LISTON’S LAST CALL
Sonny cuts up Wepner before his untimely demise, writes George Gigney
IN the steamy, smoke-filled atmosphere of the New Jersey Armory, it looked as though Sonny Liston’s remarkable career was coming to an end.
At 38, he defeated Chuck Wepner by forcing the fight to be stopped on cuts at the end of the ninth round, but he hardly looked like the menacing force he once was when he ruled the heavyweight division.
In December ’69, Liston was flattened in the ninth round by Leotis Martin in Las Vegas, a punishing loss which looked to have spelled the end. However, he returned against Wepner and had been tentatively promised a shot at Jerry Quarry should he win.
By the end of the first round, that looked like a big if. Liston was floored by a right but it was ruled a slip and he was on wobbly legs. However, he roared back, setting Wepner up with stiff jabs before slamming in right hands, drawing blood from Chuck’s mouth.
As the bout wore on, Wepner’s face became a mess and by the ninth his eye was completely closed.
On December 30, 1970, Liston was found dead by his wife Geraldine in their Las Vegas home.