Sonny Liston: The Champ Nobody Wanted

An ＂unauthorized＂ yet sympathetic biography, by a prominent African-American sportswriter (A.S. ＂Doc＂ Young), of the heavyweight boxing champion who was famous for being infamous. Written in 1963 shortly after Sonny Liston took the title away from then-champ Floyd Patterson with a stunning first-round knockout on September 25, 1962, this biography takes a look at Liston’s long ascent to the pinnacle of boxing.

Liston had to overcome a hard and unguided childhood which led him into extensive criminal activity (he served a two-year prison sentence for armed robbery in the early 1950s), and his boxing career was clouded by persistent links to organized crime, as well as the perception (right or wrong), that he was an ’unsavory’ character.

His battles both in and out of the ring can be taken in a new context within today’s current society. His struggles with the law and the constant harassment he had to undergo, early on and even lasting later in his life are unfortunately a story that still resonates today.