Underworld connections and his unrecorded dates of birth and death added to the enigma. He was still a world-ranked boxer when he died under mysterious circumstances in 1970. In his 1965 rematch with Ali, Liston suffered an unexpected first-round knockout that led to unresolved suspicions of a fix. Controversy followed with claims that Liston had been drinking heavily the night before the fight and had entered the bout with a lame shoulder.
Liston retired in his corner due to an inflamed shoulder. Īlthough Liston was widely regarded as unbeatable, he lost the title in 1964 to Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay), who entered as a 7–1 underdog. Often regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time Liston was particularly known for his immense strength, formidable jab, long reach, toughness, and is widely regarded as the most intimidating man in the history of the sport. A dominant contender of his era, he became the world heavyweight champion in 1962 after knocking out Floyd Patterson in the first round, repeating the knockout the following year in defense of the title in the latter fight he also became the inaugural WBC heavyweight champion. ' Sonny' Liston ( c. 1930 – December 30, 1970) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1953 to 1970.
