Sonny Liston: The Mysterious Life and Death of a Champion

Everybody knows who Mike Tyson is, but before there was Iron Mike, there was Sonny Liston. Sonny Liston made Mike Tyson seem like a school girl. Liston was big, mean, tough and controlled by the mob. He started from a poor and harsh upbringing and eventually became Heavyweight Champ of the World. However, being champ did not end his troubles, in a way, they just started. Fascinating look at a very interesting life.

I'm a big boxing fan and a great fan of former world heavyweight boxing champion Charles "Sonny" Liston. However, after viewing this documentary, I felt it left more questions than answers.

I found it strange that none of Sonny Liston's brothers or sisters were interviewed. No mention was made of the career of "Sailor" Liston who was fighting some 10 years before; was it Sonny or as some say his uncle. No mention was made of his step-daughter.

The controversy of Liston's birth-date was slightly addressed, as was his comeback following the Ali defeats. As for his death, it left no clear cut answers.

I enjoyed this film, but it left me scratching my head, hoping for a follow-up.

Whenever I watch this film, I think about how much Liston's life parallels Mike Tyson's life. Sonny Liston was probably the most intimidating fighter in the history of boxing. This film definitely shows how Liston, who started out as an illiterate thug for the mob, rose to become world champion. It also shows how he was constantly harassed by the police and how the mob had him under their control. And another aspect of the film was how it showed that Liston had very few friends, just hangers on who never really cared for his best interests, much like the people around Mike Tyson. Sonny Liston should have dominated the fight game for many years. Too bad his demons got the better of him leading to his tragic death eight years after he defeated Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title and this film really drives that point home.