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Sonny Liston

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Boxer

The Resume

    (May 7, 1932-December 30, 1970)
    Heavyweight Champion of the World (1962-1964)

Why he might be annoying:

    He was sent to prison for Armed Robbery
    He got into a fight with a policeman in St. Louis, breaking the cop's leg and sent to prison again in 1957.
    He was connected to mobsters during his boxing career.
    He urinated on a poster of Muhammad Ali in public.
    He gave up the Heavyweight title to Muhammad Ali after Ali out-classed him in their first fight.
    He claimed his shoulder was injured causing him to quit in his corner.
    He stayed down for a 10 count off a weak punch in a rematch with Ali, figuring that he might as well end it as quick as he could.
    He was described as 'probably one of the most illiterate top performers in modern boxing. He was a mental deficient, hardly able to read and write.'
    He inspired George Foreman and Mike Tyson.
    He was a big bully.
    He was born Charles Liston in Arkansas to Tobe Liston and his wife Helen. The exact day or year of birth is not known. He later had to give a date to get a boxing licence. He settled on May 8, 1932 but it is quite likely he was older.
    He has a menacing scowl that intimidated opponents.
    He grew up thinking criminals were great people.
    He died from a heroin overdose.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He learned to box in Prison thanks to the prison's priest.
    He found that he had naturally devastating power and he cleaned up the prison boxing circuit. He nearly beat one opponent to death and he dethroned the jail's reigning heavyweight hardman to cheers from the three thousand inmates watching.
    His childhood was a tough one and had no schooling but plenty of work in the fields.
    His father was a brutal man who beat Sonny and believed he should work for the family and not go to school.
    When he won the title he was expecting a heroes welcome in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia but he stepped off the plane to find the airport deserted.
    He was born into a family of 24 brothers and sisters.
    He loved children.
    He was avoided by champion Floyd Patterson and labeled as undeserving of a title shot because of his bad character and background. When he was finally given a chance at the crown in 1962, he cleaned up Patterson without breaking a sweat.
    The coroner concluded that Sonny had died from natural causes, but the fact that heroin and marijuana were found in the flat and needle marks were discovered on his arms have led substantial mystery to his demise, others believe he was dabbling in drugs and took an overdose. But Liston had a terrific fear of needles and many find it difficult to believe that he could inject himself.
    He boxed Davy Jones in the movie 'Head'
    He wasn't that bad compared to Tyson.

Credit: Falken


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 50 Votes: 34.00% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 300 Votes: 22.00% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 2217 Votes: 51.01% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 934 Votes: 32.01% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 91 Votes: 47.25% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 137 Votes: 49.64% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1927 Votes: 13.70% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 42 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 117 Votes: 63.25% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 206 Votes: 60.19% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 8317 Votes: 50.64% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 25871 Votes: 38.65% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 8075 Votes: 28.26% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 30 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 3744 Votes: 43.54% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 3717 Votes: 37.83% Annoying
    In 2008, Out of 30 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2007, Out of 76 Votes: 52.63% Annoying
    In 2006, Out of 160 Votes: 48.12% Annoying
    In 2005, Out of 224 Votes: 61.16% Annoying
    In 2004, Out of 292 Votes: 57.88% Annoying
    In 2003, Out of 632 Votes: 61.08% Annoying
    In 2002, Out of 1733 Votes: 55.63% Annoying