A compilation of various boxing legends opinions of the great Sonny Liston, with some motivational highlights and footage thrown in there. Hope you enjoy! Rainy Day Boxing Patreon / rainydayboxing
Just another simple video of some of boxing's greatest champions and trainers giving praise to Sonny Liston, with some of his highlights thrown in there. Hopefully there are some clips in here that you haven't seen before. Will be uploading a Big George Foreman documentary soon, stay tuned!
Very good video, could you make a Larry Holmes biography video one day? I feel like you could change a lot of people's minds about him. Here he has my like 👍😁
Great video mate.Sonny Liston is one of the five greatest heavyweight-champions in history.For pure physical strength and heavy handed punching power George Foreman is Liston's only serious rival. Nice to see a tribute from the late Ron Lyle.Ron was a terrific fighter and a genuine hard-man who even Sonny would have respected.
One of the saddest comments I've ever heard came from Liston. Some fighters were discussing their fathers, and what they'd given their sons. Sonny spoke up and said 'The only thing my old man ever gave me was a beating.' How tragic. Life treated him terrible. Even in death, when the police knew he was dead, they let Sonny rot for several days in his own home
On his autopsy there were marks on his back for being whipped. Not to be dismissive, but when you grow up in that-- you're not really sad about it, you didn't know anything else. I don't think Sonny would've wanted to be pitied. Without his childhood, he wouldn't have become who he was. He went from being so dirt poor he had to replace the mule-- to holding the most esteemed title in sports. People could hate him all they wanted to but they couldn't take that from him. One tried and true measure of greatness is being respected by your peers. Sonny was not only respected, he was feared.
I'm a recent, newer boxing fan. I started to get into boxing history and became a fan around 2015. From my childhood until recently, I had always thought of Sonny Liston as nothing more than a criminal bully who got knocked out by Ali. I have come to recognize this man's greatness. One of the great things about the age of Google is that misunderstood historical figures- sports figures are being judged more fairly. It warms my heart that the Big Bear is finally getting his flowers. Only wish he could have lived to see it. You know it would have healed his soul. Rest in Peace, Sonny.
Ali ruined the reputation of so many people like Foreman, Liston and Frazier. I'm seriously questioning if I even like that cunt anymore... His boxing is no doubt the greatest, but he was an awful human being
Definitely. He was treated like shit and called the most abhorrent names. And you could tell he really wanted to be loved by the public after he won the championship. He had a brutal life and it was completely unfair how he was treated. If he was around today he would be owed a huge apology and I have no doubt he would get it. He is the fighter I would most want to meet if ever given the chance. RIP champ. You deserved better.
Beautifully written down. I couldn't agree more. At first glance Sonny comes of as a big brute with tremendous knock-out power, but there was much more to him than just strength and intimidation. Liston was a far better technical boxer than he was given credit for. The way he utilized his ridiculous reach as a stretegic weapon for instance. He used his long jabs to block his opponents view, lock their arms so they couldn't cover up when they received Liston's right hand and he also pulled and pushed his opponents onto directions that favoured him. Liston understood the sweet science of boxing more than well.
No I don’t know it would have “healed his soul.” You must be a leftist with such simple and saccharine sentiments. He was a scumbag who was a great fighter.
Patterson knew his chances weren't high. Not because he didn't believe in himself, but because he knew what an absolute monster Liston was, but he faced him. Nowadays everyone looks for an excuse, avoids the toughest fights, when will Spence vs. Crawford happen? Or Fury vs Usyk? It's so sad. I have so much Respect for Floyd Patterson.
Back in the day when they fought the toughest fights to feel like a champion. Too stand up with pride and say "I am the heavy weight champion of the world". Not 🦆 blame and, try to, convince people they are the champion
I remember some of those fights as a kid, asking patterson to fight liston would almost be equivalent to asking marvis Hagler a middle weight to fight ali in his prime. He wouldn't stand a chance !
As he said, What kind of champ would he be if he denied the top contender? ... No one can stay on top forever, I'd say he went out with honour and dignity.
"Sonny Liston made me look like a boy scout" -Mike Tyson "He did not even have to hit a guy to knock him out, he only needed to walk around him untill he would drop dead of a heartattack!" -Mike Tyson
One of the things which makes me respect tyson is his generosity of spirit and giving credit where it is due and respecting his elders. Tyson himself was misunderstood for many years. Dismissed as an animal. He's a bright man and a good man. 👍
When Ali was interviewed about Sonny Liston and asked were you scared of Sonny Liston, and Ali answered, scared to death! I have so much respect for Ali's honesty, especially he TKO'd Liston in 1st and knocked out Liston in one round the 2nd time, he still admitted that he was scared of Liston.
First fight with Ali was the infamous phantom punch thst never touched Liston he deserved an Oscar for that first fight. Second fight he also took a dive. He was mafia controlled and they saw Ali as the next whale in Vegas with how much money was being wagered on fight. Sonny’s Liston in his interview night they killed him for what he said I was undefeated when not influenced by by my handlers his handelers were the mob Notvofoudcof it but I’d like to have those three back soon as he said that that following morning his body was discovered with so much heroin that would kill a horse! At least he at peace something he never found in life. Rip champ. You deserve some peace finally.
@@blackwidowsm Liston got his arse whipped in the first fight. The second one, he got put on his backside and chose to stay down. He knew he was in for another long night .
@@blackwidowsm The "phantom punch" was in the second fight. Liston retired at the start of the 7th round in the first fight due to a confirmed shoulder injury. Also - Liston was most likely in his 40s when he fought Ali - well past his prime. Not saying he'd ever beat that version of Ali but he was not a young man anymore. No one knows (including Liston himself) how old he was. His sister said he was born after "the great war" which would have been 1919. Since the first fight was in 1964 that would make Liston 45 years old. To your point though - I believe Liston threw the 2nd fight. Why -I don't know. Maybe the Nation of Islam threatened him. Maybe the mob had something to do with it. I think maybe he knew he couldn't win and just wanted to be done with it all. He was tired of being a public punching bag and knew he was hated and Ali the future so he just stayed down after taking a legitimate punch but not one that could knock him out.
On his march to the world heavyweight title, Sonny Liston ticked off each name of the top ten contenders in the division, one by one like an assassin. Only Ingemar Johansson and the Henry Cooper escaped his wrath because they wanted no part of him. Nobody clears out the division like that anymore.
because life is not as tough as it used to be, people generally don't have to fight to survive, that's why. Sonny Liston grew up in the roughest conditions and his physical prowess gave him the opportunity to become a fighter. I also theorize that men are not as tough as we used to be, we may be bigger physically but I think men before us where just stronger
The West has, mostly, gotten rid of crushing poverty and abuse in which people like Sonny grew up in. That's obviously a good thing, but it does mean that, unless things get really really worse, we won't see men like Liston - intelligent, talented and absolutely crushed by life - in boxing again. People were tougher in the past because they had to be tough, because their lives were so horrible that they wouldn't have survived otherwise. But that comes at a price, one generations up to this day are still paying. If anything, it's a good sign people today don't aren't as tough.
Tyson had a great run, but other than Ali, obviously, I am not confident that any of the heavyweight fighters from the early 1970s forward could have beaten Liston in his prime. Possibly George Foreman and Lennox Lewis. Liston could knock fighters out with that telephone pole like jab, which even Ali could barely get away from.
Ingemar actually was looking to fight him ( there were talks)but after he was saved by the bell from KO in the London fight he decided to call it quits realizing he had no chance against Sonny.
I have a picture of sunny listen and George foreman when sonny was near the end of his career and George was just beginning, I was stunned by how much bigger sunny was than George, I had always thought George was the bigger man, but he looked like a little boy beside liston, Man I was shocked.
Charles Liston’s hands were so big at birth that the midwife who delivered him told his mother that her baby was going to be a boxer. His Las Vegas sparring partner Gary Bates suggested that a geneticist must have bred him in a test tube for the purpose of beating up other men. “Sonny Liston was a massive ball of muscle,” he said. “Nobody was ever built like that.” If any of Dundee’s fighters gave him trouble, he threatened to put them in with Sonny, who he referred to as a killer, a destroyer, a dreadnaught, and the Monster Man. “Nobody wants any part of that guy,” Dundee said in 1960. “He could kill you.” Sonny had to give his opponents the major share of the purse simply to get them to agree to fight him. “We always had a problem getting sparring partners. Nobody wanted to spar. Sonny was too tough,” said Sonny’s first manager, Frank Mitchell. “Everlast made 22 oz. gloves for Sonny Liston and his sparring partners had to get chest protectors because he broke ribs in the gym,” said promoter Don Elbaum. During his 50-year career, Ray Arcel trained 22 world champions and had been head cornerman in 11 heavyweight championship fights. He said, "Sonny Liston practically made a science out of initiating fear in the hearts and minds of his opponents. Entering the ring wearing a floppy hood, staring out from under it like some character from the Netherworld, Liston’s searing eyes cast a laser-like look that could cause his opponents to curl up like a burnt piece of toast. In short, Sonny Liston was the meanest “Muthah” on the boxing block and wanted everyone to know it."
Watching Sonny cuss out the police before putting himself in the truck considering the time was badass. He had more than one incident where multiple would try to rough him up and hed whoop everybodys ass then go turn himself in. Sonny was a bad mf. The part that sucks is he also spent quite a bit of time and money in the children's hospital, and talked about becoming a priest. Unfortunately, when Sonny tried to do better, no one would ever let him. Its a shame he wasnt born later, we love a great comeback story-- and right now today, Sonny would've been embraced. People that hear about him now become fans. He was a great boxer. Sucks those were the cards he was dealt. Liston was so dominant at that time, no one could've beat him but Ali.
Sonny Liston also had an 84 inch reach which was freaky for a 6'1 guy. I still feel the 2nd Ali fight was suspicious. Ali beat him fair and square first time out. Sonny's untimely passing further reinforces some of the dark forces surrounding the sport at the time
Liston was a phenomenon that you would not find today...a true American man of mystery. He may have been the best of them all. we will never know which fights were thrown that hye may have won had they been on the level.... We don't know when he was born or exactly when or how he died...... We may never see his equal again.
Sonny Liston, like so many greats, were before my time, but thanks to your docs Im able to experience their greatness. RDB, im going to reiterate this, you are the best history teacher ive ever had!! Cant wait to see the doc on Mr.Foreman!! All the best, my friend. ✌👊
Truthfully, it tells me RDB is working on another unbelieveable documentary. I listen to Was Prime Mike Tyson Unbeatable at least once a week. Their video to the top 20 hardest punching heavyweights is fire too.
more videos on sonny liston like these please he was the greatest heavyweight in the world and his legacy should not be forgotten thank you for this video rainy day boxing you never miss!
Sonny Liston was one of the scariest dudes to ever step into the ring! Had guys in fear! Hit like a sledgehammer! Had a jab that would snap guys' heads back. Just a brutal dude! Wanted to hurt you!!
Love the honesty from Patterson 'to feel' like heavyweight champion he had to fight him, these fighters were cut from a different cloth than most of todays who are divas
2:26: This has never happened before or since. When has a reporter ever told a world champion at the peak of his career "you know, if you didn't fight this guy, no one would blame you"? THAT'S how fearsome Liston was. Avoiding him was the sensible option to take.
When Muhammad Ali admitted that he was "scared to death" of Sonny Liston, and yet, still fought him, that was the ultimate display of pure courage, not to take anything away from Liston here, but that was the definition of courage, taking one step forward dispite the fact that everything in you wants to take five steps back because of shear terror.
@@Tboy439 , I'm gonna have to disagree with that, Ali ( Clay ) spent a YEAR harassing Liston, so he more than obligated himself to the fight at that point, and, for him to have dodged Liston after talking all that smack would've made him a laughing stock and ended his career before it even started, now, did Liston take a dive?, Probably, but I don't think Ali knew about it.
So many mouths to feed on the farm Sonny was the second to the last one born His mama ran away and his daddy beat him bad And he grew up wild good love he never had He had a left like Henry's hammer A right like Betty Bamalam Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread And all them sluggers went down like lead Well he hung with the hoods he wouldn't stroke the fans But he had dynamite in both his hands Boom bam like the slammer door The bell and the can and the bodies on the floor Beware the bear's in town Somebody's money says the bear's going down Yeah, the bear never smiles Sonny's going down for miles and miles Sonny's going down for miles and miles The writers didn't like him the fight game jocks With his lowlife backers and his hands like rocks They didn't want to have a bogey man They didn't like him and he didn't like them Black Cadillac alligator boots Money in the pockets of his sharkskin suits Some say the bear took a flop They couldn't believe it when they saw him drop He had a left like Henry's hammer A right like Betty Bamalam Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread And all them sluggers went down like lead Joe Louis was his hero he tried to be the same But a criminal child wears a ball and chain So the civil rights people didn't want him on the throne And the hacks and the cops wouldn't leave him alone Beware the bear's in town somebody's money says The bear's going down Yeah, the bear never smiles Sonny's going down for miles and miles Sonny's going down for miles and miles At the foot of his bed with his feet on the floor There was dope in his veins and a pistol on the drawer There was no investigation as such He hated needles but he knew too much Cris-crossed on his back Scars from his daddy like slavery tracks The second-last child was the second-last king Never again was it the same in the ring He had a left like Henry's hammer A right like Betty Bamalam Rode with the muggers in the dark and dread And all them sluggers went down like lead They never could be sure about the day he was born A motherless child set to working on the farm And they never could be sure about the day he died The bear was the king they cast aside Beware the bear's in town Somebody's money says the bear's going down Yeah, the bear never smiles Sonny's going down for miles and miles Sonny's going down for miles and miles Some day they're gonna write a Blues for fighters. It'll just be for Slow guitar, soft trumpet and a bell Sonny Liston 1962
@@KD400_ probably would have been more than a handful for anyone short of maybe an Olympic wrestler. Liston was very compact for a HW with an extremely powerful core. Would not have been an easy guy to take down when the fight starts standing lol.
2:53 That moment must've been frightening to Patterson. Shaking hands with that monster of a man... We can only imagine what he must've felt when he experienced the most humongous, heaviest hands that were about to be the weapons he had to endure lol
Patterson had huge courage to let Liston fight because he knew full well when he lost (which was a certainty) he was contracted to a rematch. How terrifying would it be to get in the ring with Liston a second time after being demolished by him in the previous fight?
I always wondered how Liston got his strength ( I heard it was cotton picking and field working, plus I heard somewhere that he'd push a wheelbarrow up a hill or something...)
The reason why Sonny was murdered is because he didn't take a dive against Wepner. The Rocky movies were already in the plans, and was supposed to be on the Chuck Wepner story, and Liston screwed up the ending....no joke.
In the summer of 1955 Arkansas cops was dispatched to a domestic situation at liston and his then girlfriends house during the visit things got messy and before they could get a chance to put him in handcuffs he swung and dropped the cop the other cop ran and called for backup..liston broke the cop jaw and cheekbone
This show how smart Ali was. The "rope a dope" he used with George was risky, but he never thought to use it with Sonny Liston. Liston would have murdered him
George also said that the most dangerous thing he ever did was spar with Sonny Liston and he was the only guy who could make him back up. He also said Sonny tried to show him the right path in life and to stay out of trouble being like a father figure to a young George.
Is there any truth to the rumors that he was much older than people thought? Even his own mother supposedly didn't know the exact year he was born. I've heard people say that he could've been 37 by the time he beat Patterson.
Literally a great champion boxer, a good hearted human being, and devastatingly misunderstood person that wanted to be seen as a person who can live normally amongst society. Too bad mob ties made him give up his title. Really though he just gave up after that and wasn’t the same. Probably had his family threatened on multiple occasions if he didn’t do as he was told
What Sonny lacked in ring IQ he more than made up for in raw power, incredible reach and durability. He was known for stalking opponents instead of cutting off the ring, this is one of the only reasons he was every beaten. He also did not have great speed with his punches. To make up for those short comings he had the largest ape index in the history of Heavyweight boxing and had incredible power to back it up. He was able to jab people into corners or up into the ropes and beat them. God help anyone who thought of going toe to toe with him. He was able to weather virtually any storm. It is worth noting that the Ali fights are mired in troubles. Liston had a shoulder injury, the fight was put off for Clay, he was also Somewhere in his mid 30's or possibly late 30's at the time. (that is not a mistake, no one knows exactly when Liston was born) The second fight there were many rumors of threats from the Nation of Islam towards Liston's family. Reports from Liston's camp are that he trained harder for the rematch with Ali than any fight in his career; he was seeking to regain the title. The questionable count from Walcott following the knockdown was unfortunate. As seen in the film Liston rose to his feet and continued to fight. If you go back and watch the first Ali and Liston fight and score it honestly you will end up with a similar score card to the judges. Straight down the middle.
Nobody could beat Sonny Liston if both men were 25 yrs old in there prime when the Great Ali beat Liston Ali was 22 Liston was between 32 & 40 he didn’t know how old he was plus he was battle worn if Liston was 22 & Ali was 22 Liston would TKO Ali
If Liston did not have bad personal habits and a different mind frame no one would have stood in his way, that photo of him and Ali might have reversed
The fact he was likely in his 40’s when he was knocking people out is also awesome, the guy didn’t know his own age and best guesses put him in his 40’s
@@leonakinyemi9322 sonny didnt put that shite on his gloves lol, a guy who works with the mafia put that oil on liston's gloves before the fight and ali didnt feel it till round five i believe because thats when sonny started connecting, that same man who put that oil on liston's gloves came back 10 years afterwords and asked Ali if he wants to beat george foreman, and ali said yeah, the man said then take this oil and put it on your gloves and as soon as you start touching foreman he wont be able to see for a few minutes, ali rejected the offer
