy Tillis."
Jimmy Young, who was knocked cold by Shavers in his first fight, but survived the second, said "I was not gonna get tagged by him again, no sir!"
Nor were fighters and trainers the only ones who saw and marveled at Shavers sheer overwhelming power. Hall of Fame sports journalist Jerry Izenberg said of Shavers, "rarely did Earnie hit anyone below the neck; he was a headhunter and a good one. For me, Shavers was the greatest one-punch hitter I have ever seen."
"However, while Shavers struck serious fear into his opponents, such freakishly big hitting power had its drawbacks for the man himself," said Kenny Rainford.
“Being such a big puncher actually hurt my career,” says Shavers. “I relied on my power too much. I wish I’d had trainers that could have taught me more about combination punches."
“I used to gas out in five or six rounds because I put that much effort into my punches and it was impossible to punch for an entire fight without tiring out."
In the years that followed, Rainford met Ali and asked him about the famous fight with Shavers.
“I can not remember the last round of our fight,” Ali admitted. “He hit me so hard that for fourteenth round, I was on autopilot. I can’t remember a thing. When I’ve watched the fight back, and see the way I rallied in the fifteenth round, I was doing that off memory.”
Shavers reigned down on Ali with 266 punches that night. Afterwards, Rainford claims, the New York commission stated Ali would never fight in New York again after doctors discovered tears on his brain.
Eig's study, conducted by Arizona State speech scientists Visar Berisha and Julie Liss found that Ali's speech slowed by 16 percent after a 15-round bout with Ernie Shavers in 1977. Shavers, a brawler, landed 266 punches throughout the fight. If one fight had to be picked, Ernie Shavers inflicted the most damage.
Shavers is directly responsibly for the early retirements of Ron Asher, Frank Smith, Bunky Akins, Bill McMurray, Harold Carter, Eddie Parotte and Larry Sims, all of whom he knocked out and never fought again.
@@black_David_bobbyd5276 Thanks for that. Ali was hit by Foreman., Shavers and Liston. Holmes hit by Tyson and Shavers. Lyle hit by Foeman and Shavers. Every single one agrees. Shavers hit hardest.
Liston expert, Paul Gallender, has solved the five major mysteries surrounding The Bear in his 2012 biography, 'Sonny Liston - The Real Story Behind the Ali-Liston Fights'. The author's 40+ years of research provide boxing fans with definitive answers to the five most asked questions about The Bear’s life and career:
1) When was Sonny born?
2) Was he murdered? If so, who did it, how, and why?
3) Was the Liston/Clay fight on the level?
4) Why did Sonny throw the Ali fight?
5) Was Sonny Liston as bad a person as the media said he was?
The short answers are:
1) 1919 or earlier.
2) Yes, by mobsters, with a heroin overdose, because he didn’t throw the Wepner fight.
3) Yes. Footage from the event shows Ali in the ring asking his entourage, 'Did I hit him?' . Ali also told Nation of Islam minister Abdul Rahman that Liston 'laid down'.
4) So his wife and son wouldn’t be killed.
5) No. Sonny was a good man.
Liston, the son of a tenant farmer, served two long terms in prison, where he is said to have learned to box. Although he gave his birth year as 1932, there is evidence that he might have begun his ring career as early as 1934, at the age of 17, under the name of Charles (“Sailor”) Liston. If that is true, he was 45 years old when he won the championship. -- Encyclopedia Britannica
"That he fought in 1934 is no secret - even the Encyclopedia Britannica acknowledges it." -- Paul Gallender
His sister, who he was extremely close to, and who remembered his birth - he was much younger than she was - said he was born the year after the Great War (WW1). Which would have made him 44 when he fought Ali the first time.
watch this vid/documentary --(According To Gallender Sonny Liston Was 44 Yrs Old When He Fought Ali) --from Retro Boxing & Documentaries
Thank you for giving Liston the respect and humanity that he always deserved. God bless.
Thank you for watching! His story really is sad
What a boxer ,what a fighter and what a man ,and what a man it took to beat him. R I P Champ.
Great work Mate. Sonny was a true Great, no doubt.
You're absolutely right about Sonny. Thanks for watching!
Great video. I have heard differently concerning his estimated birthdate. A leading biographer of Liston’s said 1919-1921 being closer.
A lot of people have been saying this, I must've missed it when researching for this video. Thank you for the info!
RIP Charles Sonny Leston😢
Sonny Liston is finally getting his due. His entire life story is tragic, but also endearing and even humourous at times. He in my opinion is the greatest boxer-puncher in heavyweight history. Ali was too quick, had better foot work and combinations. And he was definitely in Liston's head. Ali is the greatest, but don't forget about Charles "Sonny" Liston. 😎🥊
Absolutely. Thank you fot watching!
Boxing Historian Monte Cox wrote: “Liston was made to be a fighter. His physical attributes bordered on the freakish. At six-foot, one-inch, he had an eighty-four inch reach-longer than that of all other champions with the exception of Primo Carnera. His neck was a massive eighteen inches. But the number that leaps off the page-the statistic that looks initially lik' a typo-is that which corresponds to his hands. When closed into a fist, they measured fifteen inches around, virtually twice the size of an average man’s. To contemplate the impact of a fist that large, delivered over a distance that great, from a man so determined to do damage, would give even the bravest opponent pause."
Thank you for all of your comments! They all gave me information that I didn't know previously. I read every one and I greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much for watching!
Sonny could have beaten any heavyweight in history, and would be favored over everybody not named Muhammad Ali.
Your statement makes no sense. Ali lost fights. The mob was heavily involved in boxing at that time. Nobody knows what role that played in the Ali fight.
@@apex_prowler95 what part of my comment doesn’t make sense? So what if Ali lost fights? He’d still be favored to beat any heavyweight in history. As would sonny Liston. Know your boxing history.
@@QNolandWasn't Ali favored against little 205lb Frazier? What happened? Frazier knocked him into LA LA LAND. Little 205lb Norton snapped his jaw. Know your boxing history.
@@QNolandA young prime Lennox Lewis or prime Larry Holmes beats him 10 out of 10 times. Then there's a young prime Mike Tyson. What about 287lb Big Bang Zhang or 275lb Fury? Know your boxing history.
@@QNolandLittle Cassius Clay only weighed a mere 208lbs vs. Liston. Nobody goes toe to toe against Sonny Liston. That's why low-power Clay ran and ran and ran, "RUN FORREST RUN"!!!
Sonny liston, was a great guy , not perfect, nobody is , he got a raw deal, he didn't bad mouth opponents, did a lot for charity, is that not more than enough , rest in peace x
Very well said, I totally agree
Hall of Fame Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston was a muscular 6′2″ powerhouse weighing 220 lbs of pure brick. He had iron in either fist and could put an opponent on the mat quickly with either. Sonny was the most ducked fighter of all time. Even Joe Frazier’s team refused to fight him. Liston in his prime was the real deal. He was a great fighter.
This was interesting. Thanks for making it!
Thank you for watching!
Sonny is my favourite boxer, but he took a dive.
Yes I agree. But in my estimation he was a old worn out X champ and Ali was just too fast and as it was turned out to be the greatest , I think he took a dive because no way could he best Ali and probably the mafia connections had bet heavily on Ali winning and told Sonny to dive anyways
“I’m not gonna down Liston, I feel sorry for Sonny cause you people don’t care too much about him now that he has lost. And I’m gonna have to go and see him and comfort him and talk with him, and after the world turns their back on him I’ll be on his side” -Muhammad Ali
I wasn’t born back then but my heart always breaks for Sonny. He was born and raised in a terrible environment, and the moment he accomplished something worth being proud of, the good in him came out. Sonny WANTED to be a good guy, the world never let him.
I hope you’re in a better place than this world champ💯
I love this guy. Much respect 🙏 👍
Great man legend never forget
never forgor ☠☠☠☠
Sonny returning as champ to an empty airport is a sad image indeed.
Devastating.
Nick Tosches wrote a great book about Liston. He was no prince, but he had a very tough life. And he was a very underrated fighter.
Thank you for this! So glad Sonny is getting his just due posthumously!
I'm glad to see so many people respect Sonny. Thank you for watching!
Thanks from Chicago, IL
This was a really good documentary .keep up like that 🔥🔥🔥
Thank you bro I appreciate it!
The most tragic story of boxing history
Loved sonny great Boxer ❤
Thank you for watching!
Rest in peace Sonny…
May the Lord keep you.
Sonny was in the wrong era - the civil rights era and this called for heros which he could not fit this role. The role went to cassius clay. Sonny was in the way, in order to get him out the way, the fights had to be fix. No one gave Ali a chance, except a few guys with the suits, who quietly came in after the dive and collected millions. The rest is history.
Put some _respect_ on Liston's name!
What a vid bro👊🏼
Thank you for watching !!
Ali knew he hadnt knocked Liston out.
Even though Liston was over his front foot inviting a way to take the dive, Ali's wrist flick lacked power.
Knock a fighter down or out and you can feel the shot go up your arm and into your shoulder and Ali got none of that.
Ali would beat Liston 7 days a week but knock him out, never.
The question was who was behind the fix, if not the mafia who ??
Ali screamed at Liston to get up as no-one would belive it.
The man all powerpunchers were afraid of.
Liston's 'official' birth date is 8th May 1932.
Damn we have the same birthday
In life some people never get the breaks, Liston was one of them, unfortunately. RIP Champ 🥊🥊
good work
Thank you! And thank you also for watching!
he steered a young george foreman away from the path he was on towards the world title a real black man looking after a guy he saw something in and not wanting him to go down the same road
Great Heavyweight Champion. I wouldn't want his hand, even if you paid me, rest in ✌️🏆
A lot has been lost to time because most of the people who lived it, are all dead now. One thing is for certain, through. Sonny's whole life and career has now been reduced to a single footnote in history... the guy who lost to Cassius Clay.
He was so much more than that and its shame that this is the popular view. Thank you for watching!
A great man
RIP To Sonny Liston he knocked out opponents pretty good, Liston had great fundamental textbook boxing skills, and Sonny Liston was heavyweight champion of the world not to many men can ever say that about them selfs
Thanks for this video. Many clips of Liston fights show how he walked over to his opponent's corner after each win to shake hands. He was a sportsman. Although I'm a huge Muhammad Ali fan, Sonny got a very raw deal and should have been recognized *during his time* as among the greatest heavyweights.
Perfectly stated!
For sure. I've always thought the same thing and that's why I wanted to try to clear the air around Liston. Thank you for watching!
He faced racism from the mainstream and prejudice from his own people.
Sonny was the best, he was obliged to paid agains Ali both time , the second time he tried to show us , going down after a min
He was no saint or angel but he wasn't the devil either
If Sonny had been given a good education and an early start in the ring, he might have been champion for 9 years or better with a perfect record. He would have done rather well hunting down America's most wanted.
I completely agree, the whole story is a shame
It was no phantom punch.
Liston was a Force to be reckoned with.
Mike Tyson said, "Liston made me look like a boy scout."
A human with supernatural POWER and abilities. Cassius Clays punch could NEVER have been the show stopper that this video says it was; Liston laid down after a worthy opponent landed a clean punch.
Liston could have eaten 20 or 30 of those before TRULY going to sleep. Dive, get paid, and get revenge. Unfortunately, Sonny never was afforded the proper vindication bout that he deserved.
Sad. Such a sad story.
I don't really like Liston, the man; But I do like and respect the fighter, Liston: The BEST.
R.I.P. Charles "Sonny" Liston. ✝🥊🙏
My apologies too to Sonny 'The Big Bear' Liston.
If I had the money, I would make a Hollywood film loosely patterned on his life. Loosely, because I want to show him as a Genuine Champion who deserved much, much more than what he got from life.
Ali should have forgiven and helped him. After all, - Ali , in later years, became such a great friend of Big George Foreman and Smokin Joe Frazier.
Absolutely correct. I completely agree. Thank you for watching!
@@ARTORIUSYT ❤
I think sonny took clay very lightly in the first fight,,, because he seen cooper almost ko him in fight before his,,, must have thought it’s going to be a cake walk,,,,
i so wish sonny had seen everybodys new feelings fot him befor he died
If I'm ever in Vegas I think I'll stop by his grave
The ref who was Joe Walcott did not go to the time keepers. It was actually a news reports that told Walcott to stop the fight. Both fights were fishy as hell and added to the story which never gets mentioned is that Ali's trainer's brother promoted these two fights. The reporter you say that said Liston was lifted up said that years later when Ali became a icon. Everyone and I mean everyone at the time ALL the reports and TV announcers knew it was a fix and only years later changed their stories. I truly believe Liston was forced to throw the second fight. At any rate we that lived it know the second fight was fixed.
Liston vs Ali fights were fixed coz the boxing gurus were against Liston and the referee in their rematch stopped the fight when Liston picked himself up from the knockdown and was fit to continue but referee unjustifiably stopped the fight
None of the books I've read about Liston have done him justice.
I'd like to read one that was sympathetic towards him and with more respect
4:42 Twins Reggie and Ronald Kray standing behind Liston.
He was hated by every human even 20-30 years after his death but all of a sudden CZcamsrs dramatise his life story to get money but still not bad because he gets exposure for his personal life
Unfortunately most people still think of him as the man who lost to Ali twice
Muhammad Ali said in "The Greatest": "with George I had to let him hit me, with Sonny I had to keep him from hitting me!”
Rocky Marciano said of Liston: “He isn't faking his toughness, and his strength is just something you got to see, and that jab, he can knock a man out with the jab!" When asked how he would have fought him, the Rock shook his head and said “I’d have done my best, but Lord God he is strong…”
Joe Louis said in Gods of War: "It didn’t matter what stance Sonny fought from, he was the best I ever saw.”
Nino Valdes, as he lay dying from cancer, drugged heavily with morphine, was asked by his family if it hurt, and said: “Not as bad as getting hit by Sonny Liston!"
Sonny Liston v. Wayne Bethea Aug 1958 -- Referee stops the fight upon discovering many of Bethea's teeth in his mouthpiece. Bethea, a tough journeyman who had never been off his feet, said after being stopped by Liston: “He must have hit me with a horseshoe in his glove!" Liston hit Bethea and knocked out 7 of his teeth, broke 9 more for 16 lost teeth from one blow!
Zora Folley, then #1 contender for the heavyweight title, said when Liston hit him: “The lights went out, when I woke up, I asked Sonny, what happened, and he said ‘I hit you."
Jonathan Eig wrote of Sonny in Ali: A Life: “Liston does not merely defeat his opponents. He breaks them, shames them, haunts them, leaves them flinching from his punches in their dreams."
"When Sonny was forced to throw the Ali rematch, his reputation and legacy went down with him. A predominantly white, racist media always feared and hated Liston, and were only too happy to humiliate him after that bout, and forget about him almost entirely after he died." -- author Paul Gallender
The story of Liston winning the title from Patterson, memorizing a thank-you speech to deliver when he arrived back home (memorized because he couldn’t read) and then realizing nobody was waiting for him at the airport, and how crushed he was... fuckin' sad, man.
Sonny was born into a family that couldn't afford for him to go to school, and when the family mule died, his mother and sisters claimed Sonny's father hitched his 9 year old son to the plow. Liston was a different breed; what a specimen.
I really think he was born in 1919 and died in 1970 making him about 51. He looks like a much older man than Ali when they fight.
Right. I was thinking around 1920. No way Sonny was 34 years old when he fought Ali
@@mongoslade277 then why does Ali Say in a pre fight rhyme “you’re 40 years old if a day, and you don’t belong in the ring with Cassius Clay”?
Maybe he was 40 or estimated in his 40’s when he fought 22 year old Ali?
Sonny Had the strength of Bull
He was lucky to get the chance he did. Cop beater, women beater, police impersonator, armed robber, prostitute lover and generally mean human being. The kind of guy mobsters love to use for their interests. I dont buy into this crap of feeling sorry for him. He was bad for the whole sport and if not for the mobsters who controlled him, he would have spent most his life behind bars. He threw the second fight with Clay with both middle fingers pointed straight at us. Terrible for the sport, terrible human being.
Thank you for bringing honor to sonny . He lost to Ali I believe in the mind probably it reminded him how his father abuse him , Ali abuse him verbally
Thank you for watching!
That is a great hypothesis and one that could be the truth too!
The real tragedy was that he threw the fight with Ali. Im sorry but that " phantom " punch never touched Liston.
I wanted a movie series from his birth and his days in the field hunger . What a lot of people dont know they seem to understand is that it was that way with a lot of black children in the in the 30 a lot of illiteracy they didn't have an education fathers had alot of children and used them like slaves and the mother was overwhelmed and worked just as hard . When they got to the city, they were completely ignorant of the things that other people took for granted . How to fill out an application, some not knowing their age , electricity, in door toilets, a home with floors and closets the girls in one bed the boys piled on the floor shoes for their feet . No groceries or storesto buy them in . No benefit of justice . They raised themselves . They grow up strong, wild, and ignorant . No medical help . It was hard enough just being black .
My Apologies too to 'The Big Bear'... Next to Ali, he is the Greatest in my book!
How would you compare Liston with Earnie Shavers in terms of strength and punching power? And how about Cleveland Williams, who Liston said hit him the hardest? George Foreman said Cooney, Lyle and Williams were the 3 hardest hitters he knew.
Puncher of The Century Earnie Shavers is known for being the hardest puncher in Heavyweight boxing history. He scored 69 knockout wins, including 23 in the first round.
So powerful, both Joe Frazier and George Foreman told boxing writer Jerry Eisenberg they would never fight Shavers. Real fighters knew enough to avoid him. His incredible one punch power made him more than dangerous. George Foreman told him personally when Earnie lobbied for a fight, "hell no." Joe Frazier told Shavers bluntly when Shavers asked him for a shot, "No way, Earnie.”
Hall of Fame and all time greats Ali and Holmes both said Shavers power, especially his one punch power, was simply unrivaled. But they, and others, also said a lot more..
Angelo Dundee, the great trainer, said "Earnie wasn't really a good boxer, but God, his power was amazing."
Muhammad Ali said after his match with Shavers, "Earnie hit me so hard, he shook my kinfolk back in Africa"
And when fighters had to meet him, they left in awe. Tex Cobb said "Earnie could punch you in the neck with his right hand and break your ankle." He also said, "if a man hit any harder than Earnie I'd shoot him."
Ron Lyle: "Hey man, that's the hardest I've ever been hit in my life. And George Foreman could punch, but none of them could hit like Earnie Shavers did. When he hit you, the lights went out. I can laugh about it now, but at the time it wasn't funny."
Larry Holmes, comparing Shavers to Tyson, said "Earnie hit me harder than any other fighter, including Mike Tyson. He hit me and I was face down on the canvas hearing saxophonist Jimmy Tillis."
Jimmy Young, who was knocked cold by Shavers in his first fight, but survived the second, said "I was not gonna get tagged by him again, no sir!"
Nor were fighters and trainers the only ones who saw and marveled at Shavers sheer overwhelming power. Hall of Fame sports journalist Jerry Izenberg said of Shavers, "rarely did Earnie hit anyone below the neck; he was a headhunter and a good one. For me, Shavers was the greatest one-punch hitter I have ever seen."
"However, while Shavers struck serious fear into his opponents, such freakishly big hitting power had its drawbacks for the man himself," said Kenny Rainford.
“Being such a big puncher actually hurt my career,” says Shavers. “I relied on my power too much. I wish I’d had trainers that could have taught me more about combination punches."
“I used to gas out in five or six rounds because I put that much effort into my punches and it was impossible to punch for an entire fight without tiring out."
In the years that followed, Rainford met Ali and asked him about the famous fight with Shavers.
“I can not remember the last round of our fight,” Ali admitted. “He hit me so hard that for fourteenth round, I was on autopilot. I can’t remember a thing. When I’ve watched the fight back, and see the way I rallied in the fifteenth round, I was doing that off memory.”
Shavers reigned down on Ali with 266 punches that night. Afterwards, Rainford claims, the New York commission stated Ali would never fight in New York again after doctors discovered tears on his brain.
Eig's study, conducted by Arizona State speech scientists Visar Berisha and Julie Liss found that Ali's speech slowed by 16 percent after a 15-round bout with Ernie Shavers in 1977. Shavers, a brawler, landed 266 punches throughout the fight. If one fight had to be picked, Ernie Shavers inflicted the most damage.
Shavers is directly responsibly for the early retirements of Ron Asher, Frank Smith, Bunky Akins, Bill McMurray, Harold Carter, Eddie Parotte and Larry Sims, all of whom he knocked out and never fought again.
On pure "clout" alone, Sonny was definitely the hardest puncher. Everyone who ever trained with him or went against him ALWAYS mentioned how purely strong he was, and even George Foreman, who Sonny had sparred with, said he was the only man to ever send him backwards with a punch.
The Heavyweight Champ that nobody wanted. The thing that really hurt me about Sonny Liston was that after he had won The World Heavyweight Championship from Floyd Patterson, he was expecting a hero's welcome from The City of Philadelphia. He didn't see any people. No local media. Not the mayor of Philadelphia Nobody. All he saw was a vacant lot. I'm pretty sure that Sonny Liston was crushed after that.
That was for sure a breaking point. Thank you for your comment!
Floyd looked like a child beside listen.
Did you guys ever read what Liston's "occupation" was during his last few years in Las Vegas? Hint: It was not just boxing. No misunderstaind there, folks.
Rip sonny I woy have hated too see if he won the lottery 😡😡😡😡😡
you don't know the difference between a straight right hand pull counter and a right hook?? I tried to just let it slide and then I heard you call it a hook again.. 😕
He was hungry enough to become champ. Floyd could have fought Liston 10 morere times and would have never lasted beyond the first round. Liston's got complacent. His hunger now swayed. Clay funked up sonny by getting into liston's head . Plus, Clay/Ali was the fastest and defensively elusive heavyweight of that era and arguably of all time. The fighter with the most hunger will win, and now keeping that hunger going strong is what will maintain him as champ. Joe Louis is a prime example with 27? Title defenses. Sonny liston won the title but his hunger wanted and he lost the championship.
Ali was a 3 time champion over a 20 year span of time cause he stayed hungry. That's a tough act to follow especially in a brain cell damaging job of a boxer.
Learn to be a golfer, fer one can be competitive at age 60 and up. Just don't get yourself one of them golf bags that come equipped with a mixed drinks full bar and bartender inside the bag. 😅teeheehee
Thank you for your comment!
Born in May according to some sources. Taurus sign.
Yeah, when looking around for his birthday I found a bunch of contradictory information, and that coupled with the fact that he doesn't even have a birth certificate made it so I just had to chose one
@@ARTORIUSYT Yeah that is true. No one knows for sure the day he was born.
If he had the right people around him say a Cus could he had become his first Tyson , but no matter what when he fought the fighter known that night as Classius Clay who would become ALI would be Sonny no matter bigger faster and could dance for 15 rounds but Sonny was Foreman of his time , his corner was filled wirh cheaters who put shit on his gloves to blind fighters there was rumors of it even before the Clay fight , but Sonny his whole life & career never had anyone who cared about him other then his wife other wise he may have went down as a Joe Louis type but no the people around him painted him that way, its like they you reflect by who you keep company with.
Very well said, if sonny had people around him who wished the best for him, he would've gone down in the books much more favorably
Sonny did not throw that fight.
"Floyd Parrerson was liked by the whlte masses because he was passive and non threatening." I)
It had nothing to do with the fact that Floyd Patterson was actually a good person?
Yes of course, but the perception of a "good person" when referring to a person of color in that era was completely different from a good person of color today. Today we determine good people equally independent from their race, but back then a good black person was essentially someone who was as gentrified and inoffensive as they could be.
@ARTORIUSYT I dont agree with your take, but that's my opinion. I grew up in the south and my grandfather who today would be considered racist was a big fan of George Foreman and Joe Frazier. He grew up in Beaufort SC just like Frazier did. I really believe it has and had more to do with your personality. Humble people are generally well liked. I challenge you to find me one bIack boxer who was hated by the masses even though he was a genuinely good person.
Funny thing about Sonny is that everything is a mystery . . .
His birthdate , who he associated with , the two Ali fights .
Whatever the case a counter punch definitely landed but not hard enough to knock out a fighter of Listons caliber .
Imop Sonny Liston was destined to lose that day , weather it was his lackluster training prior to the bout , Jersey Joe's terrible referring , Muslims or the mob . My guess is from the way people and fans received him he had no passion or ambition to fight that night .
Possibly a combination of things and him saying ( I too old for this chit ) imop ?
No doubt boxing history and the fans were robbed of a boxing match that should have been a classic !
He made the most of what he had and became a top 5 most intimidating boxer of all time along with Forman , Duran , Tyson , Dempsey 🥊
Extremely well said. Absolutely a very underrated fighter for the wrong reasons
I always dont believe Ali Beat him easily like that. I know folks will be mad at me but i dont believe Ali could beat him
My dad knew Sonny Liston.
That's incredible. How was he? How intimidating was he in person? Did you ever meet him?
Despite what the public called him, he rose out and became a Heavyweight Champion.
@shengchenfan So true. From firsthand experience, what did your dad say Liston was like? How talkative was he with people outside of the media?
I would love to talk about Sonny with your dad!
Me too, it would be amazing.@@SurendranNambiath
Why can't you be more articulate?
I apologize if something wasn't clearly said in my video, this is my first video of this style but I believe I've gotten a lot better in my newer content if you would like to check it out
Liston took a dive because of fear of the Muslims. Sonny admitted that later.
say what?
Ali was NOT the greatest - this video only adds to the controversy of Ali's "win" over Liston.
He should have knocked Cassius Clay if not have been rigged matches ,100 proc .sure.
don't be dum
@@CahyaTroy He was owned bye the mob and they saw was more money to make on Clay but if people dont want to understand its ok but i,m not alone to know what that handled about, you can countine on this lyes.
@@rogerengblom5061correct you are
Im only starting to take a deeper look into the Liston story.Ive come to this concluion.Listonvs Ali was fixed.The so called phantom punch never happened Liston had to take a dive or else..........I leave the rest for u to work out.
Why are you praising the mob's doorman?