"sister's fish market on Maxwell Street in Chicago and on the streets of Miami Beach, Florida. He was reputed to have offered to sell Herbert Hoover a ""hot"" watch. Before the first Cassius Clay-Sonny Liston fight in 1964, Levinsky would heckle Clay telling him that he had no chance, but not to worry because after the Liston fight they could sell ties together. Clay then went on to shock the world by defeating Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship. Levinsky is mentioned by name in ""The Honeymooners"" episode, ""TV Or Not TV"". Levinsky was married to fan dancer Roxana Sand"
"his opponents was the ageless Archie Moore, who held the world light heavyweight title for ten years and scored more knockout victories than any other boxer in history. In the early 1960s, the seemingly invincible Sonny Liston captured the public imagination with his one-sided destruction of two-time heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson. One of the last mob-connected fighters, Liston had his mystique shattered in two controversial losses to the brash upstart Cassius Clay, who changed his name to Muhammad Ali after becoming champion. Ali would become the most iconic figure in boxing history, transcending the sport and achieving global recognition. His"
"Leotis Martin Leotis Martin (March 10, 1939 – November 20, 1995) was an American boxer, the first ever NABF heavyweight champion and is best known for his victory over former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Martin was a good puncher and a fairly skilled heavyweight who fought from 1962 to 1969. He compiled a record of 31 wins (19 KOs) and 5 losses and in 2003 was named on ""The Ring""s list of 100 greatest punchers of all time. His career, however, was marked by inconsistency and bad luck. Martin was the 1960 Chicago and Intercity Golden Gloves 160-pound champion and"
"Michael Bentt Michael Bentt (born September 4, 1964) is a British-American film and television actor, and former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 1994. Of Jamaican heritage, he was born in East Dulwich, London, but raised in the Cambria Heights section of Queens in New York City. Bentt won the WBO heavyweight title from Tommy Morrison in 1993, losing the title in his first defense in 1994 to Herbie Hide. As an amateur he won bronze medals at the 1986 World Championships and 1987 Pan American Games. As an actor, Bentt is best known for co-starring as Sonny Liston"
"1959, Blinky and his partner, Mafioso Frankie Carbo, owned a majority interest in the contract of heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston, who went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 1962. From the start of his pro career in 1953, Liston had been ""owned"" by St. Louis mobster John Vitale, who continued to own a stake in the boxer. At the time Palermo and Carbo acquired their interest in Liston, the notorious Carbo was imprisoned on Riker's Island, having been convicted of the undercover management of prize-fighters and unlicensed matchmaking. According to both FBI and newspaper reports, Vitale and other"
"fight by knockout), Zora Folley, and future Light Heavyweight champion Bob Foster. But he is best remembered for his fight with World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali, on February 6, 1967—a bout in which he was badly beaten. Ali was scheduled to fight World Boxing Association champion Ernie Terrell (the WBA stripped Ali of his title after his agreement to fight a rematch with Liston) on March 29, but Terrell backed out and Ali won a 15-round decision against substitute opponent George Chuvalo. The World Boxing Association matched Terrell and Eddie Machen for the vacant crown. Terrell defeated Machen to win"
"Liston claimed to have a shoulder injury, the 1965 Liston-Ali fight and the so-called ""phantom punch"", and Liston's heroin overdose death in 1970. The Devil and Sonny Liston The Devil and Sonny Liston is a biography of world heavyweight champion boxer Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. The book's title is a reference to the story ""The Devil and Daniel Webster"". Tosches' intended title was ""Night Train"" after one of Liston's favorite songs. It was changed at the behest of his publisher in order to avoid potential confusion with the novel of the same name by Martin Amis. Among the controversial"
"wins (24 knockouts) and 3 loss in 33 bouts. <br> Richel Hersisia Richel Hersisia (born April 28, 1974 in Curaçao, in the former Netherlands Antilles) is a heavyweight boxer. He is referred to as ""The Dutch Sonny Liston"" by his fans. He now fights out of The Hague (Den Haag) in the Netherlands. He once held the fringe World Boxing Foundation (WBFo) Heavyweight title, but lost it to Audley Harrison via fourth-round knockout on March 20, 2004 at Wembley Arena in London. He last fought in September 2008, when he lost a six rounds decision to a comebacking Ray Mercer"
"The Devil and Sonny Liston The Devil and Sonny Liston is a biography of world heavyweight champion boxer Sonny Liston by Nick Tosches. The book's title is a reference to the story ""The Devil and Daniel Webster"". Tosches' intended title was ""Night Train"" after one of Liston's favorite songs. It was changed at the behest of his publisher in order to avoid potential confusion with the novel of the same name by Martin Amis. Among the controversial topics covered are Liston's disputed birth date, his alleged mob ties, corruption in the professional boxing world, the 1964 Liston-Clay fight in which"
"him a match with veteran former champion Sonny Liston on December 6, 1969. Liston had resumed boxing after his two stunning losses to Muhammad Ali, and had run off a winning streak of 14 fights with 13 knockouts. Although slowed by age, Liston was still a feared heavyweight. Martin, who formerly had been Liston's sparring partner, devised a good fight plan. Rather than attempting to slug with the bigger and heavier Liston, Martin stayed away from him, boxing and waiting for the older man to tire. Despite a close call in the fourth round when Liston caught him with a"
"Co. after 31 years as a machinist. In November that year Martin had a stroke brought on by hypertension and complications from diabetes, and died en route to a local hospital, aged 56. Martin's death received little coverage in the boxing media. !colspan=3 style=""background:#C1D8FF;""| Regional titles Leotis Martin Leotis Martin (March 10, 1939 – November 20, 1995) was an American boxer, the first ever NABF heavyweight champion and is best known for his victory over former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston. Martin was a good puncher and a fairly skilled heavyweight who fought from 1962 to 1969. He compiled a record"
"win in 15 rounds. Jim Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Rocky Marciano and Ingemar Johansson picked Patterson to win. The fight also carried a number of social implications. Liston's connections with the mob were well known and the NAACP was concerned about having to deal with Liston's visibility as World Champion and had encouraged Patterson not to fight Liston, fearing that a Liston victory would tarnish the civil rights movement. Patterson also claimed that John F. Kennedy did not want him to fight Liston either. Patterson lost his title to Liston on September 25, 1962 in Chicago, by a"
"Richel Hersisia Richel Hersisia (born April 28, 1974 in Curaçao, in the former Netherlands Antilles) is a heavyweight boxer. He is referred to as ""The Dutch Sonny Liston"" by his fans. He now fights out of The Hague (Den Haag) in the Netherlands. He once held the fringe World Boxing Foundation (WBFo) Heavyweight title, but lost it to Audley Harrison via fourth-round knockout on March 20, 2004 at Wembley Arena in London. He last fought in September 2008, when he lost a six rounds decision to a comebacking Ray Mercer in Karlstad, Sweden. His current ring record stands at 30"
"the distance with former world heavyweight champion Sonny Liston on March 28, 1969, during Liston's comeback. This was in fact their second fight. They'd fought in May the year before with Liston winning a seventh round stoppage. He also fought (and lost) to top heavyweight contenders Zora Folley, Oscar Bonavena, Mac Foster, Alfredo Evangelista, and future heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Billy Joiner Billy Joiner was an American boxer from Cincinnati. Joiner was the 1962 National Golden Gloves and National AAU Light-Heavyweight Champion and compiled an Amateur record of 86-6 (The Ring, March 1964). Joiner won the National Golden Gloves with"
"Heavyweight boxers. He is a member of ""Blackpool Sportsmen's Aid Society"" (BSAS) which raises funds for local charities and sporting needs in Blackpool. Brian London Brian Sidney Harper (born 19 June 1934), known professionally as Brian London, is an English retired heavyweight boxer. He was the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion from 1958 to 1959, and twice challenged for the world heavyweight title, losing to Floyd Patterson in 1959 and Muhammad Ali in 1966, both times via knockout. He was one of a quartet of British boxers, with Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine, and Dick Richardson, who dominated the British boxing"
"Liston was going to face Canadian champion George Chuvalo, but the fight never took place. ""When I signed to fight him (in December 1970) he'd been dead for a week"", Chuvalo stated years later. ""He passed away after I'd sent a telegram to the promoter, agreeing terms to the fight at the Montreal Forum. A day or so later a news report flashes up saying former heavyweight champion of the world Sonny Liston found dead at his Las Vegas home. I'd actually signed a contract to face a dead man."" Liston was found dead by his wife, Geraldine, in their"
"in May 1965 in Lewiston, Maine, which Ali won with a first-round knockout. Liston was the World Heavyweight Champion at the time of the first Liston–Clay fight in Miami Beach on February 25, 1964, having demolished former champion Floyd Patterson by a first-round knockout in September 1962. Ten months later, Liston and Patterson met again with the same result—Patterson was knocked out in the first round. Liston was the most intimidating fighter of his day, and considered by some, at the time of the Clay fight, to be among the best heavyweights of all time. Many were reluctant to meet"
"Brian London Brian Sidney Harper (born 19 June 1934), known professionally as Brian London, is an English retired heavyweight boxer. He was the British and Commonwealth heavyweight champion from 1958 to 1959, and twice challenged for the world heavyweight title, losing to Floyd Patterson in 1959 and Muhammad Ali in 1966, both times via knockout. He was one of a quartet of British boxers, with Henry Cooper, Joe Erskine, and Dick Richardson, who dominated the British boxing scene throughout the 1950s and 1960s. An orthodox fighter, London was 6 feet tall and fought at about 14 stone 9 pounds (205"
"that year, before converting to Islam after 1961. At age 22, in 1964, he won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in a major upset. He then changed his name from Cassius Clay, which he called his ""slave name"", to Muhammad Ali. He set an example of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the Civil Rights Movement. In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be drafted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs, and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War."
"Loren Ross Loren ""The Boss"" Ross (September 18, 1964 – July 31, 2013) in Nashville, Tennessee) is a former professional heavyweight boxer. Ross won the 1984, 1985, and 1986 United States Amateur Light Heavyweight Championships. This feat was also accomplished by future Heavyweight Champions Cassius Clay known better as Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks. Spinks, while serving in the United States Marine Corps won three consecutive United States Amateur Light Heavyweight Championships '74, '75 and '76. Lost to Pablo Romero (Cuba) at the World Amateur Championships in 1986 (4-1) for the 178 pound title. Ross had a professional record of"
"has since been speculated that Liston purposely dropped to the ground. Proposed motivations include threats on his life from the Nation of Islam, that he had bet against himself and that he ""took a dive"" to pay off debts. Slow-motion replays show that Liston was jarred by a chopping right from Ali, although it is unclear whether the blow was a genuine knockout punch. Ali defended his title against former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson on November 22, 1965. Before the match, Ali mocked Patterson, who was widely known to call him by his former name Cassius Clay, as an ""Uncle"
"the box office, an amount unsurpassed in the South, until television receipts for Clay vs. Liston in 1964, managed a richer gate. A fight held in Yankee Stadium later that year, gave Sharkey the United States heavyweight title, when he knocked out former light-heavyweight champion Tommy Loughran. This victory earned him the opportunity to fight for the vacant world title against the German contender, Max Schmeling on June 12, 1930. Sharkey was disqualified in the fourth round after delivering a punch that landed below Schmeling's belt. This was the first time in boxing history when the heavyweight championship was won"
"Alvin Lewis (boxer) Alvin Lewis, also known as Al Lewis, (born in Detroit, Michigan on 12 November 1942) was a United States professional boxer who fought in the heavyweight division under the alias """"Al ""Blue"" Lewis"""". Lewis was a long-term sparring partner of Muhammad Ali and is mentioned in Ali's autobiography. He was well-known as a powerful gym adversary. He also sparred with, among others, George Foreman before the champion's match with Ken Norton. Lewis died in Flint, Michigan on 21 January 2018, aged 75. His death was not significantly publicized. Lewis was born in Detroit and, after a troubled"
"on the cover of British pop singer Morrissey's single ""Boxers"". The photo was taken from an issue of ""Ring"" magazine. Conn is now a member, along with Louis and Zivic, of the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York. In April 2017, Conn's widow Mary Louise Conn died. She was 94 years old. Billy Conn William David ""Billy"" Conn (October 8, 1917 – May 29, 1993) was an Irish American professional boxer and Light Heavyweight Champion famed for his fights with Joe Louis. He had a professional boxing record of 63 wins, 11 losses and 1 draw, with"
"Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Patterson refers to two North American Boxing Federation heavyweight professional boxing matches between the champion Muhammad Ali and former champion Floyd Patterson. The first match took place on November 22, 1965; and the second on September 20, 1972. Ali won both fights through technical knockouts. The first fight was stopped in the 12th round; and the second after the 7th round. Patterson had previously lost his heavyweight title to Sonny Liston in a 1st round knockout. In a later rematch, Patterson lost again in the 1st round. Liston later lost the"
"died in 1965 from injuries sustained in a 9-round bout against Leotis Martin. Sonny Banks Lucien ""Sonny"" Banks (June 29, 1940 – May 13, 1965) was an American boxer best known for being the first fighter to drop a young Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay). At the time Banks was a rising prospect and known for a fast sharp left hook. Banks was from Lee County in northeast Mississippi, near Tupelo. He was born in the farming community Birmingham Ridge, about halfway between Tupelo and Saltillo. (Source: Rick Cleveland column) Banks fought Clay in 1962 and knocked him down for"
"reluctant to license a rematch between the two controversial fighters, and it was difficult to find a venue. Ultimately, Massachusetts agreed to host the bout, which resulted in the suspension of the Massachusetts Boxing Commission by the WBA. The fight was set for November 16, 1964, at the Boston Garden. Liston was immediately established as a 13-5 favorite, making Ali a greater betting underdog than Floyd Patterson in his two fights against Liston. This time, Liston trained hard, preparing himself for a 15-round bout. In fact, ""Time"" magazine said that Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his"
"faced mostly white challengers since becoming champion, was drawing the color line against his own race. Patterson finally signed to meet Liston for the world title on September 25, 1962, in Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Leading up to the fight, Liston was an 8-5 betting favorite, though many picked Patterson to win. In an Associated Press poll, 64 of 102 reporters picked Patterson. ""Sports Illustrated"" predicted a Patterson victory in 15 rounds, stating: ""Sonny has neither Floyd's speed nor the versatility of his attack. He is a relatively elementary, one-track fighter."" Former champions James J. Braddock, Jersey Joe Walcott,"
"DeMarco in 1955, he would regain it in a 1955 title match against welterweight champ Carmen Basilio, another fight considered to be fixed. By 1959, Carbo and his partner Blinky Palermo owned a majority interest in the contract of heavyweight boxer Sonny Liston, who went on to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 1962. From the start of his pro career in 1953, Liston had been ""owned"" by St. Louis mobster John Vitale, who continued to own a stake in the boxer. At the time Palermo and Carbo acquired their interest in Liston, the notorious Carbo was imprisoned on Rikers"
"his dressing room after the match. However there is ample evidence that Liston carried an injury to his left shoulder into the fight. Liston trained hard for the rematch, which was scheduled to take place November 13, 1964, in Boston. ""Time"" magazine said Liston had worked himself into the best shape of his career. However, there were again rumors of alcohol abuse in training. The extent to which Liston's heavy drinking and possible drug use may have contributed to his surprisingly poor performances against Ali is not known. Three days before the fight, Ali needed emergency surgery for a strangulated"
"the DVD is Neil Leifer's iconic photograph from their controversial second fight in Lewiston, Maine in which many, such as George Chuvalo, allege that Sonny Liston deliberately lost. Former British champion Sir Henry Cooper briefly discusses the cumulative effects of boxing on Muhammad Ali's health. He states that Ali actually suffers from ""Parkinson's Syndrome"" rather than Parkinson's Disease and that Ali's doctor had personally told him that the cause was Ali taking frequent punches to the back of his neck, and that these blows killed brain cells which trigger the release of an important chemical. George Chuvalo stated that he"
"background to the purported dive including that Liston was threatened by the Muslims, or agreed to lose in return for a share in the more marketable Ali's future purses. After the second loss to Ali, Liston stayed out of the ring for more than a year. He returned with four consecutive knockout victories in Sweden between July 1966 and April 1967, all four co-promoted by former World Heavyweight Champion Ingemar Johansson. One of the victories was over Amos Johnson, who had recently defeated British champion Henry Cooper. Liston returned to the United States and won seven fights, all by knockout,"
"the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Willard and a dispute he had with Harry Houdini is the topic of Andy Duncan's Nebula Award nominated novella ""The Pottawatomie Giant."" Jess Willard Jess Myron Willard (December 29, 1881 – December 15, 1968) was a world heavyweight boxing champion known as the Pottawatomie Giant who knocked out Jack Johnson in April 1915 for the heavyweight title. He was known for his great strength and ability to absorb tremendous punishment, although today he is also known for his title loss to Jack Dempsey. Willard held the championship for more than four years. Today his"