"Night Train" was his favorite song.
Appeared in a Santa Claus hat on the cover of the December 1963 edition of Esquire Magazine. The cover was one of the most famous images of the early 1960s, as Liston embodied the fears of White America during the days when Southern police officials had attacked the burgeoning civil rights movement with violence, a violence white Americans feared might be returned onto them. Thus, cloaking the heavyweight champion of the world--the epitome of masculinity and male supremacy--in a Santa Claus hat was the height of irony at the time.
Before he was 18, Liston was convicted of six muggings.
Birth and death both remain mysteries.
Eddie Dooley, chairman of the New York Boxing Commission in the 1960s, said that as long as he was chairman of the commission Sonny Liston would never be granted a license to box in New York State.
First heavyweight title challenger to earn a purse of $1,000,000.
First World Heavyweight Boxing Champion banned from fighting in New York State by the New York Boxing Commission.
Fought in three decades.
General Melvin Krulewitch, chairman of the New York Boxing Commission in the 1950s, refused to issue Liston a license to fight in New York because he was guilty of associating with "questionable" characters.
George Foreman was his sparring partner from 1969 to 1970.
He defeated heavyweight contenders Roy Harris, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen, Cleveland Williams, Mike DeJohn, Henry Clark, and Chuck Wepner.
He had no children of his own.
He had the biggest fist of any heavyweight champion: 15 inches. He was officially knocked out by Muhammad Ali in one minute for the fastest KO in heavyweight history up to that time. Later, films of the fight showed the bout ended at the 1:25 mark.
He was trained by Willie Redish and later by Dick Sadler.
In 1950, Liston was arrested at his apartment at 1006 O'Fallon Street for robbing the Unique Cafe on 1502 Market Street in St. Louis for 37 dollars.
In Michael Mann's Ali, Liston was portrayed by famous boxer Michael Bentt, with whom he shares a strong resemblance.
Inducted into the World Boxing Hall of Fame, 1990.
Introduced to boxing by Father Stevens in the St. Louis City Jail during 1950.
Is mentioned in the song "Swinging" by Tom Petty.
James Ellroy portrayed Sonny Liston as a fight loser, a heroin addict, a black racist, and a Mafia jawbreaker in his novel "The Cold Six Thousand.".