who was heavyweight boxing champion of the world in 1963 when henry cooper knocked down cassius clay?

Question

can I thank kristina for such a thorough and well researched answer
many thanks

Answer 1

Sonny Liston

Answer 2

Sonny Liston

Answer 3

Sonny Liston!

Answer 4

Sonny "The Bear" Liston

Answer 5

It was Charles Sonny Liston.

Answer 6

Sonny Liston

The Ballad of Sonny Liston
By Phil Ochs
Now I don't know how Sonny Liston died
Maybe he killed himself, maybe he even tried
Or maybe the boys weren' t satisfied
I don't know, I'm sorry I just don't know

Sonny, Sonny Sonny,
why'd you have to take a dive
If you don't then you won't stay alive...


I have read a lot on Sonny and watch many videos secured in the States – and I believe its all supposition in learning the truth. Depends where you do your research – I have purposely made a couple of cut & paste – one story by our own Paul Upham and the second one for from a Boxing Memorabilia page in the States – saves me writing what both sources have written – the facts and research are made from records already known.

It has been claimed Sonny Liston was a brute of a man, a bully and thug and again other sources say he was a quiet man and identified extra well with the elderly and children. He was the 24th child of 25/26 children sired by his violent father in his marriages to two woman. He suffered by cruel beating from his brutal father when growing up – he ran away from home at the age of 13 to St Louis to join a married sister living there - if my memory serves me right (save getting my books out to make certain) and he was out in the Streets and at an early age was into crime in order to survive.

Like a lot of Champions he was street wise at an early age. (Jeff Fenech is a perfect example) He hit prison at the early age of 18 after handed out a sentence of five years for armed robbery. Being black back in those days was a time of being harassed by the police. No doubt Sonny would have been beaten by the white police officers who took him for questioning – he would be outnumbered to defend himself. I remember reading this was the case on many occasions – nothing more then being black the same as Jack Johnson.

While in prison he was saved by self destruction by a person of the cloth – Father Alois Stevens who got him involved in prison boxing. He became a prison champ – on his release Sonny joined a gym and eventually become the USA amateur champ. He was a deadly puncher with both hands – the brutal punching power of Sonny soon made him a feared man. He progressed to winning the Golden Gloves in 1953. After this he turned professional and kept on winning by KO’s.

The first time he was beaten was when he fought a Marty Marshall and it started off a one sided fight and the story goes Sonny started show boating and making fun of the outgunned Marty – he open his mouth laughing and Marty moved in and broke his opened jaw. The fight continued for a few more rounds and at the final bell Marshall got the pat from the referee. Never again did Sonny indulge in show boating and to make fun of an opponent. The rest has been written how Sonny beat Floyd Patterson twice in four minutes.
When he returned home to Philadelphia expecting acceptance from the city people and a large crowd to acknowledge his victory – it all turned sour when virtually no one arrived to cheer the new Champ. He became very bitter over this issue.

My opinion is he laid down in the Cassius Clay fight – he never attempted to get up and had his eye on the referee all the time. Sonny was very tough and that strength was displayed the night he was beaten by Mary Marshall as he fought out with the broken jaw.

It has been said the mob controlled Sonny and large money was collected when Cassius dethroned the most feared heavyweight ever – he was held by the short and curlies for mine by either the Mob FBI or the Black Power brothers. As Paul Upham asked what in his well worded article ‘The Sonny Liston Questions’?

http://www.aussiebox.com.au/ace/sonny.html

Answer 7

It was Sonny Liston.

Answer 8

charles"sonny" liston, who deafeted Floyd patterson in 2 title defenses

Answer 9

sonny liston