Sonny Liston

Charles "Sonny" Liston (May 8, 1932 – December 30, 1970), was a boxer who became world Heavyweight champion, and whose life and personality were always obscure. As a boxer, his nickname was The Big Bear.

Early life

There is considerable uncertainty about when Liston was actually born. Liston gave his year of birth as 1932, However, many believe that he was born in 1927. Liston was born the son of a sharecropper in Arkansas. He was one of seventeen children born to Tobe Liston and Helen Baskin. Liston endured frequent beatings as a child. He started to work early as his father's opinion was: "if he can sit at the table, he can work".

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At the age of 13 he escaped from his father to St. Louis to reunite with his mother. His childhood experience sent him on a violent path that led to prison. He had a bad reputation, but at home he was gentle and loving. His mean appearance in interviews was simply a result of bashfulness.

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When he was sentenced for the armed robbery of a gas station, his boxing talent was discovered by a Catholic priest. Boxing helped him leave jail early. On Halloween night of 1952, he was paroled, and during a brief amateur career that spanned less than a year, he won several awards, including Golden Gloves.

Related Topics:
Catholic - Halloween - 1952 - Golden Gloves

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