Paul Gallender's book on Sonny Liston

You should check out Nick Tosches book on Sonny called the Devil and Sonny Liston. It is one of my all time favorite books and without question my favorite book about Sonny Liston.

 

Yeah I agree that calling Liston one of the 2 greatest heavies of all time is a stretch (unless factoring H2H, which is more subjective).

 

This guy is like the biggest Sonny Liston fanboy ever, he can tell good stories but he acts like he's the main authority of Liston's life, he's even stated he considers himself Liston's manager from the grave and that a medium has received messages from Sonny beyond the grave stating that Sonny said he knew the medium and Paul in another life and thanks him for work he's done for him, not joking. He said he knows more about Sonny Liston than anything else in life.

He's adamant that black Muslims held Sonny's wife and kids hostage and would kill them if he didn't lose to Ali yet don't you think his wife would of ever mentioned that? Or someone would of stated his wife told them that? I personally believe Ali got in Sonny's head so much that when he knocked him down it just broke his spirit and he just though ah screw it.

Also claims Sonny was likely born between 1917-1919 which is highly unlikely and that Liston is the second best Heavyweight ever.

Another interesting claim is a man who passed away called William Wingate who was from Philadelphia, he claimed to be Sonny Liston's biological son and this was backed up by Paul Gallender. But a man called Lynel Gardner who was the son of one of Geraldine Liston's daughters claims this is BS and Wingate never provided proof and that it was a creation of Paul Gallender.

https://lynelgardner.com/2020/11/12...-but-claimed-to-be-the-son-of-a-champion/amp/

 

I sometimes have Liston as high as 3rd best HW all time. But Honestly I change my 3-5 spot weekly. Buys it’s usually the same guys Liston, Marciano, Lewis.

 

I resent that!

I doubt that as well but I think he was older than the census indicates, which contradicted the 1930 census.
"CHARLES (SONNY) LISTON v was on cortisone for five days immediately prior to his ill-fated title defense on Feb. 25, according to a report released Tuesday by the Senate Antitrust and Monopoly subcommittee. prepared by the State's attorney's office of Dade county, the report quoted Liston's adviser and personal physician as saying that Listen also was under going physiotherapy for pains in his left, arm for an 8 day Period before the fight. The Miami boxing Commission was not notified of the treatment, the report said. After the fight, according to the report, Dr. Lester Russin and other doctors at Miami's St. Francis Hospital confirmed Liston's injury as an inflamed tendon in his left arm. Dr. Russin was quoted as saying the condition was "particularly prevalent In older athletes." The report said that Dr. Russin estimated Liston's actual age as between 38 and 41. The former champion has listed himself as 30 years old."

Source: https://www.newspapers.com/clip/98505474/the-philadelphia-inquirer/

I've always pondered this myself. I'm leaning towards no because on his obit, William Wingate is listed as "William D Wingate III", I found a William D Wingate JR, who died in '09 who had the same middle name (Dumphrey).

Then again he also bears a physical resemblance (subjective) to Liston. Gallender does claim Wingate was born 5 days before the Patterson bout (which ironically happened on my birthday!) and on his obit, it indeed says Wingate was born September 20th, 1962

I'm actually friends with Lynel and unfortunately he suddenly passed away last month.

 

Yeah I just don't believe that Sonny was near 40 when he fought Ali, people mention how old he looked but look at Tyson when he was a teenager. People do forget too that back then people aged awfully and when assisting that with and possible drug use it's gonna be even worse.

Look at guys like Floyd Mayweather, Wladimir Klitschko, Tom Brady, Bobby Lashley or even an actor like Michael Jai White whose been involved in Martial Arts all his life and never drank or done drugs, he's in his 50's and looks amazing. All those guys aged way better than people back then.

I know William Wingate passed away a few years ago of lung cancer I believe his wife said on a video of him doing stand up, he claimed on a boxing podcast he was an ex gang leader/bouncer.

Wait Lynel Gardner passed away? How come? I only found out who he was about two weeks ago and he did a book on Sonny too and he claimed on YouTube comments that Sonny was born in 1932.

 

Did you ever consider the fact that he may just have said that to promote his book ?!

Assuming this is true, why would his wife say something about it ?!
Don't you think she'd be afraid to speak of it ?!??

Liston considered Ali to be nuts.
And in their rematch he simply took a dive.

IMO that's a bit of a stretch, albeit it's plausible.

 

When you say he took a dive do you mean that in a sense that he quit or he was made to do it?

The NOI's influence isn't exactly what it once was, I highly doubt Liston's wife would of gone all her life without telling someone close.

 

That's very hard to say. It can be like Gallender said, that he was forced, but I'm more inclined to think he did it for the money.

True, but you've got to remember Geraldine was illiterate and came from a poor upbringing, just like Sonny, so she probably thought it's best never to speak about it.

 

The suggestion that the NOI kidnapped Sonny's family so he would lose to Clay/Ali is absurd. They thought Ali was a loudmouth clown who was going to get his ass best and embarrass the Nation so they kept their distance from him. Only Malcolm X had faith in him. Elijah Muhammad didn't. It was only after he upset Liston did they embrace him.

 

You just say that cause you're an Ali fanboy.
I have no idea whether Gallender's story is true or not, but it's certainly more than plausible.

And if they embraced him after he beat Liston, why wouldn't they support him and make sure he wins in a rematch ?!?

 

No need to use ad hominems. We are all friends here. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Can you please produce it? Thank you in advance.

 

I did not mean to insult you by saying you are a fanboy. I am a fanboy too, but of different fighters (Hagler, Tyson), there is nothing wrong with that.
My point was that you cannot conceive something bad about your idol, when in fact it might be true.

I cannot produce it, but I never said I could. All I'm saying is that what Gallender claimed is more than possible/plausible.
If we assume Gallender lied, IMO he could have chosen an easier lie to sell, say for example that Liston did it cause the Mob told him so.
I for one believe that Gallender must have found out some type of clues/proof to base his claims on.