Sonny Liston's age?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by SolomonDeedes, Apr 2, 2022.


  1. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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    I agree. I was referring to Liston's 1922/1923 birthyear. 2 days ago, You would've been laughed off the forum and gaslighted by Enta for suggesting such a thing.
     
    Last edited: Apr 2, 2022
  2. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Oh i agree with that part, certainly.
     
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  3. Pat M

    Pat M Well-Known Member Full Member

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  4. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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  5. swagdelfadeel

    swagdelfadeel Obsessed with Boxing

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  6. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Sensational stuff. Thanks Solomon.

    I had a feeling it might present further questions and possibly more questions than it answered. But still….wow. Geraldine was born in 1925, if this is correct, then Sonny now becomes 2 years her senior. I’ll link this mugshot to muse on:-

    https://childofthesixtiesforeverandever.blogspot.com/2009/08/sonny-liston.html?m=1

    Not 100%, but I think this relates to Liston’s 1956 arrest - if wrong, please correct.

    Now I could only find this earlier mugshot in a video, not as an independent still image - this I believe is related to the arrest in 1950, the arrest number matching the FBI files.

    This content is protected


    @swagdelfadeel kindly linked a contemporary article previously reporting Liston’s age as 22 as at the 1950 arrest.

    I could be wrong and I haven’t actually sighted the record in question, but I’ve read/heard the police record in question actually recorded Liston’s age as 20 -

    Anything wrong here, please correct.

    So, some 50 years after his passing, Liston’s age is still very much a hot topic. Is it possible that we could actually be coming up to Sonny’s 100th birthday next year or is it this year? If this YOB regression trend continues - Sonny’s going to end up looking ridiculously good for his age. ;)

    Thanks, excellent resource from 1963.

    Just one thing, if Liston did spar Galento back in Two Ton’s fighting days - you might’ve assumed that he would’ve mentioned it in tandem with his estimate re Liston’s age. Do we know if the sparring rumours emanated from Tony himself or from another source? That’d be interesting to know but perhaps hard to track down.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2022
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  7. Letseatshitfordinner

    Letseatshitfordinner New Member banned Full Member

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    I'm starting to think there was nothing sordid after all about Sonny's death--he simply died of old age. :dunno
     
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  8. Chuck1052

    Chuck1052 Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Sonny Liston probably had not been born before July 1930. His brother, Curtis, was only six months old when the Liston family was enumerated in the 1930 U.S. Census on April 8, 1930. Sonny was not enumerated. If that information is true, Curtis was born during the previous September or October. If Curtis and Sonny had the same mother, Curtis probably was at least nine months older than Sonny.

    - Chuck Johnston
     
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  9. SolomonDeedes

    SolomonDeedes Active Member Full Member

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    Liston certainly looks pretty youthful in the earlier mugshot. For a verified early pic, here's one from his brief amateur career in early 1953.

    https://pasteboard.co/ALbwdong3Vhq.jpg

    My guess is that the story about Liston sparring with Galento came about because someone confused his quotes about Liston's age with a quote by Ezzard Charles. Agreeing with Galento that Liston was older than claimed, Charles said that he had sparred with Liston himself before he became champion, which would mean in 1949 at the latest.

    https://pasteboard.co/bhewR9eYnBQB.jpg

    Before anyone gets excited about that, Charles stated during the same year (1963) that he had sparred with Liston "seven, eight years ago" and another time that he had sparred with him while preparing for his fight with Wes Bascom, which would be ten years ago. It seems like Charles was just a bit fuzzy on the details.

    https://pasteboard.co/pH72N9QEYM57.jpg
     
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  10. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

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    Good work!
     
  11. Barrf

    Barrf Boxing Addict Full Member

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    I love the mystery around his age. It adds to his legend.

    Was he known to have habits that age you early? Smoking (I'd assume cigars and not cigarettes) and drinking? I'm sure all the sun he got working in the field as a kid didn't help. Kind of odd to see a fit black man look OLDER than he's supposed to have been; they usually end up looking much younger than they actually are.
     
    Last edited: Apr 3, 2022
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  12. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Thanks Solomon, very much appreciated!

    I agree, Liston does look quite youthful in the earlier mugshot.
     
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  13. William Walker

    William Walker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    There never needs to be another post on this, ever again.
     
  14. djanders

    djanders Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Great find, Solomon!
     
  15. Dubblechin

    Dubblechin Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Christ. Not this again.

    Tony Galento claimed he (Galento) JUST TURNED 29 when he fought Joe Louis ... but Tony Galento thinks Liston looked 40?

    We're supposed to believe that bald fat sack of **** Galento just turned 29 when he challenged for the title, but Liston was "really" 40, because Galento thought so?

    https://www.boxingonly.net/users/images/high/tony-galento.png

    Give me a break.

    Show a woman a picture of Tony Galento when he fought Louis and a picture of Sonny Liston when he fought Patterson, and ask her which guy she thinks is 29?

    All of a sudden, Liston doesn't look so old.
     
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