Sport: Man with a Sock

The massive-shouldered Negro looked like just another pug until he stung his man with a left to the belly in the third round. Then Sonny Liston came alive. A left hook to the head made big Nino Valdes drop his gloves; a right cross dumped him on the floor, his eyes glazed. It was Liston’s 18th victory in a row, and his 25th in 26 pro fights.

Liston is one of 25 children born to an Arkansas farmer and his two wives. At twelve, Liston had an argument with his father, ran away to live with his mother in St. Louis. He later landed in jail after helping to hold up a restaurant. There Liston learned to read, met a chaplain who interested him in boxing. Liston studied Joe Louis’ My Life Story by the hour, soon was prison champion, emerged to win the intercity Golden Gloves heavyweight championship in 1953.

At 27, Liston has power to spare (6 ft. 1 in., 211 lbs.), plus a pair of fast hands that can nail a chin with a kayo punch (16 knockouts). Liston also has links to boxing’s underworld; e.g.. Blinky Palermo of Philadelphia’s gangland was once arrested carrying some of Liston’s receipted bills. Whatever his connections, many boxing buffs see Liston as the U.S.’s most promising challenger for Sweden’s Johansson, even though Liston has so far fought only second-raters. With future title fights snarled by legal difficulties. Liston has no assurance when—if ever—he will meet Johansson, or, for that matter, Floyd Patterson. But Liston is properly confident. “I don’t think Johansson can punch,” says he. “I know Patterson would never get up the second time if I caught him.”