Few champions have inspired as much public ambivalence, mistrust and contempt as Sonny Liston. The frequently violent events of a past life under the bright lights of the boxing ring and in the dark alleys of organized crime created a puzzling public image that is eloquently captured in the HBO documentary Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion. . First released in 1995, the film follows his difficult journey from an impoverished childhood in rural Arkansas to the top of the boxing championship, ending with his mysterious death in 1970. Sonny Liston is a sad film that captures the complexity and the insecurity of a man misunderstood by the public, and perhaps even by himself.
Born into a large and impoverished family of sharecroppers, Charles ‘Sonny’ Liston probably came into the world four years before his official birth date in 1932, and his struggle to forge a royal identity would stay with him all his life. Often teased and bullied at school due to his size, and frequently beaten by his own father, Liston redirected her feelings of inadequacy outwardly, using his imposing physique for criminal purposes. Eventually, he was sent to jail for armed robbery, where the prison chaplain encouraged him to try boxing. Extraordinarily powerful, with huge hands and a brutally effective jab, Liston easily won the prison heavyweight championship and discovered a means by which he could direct his aggression and make a living. However, once out of prison, his difficulties with the law continued and he would eventually leave St. Louis for Philadelphia, a departure encouraged by the St. Louis police force.
Liston’s mob-backed career soared in Philadelphia. According to Larry Merchant, his thunderous style earned him a reputation as an “absolutely fearsome and unbeatable force of nature”. This is what kept top heavyweights like Cus D’Amato-trained champion Floyd Patterson from agreeing to take him on, but the champion’s timidity could only last so long. Liston demolished virtually all of the top-rated contenders, forcing Patterson to award him a title shot in which Liston easily defeated the smaller man and stopped him in the first round. A rematch yielded an identical result.
Liston’s next opponent was Cassius Clay, then a young, reckless and undefeated phenom. Clay’s outrageous behavior during the fight’s promotional circuit proved to be an effective psychological tactic. When the two met in February 1964, the champion was unprepared for the fighting machine in front of him. Even the deliberate application of a blinding substance to Liston’s gloves, which temporarily impaired Clay’s vision in the fifth round, failed to quell the onslaught, and the champion left his bench after the sixth round.
This film reminds us of the parallels between Liston and one of his admirers, Mike Tyson: the aggressive styles, the emphasis on intimidation, the tumultuous personal lives. Liston and Tyson were also bullies who failed when faced with onerous challenges, as Liston did against Clay and Tyson did against Evander Holyfield. Although both were blessed with great physical ability, each had endured a difficult childhood and seemed to be in constant conflict with his inner self. Unsure of themselves, both could use their abilities only to the extent that the conditions were ripe for them to excel. When being fearsome was no longer enough, and when fear and anxiety had not rendered his opponent powerless before the opening bell, the prospect of being in a competitive fight whose outcome might have been dubious was too daunting for everyone, as neither had the interior. confidence required to beat a brave and talented opponent. In challenging instances, both Liston and Tyson looked for opportunities to lose.
Liston and the now Muhammad Ali fought again a year after their first fight, but the result was even more disappointing. Ali floored Liston in the first round with what appeared to be a harmless punch (replays show Ali’s right hand landing the flush, which should have dispelled the theory that the fight was set up), and it seemed the run of the former champion was over. But he continued to fight, doing so 15 more times before his last fight in 1970, a victory over the ‘Real Rocky’, Chuck Wepner. Broke and living in Las Vegas with his wife Geraldine, Liston is rumored to have gotten involved in the underworld again. The film only speculates about what he may have been up to (he is suspected of being involved in loan sharking and possibly heroin trafficking), but stops short of drawing any conclusions.
His death in late December 1970 was a strange and sad conclusion to a turbulent life. His wife tells in a film how when he returned from a trip he found an unpleasant smell that filled his house. It was Sonny, who had been lying lifeless in her bed for days. Officially, his death was attributed to natural causes, although toxicologists found traces of heroin and codeine in his system. The film emphasizes the possibility of foul play and that Liston may have intentionally received a fatal dose of heroin. It is said that he became involved in a loan sharking operation, which angered several Vegas gangsters, and that Ash Resnick, his former shady confidante, had put a contract on his head, with whom Liston had a falling out. . Regardless, no one really knows the exact cause or motivation of his death. Like much of Liston’s life, his birth and death remain terribly vague.
Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion is a well-paced, unbiased film for anyone looking for a comprehensive account of Liston’s life. Its greatest strength is the nuanced portrayal it gives of his subject, a treatment Liston would no doubt have benefited from in real life. The film rejects the simplistic good/bad binary, not overlooking the violent world he thrived in when he was young and kept returning to until his death. Former sparring partner Foneda Cox claims that when he was sober, he “was one of the nicest guys you ever wanted to see,” and the film provides ample evidence to substantiate his nicer nature. The empty frown that intimidated so many of his opponents could, in circumstances in which he felt comfortable, be replaced by a beautiful and endearing smile. Unfortunately, public appearances from the benevolent side of him were infrequent, fueled by his mistrust of the media. There were competitive and juxtaposed sides to Sonny Liston, and it’s unfortunate but probably inevitable that the darker side ultimately prevailed. –Eliot McCormick
