Someone had mentioned Liston being in his mid-forties in '67 on another thread. Well..: By Aaron Tallent: So just how old was Sonny Liston? Was he born before 1930? If you go to the National Archives in Washington, DC and pull up the microfilm for Forrest City, Arkansas you will find Tobin Listons 1930 census family card. But Charles L. Liston is not on it. His mother, Helen, is listed, as are his sisters Clytee, Annie and Alcora, and his brothers J.T., Leo and Curtis, who is the youngest at six months. This means that Liston could not have been born before late 1930 and that the oldest he could have been when he fought Ali the first time was 33-years-old.
I don't know,24 brothers and sisters,pretty hard to keep track,especially back then.Liston told a story,when he was born,his dad made a mark on a tree.That tree probably is gone.Liston always chose to take the youngest age he could when asked.Watched Cosell ask him how old he was once,Sonny said 31,Cosell started laughing,and said,("still 31"?).I am pretty damn sure,Sonny didn't know.
If I remember in "The Devil and Sonny Liston" book, he once told a reporter: "I was born in 1932 because my momma said I was born in 1932. Are you calling my mamma a ****in' liar?" I think the same book offered some sources that suggested his DOB may have been as early as 1922 and probably closer to 1927. But for the reasons mentioned i.e. 24 brothers and sisters, illiteracy, etc. But I've never heard about the Census archives. Maybe he wasn't listed? I'm not trying to be crude, but I question the accuracy of the Census for poor African-Americans at that time.
The Nick Tosches book was more pure idolotry and hype rather than critical analysis. He was selling a story to sell books. The bigger and more incredible the story, the books sold. . I will concede that Liston was 107 years old when he was born if the rest of the world will just drop the subject.
It's been a long time since I've read it. I remember enjoying it, though. Not much solely on the man himself. Good pictures, too.
Look at the man. The pictures show a much older man than he claimed. I believe he was at least four years older than claimed.
I believe Sonny was a bit off in his later yrs.... However, if I were to guess, I'd say Liston was born between 1928 to 1932....... Liston was between 32 to 36 when he got his ass kicked by Clay in Miami back in '64....... When Sonny Liston checked out at the end of '70, he was prolly between 38 to 42 yrs of age....... This crap of Liston being damn near 50 when he was fighting Clay/Ali is a load of crap...... MR.BILL
This has been done to death,he grant.Use the search function. http://www.eastsideboxing.com/forum/showthread.php?t=144841&highlight=liston
I did not start the thread nor am I basing it on one photo. I am basing it on the sum total of all the footage I have seen of the man ...
Charlie Parker died at 34. The doctor who did the autopsy thought he was 60. Sometimes, you can't tell.
For sure, i think our definition of fair might be different. We use it here like, "he was a fair old age".