Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion

I seen this movie when it came on hbo in 1995 and this shows that no matter how great soony liston was if you dont have the talk to make boxing more interesting and make it more popular and more money like the promoters knew that cashus clay would,you have to take a dive .Thats correct anyone with any common sense knows some boxing fights are fixed especally the phantom punch in ali liston second fight where a man like sonny who could take the hardest punches a fighter could take get's knocked out by a punch that barely touches him you know is a bunch of bull.sonny liston was one of the most powerful punchers ever but this movie takes a great look not only boxing's set ups but all of the other sports where teams lose on purpose so the public pays more attention to the opponnet.Just imagine if sonny doesn't take the dives then when would of had a champion who would of the just dominated his opponents winng most of the time by knockouts like he did back to back against floyd patterson there would have never been achamp like muhammad ali who was quick and could hype up fights with his talk to sell tickets.Liston would have been one of the best ever.Finaly we find out that when liston in 1970 is on his way to eventually getting another chance at the heavyweight title again he is told to take another dive but wins the fight and is met by two guys who buy him drinks get him drunk and sleepy take him to a hotel room and and stick a needle of drug in his arm to make it look like suicide which he is found dead in room which is a good name for the title of this film the mysterious life and death of a champion.

A MUST Have For Anyone Interested In Sonny Liston

4.75 Stars

It's hard to know Sonny Liston - most people's first introduction to him is by way of Muhammad Ali and the 2 fights they had, but Sonny is so much more.

He was more feared and more tuff in the ring than Mike Tyson and the first incarnation of Big George Foreman. Sonny was the first. It was said that his opponents would start to bleed just from receiving his stare.

Most of the story of Sonny Liston is sad - no one knows for sure when he was born. No one knows for sure when he died.

This is a great video. Finally we're able to get clips of the champ and witness his presence and power in the ring, we get to hear him speak, see the scowl and actually see him smile too.

I wish this was longer. I would like to see more than just fight clips, but don't get me wrong - it's great to see anything with Sonny in it.

It's funny too - in typical Sonny treatment - it's only on VHS and not DVD.

This is a MUST have for anyone interested in Charles Sonny Liston - also you should read David Remnicks King Of The World and skim through Nick Tosches The Devil And Sonny Liston.

As this video proves Sonny Liston was more than the mob affiliated thug that the media painted him to be. In fact he is one of boxing's most compelling person's and by far it's saddest tragic figure. For all those interested in learning about the man behind the scowl and the power punches this video is required viewing. And for boxing fans it has a decent selection of footage of Sonny at his best.
"Someday they will write a blues song just for fighters. It'll be with slow guitar, soft trumpet, and a bell,"-Sonny Liston.