Heavyweight · United States
Sonny Liston 53-4-0 40 KO · 1953–1970
Photo: Stanley Weston, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Sonny Liston was a heavyweight boxer from United States, born 1930. Record 53-4-0 with 40 knockouts over 1953–1970. World titles: WBC heavyweight (1963–1964), WBA heavyweight (1962–1964). Sonny Liston last fought Chuck Wepner on Jun 29, 1970 and won by TKO in round 9 of 10.
Also: Σόνι Λίστον · Сони Листон · Сони Листън +17 more Сонни Листон · Соні Лістон · סוני ליסטון · سانی لیستون · سونى ليستون · سوني ليستون · सोनी लिस्टन · સોની લિસ્ટન · სონი ლისტონი · ソニー・リストン · 桑尼·利斯頓 · 桑尼·利斯顿 · 索尼·里斯頓 · 소니 리스턴 · Charles "Sonny" Liston · Charles L. Liston · Charles Liston
Born 1930
Died Dec 30, 1970
Country 🇺🇸 United States
Stance Orthodox
Height 185 cm
Reach 213.5 cm
Nickname The Big Bear
Debut Sep 2, 1953
Career 1953–1970
Rounds boxed 271
KO share 75%
Born in Sand Slough, Arkansas, U.S.
Titles WBA, WBC heavyweight · 1962–1964
Boxerbook rating 2059 ± 299 · inactive since Jun 1970Why here › Confirmed bouts 8 of 57
Career record Record
53-4-0, 40 KOs · 1953–1970
Last result W
TKO 9/10 · National Guard Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, 🇺🇸
The record 57 bouts, 1953–1970, newest first. Records under each bout are both boxers going in.
Bouts by source: English Wikipedia · 54, Wikipedia (ja) · 54, Wikipedia (ru) · 54
W
TKO 9/10 · National Guard Armory, Jersey City, New Jersey, 🇺🇸
Liston 52-4-0 · Wepner —
L
For vacant NABF heavyweight title KO 9/12 · Las Vegas Hilton, Winchester, 🇺🇸
Liston 52-3-0 · Martin 30-5-0
W
Sonny Moore
KO 3/10 · Coliseum, Houston, 🇺🇸
Liston 51-3-0 · Moore —
W
TKO 7/10 · Convention Center, Winchester, 🇺🇸
Liston 50-3-0 · Johnson —
W
UD 10/10 · Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 49-3-0 · Joiner —
W
Amos Lincoln
KO 2/10 · Civic Center, Baltimore, Maryland, 🇺🇸
Liston 48-3-0 · Lincoln —
W
Roger Rischer
KO 3/10 · Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, 🇺🇸
Liston 47-3-0 · Rischer —
W
Willis Earls
KO 2/10 · Plaza de Toros, Ciudad Juárez, 🇲🇽
Liston 46-3-0 · Earls —
W
Sonny Moore
TKO 3/10 · Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, Arizona, 🇺🇸
Liston 45-3-0 · Moore —
W
Henry Clark
TKO 7/10 · Cow Palace, Daly City, California, 🇺🇸
Liston 44-3-0 · Clark —
W
RTD 7/10 · Grand Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, 🇺🇸
Liston 43-3-0 · Joiner —
W
Bill McMurray
TKO 4/10 · Centennial Coliseum, Reno, Nevada, 🇺🇸
Liston 42-3-0 · McMurray —
W
Elmer Rush
TKO 6/10 · Johanneshov, Stockholm, 🇸🇪
Liston 41-3-0 · Rush —
W
KO 1/10 · Mässhallen, Gothenburg, 🇸🇪
Liston 40-3-0 · Bailey —
W
Amos Johnson
KO 3/10 · Nya Ullevi, Gothenburg, 🇸🇪
Liston 39-3-0 · Johnson —
W
KO 7/10 · Johanneshov, Stockholm, 🇸🇪
Liston 38-3-0 · Zech —
L
For WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles KO 1/15 · St. Dominic's Hall, Lewiston, Maine, 🇺🇸
Liston 38-2-0 · Ali 20-0-0
L
Lost WBA, WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles RTD 6/15 · Convention Center, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 38-1-0 · Ali 19-0-0
W
Retained WBA, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles KO 1/15 · Las Vegas Convention Center, Winchester, Nevada, 🇺🇸
Liston 37-1-0 · Patterson 38-3-0
W
Won WBA, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight titles KO 1/15 · Comiskey Park, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 36-1-0 · Patterson 38-2-0
Show all 57 bouts W
KO 1/10 · Convention Hall, Philadelphia, 🇺🇸
Liston 35-1-0 · Westphal —
W
Howard King
10 · Auditorium, Miami, 🇺🇸
Liston 34-1-0 · King —
W
TKO 3/10 · Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 33-1-0 · King —
W
UD 12/12 · Sick's Stadium, Seattle, Washington, 🇺🇸
Liston 32-1-0 · Machen —
W
KO 3/12 · Coliseum, Denver, Colorado, 🇺🇸
Liston 31-1-0 · Folley —
W
TKO 1/10 · Coliseum, Houston, 🇺🇸
Liston 30-1-0 · Harris —
W
TKO 2/10 · Coliseum, Houston, Texas, 🇺🇸
Liston 29-1-0 · Williams 49-3-1
W
RTD 7/10 · Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 28-1-0 · King —
W
RTD 6/10 · Cleveland Arena, Cleveland, Ohio, 🇺🇸
Liston 27-1-0 · Besmanoff —
W
KO 3/10 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 26-1-0 · Valdez 47-17-3
W
TKO 3/10 · Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 25-1-0 · Williams 47-2-1
W
Mike DeJohn
TKO 6/10 · Exhibition Hall, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 24-1-0 · DeJohn —
W
Ernie Cab
RTD 7/10 · Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, 🇺🇸
Liston 23-1-0 · Cab —
W
Bert Whitehurst
UD 10/10 · St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 22-1-0 · Whitehurst —
W
Frankie Daniels
KO 1/10 · Municipal Auditorium, Miami Beach, Florida, 🇺🇸
Liston 21-1-0 · Daniels —
W
Wayne Bezy
10 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 18-1-0 · Bezy —
W
Wayne Beseara
TKO 7
Liston 18-1-0 · Beseara —
W
Wayne Bethea
TKO 1/10 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 18-1-0 · Bethea —
W
Julio Mederos
RTD 2/10 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 17-1-0 · Mederos —
W
Bert Whitehurst
PTS 10/10 · Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 16-1-0 · Whitehurst —
W
Ben Wise
TKO 4/8 · Midwest Gymnasium, Chicago, 🇺🇸
Liston 15-1-0 · Wise —
W
Billy Hunter
TKO 2/6 · Chicago Stadium, Chicago, Illinois, 🇺🇸
Liston 14-1-0 · Hunter —
W
UD 10/10 · Pittsburgh Gardens, Pittsburgh, 🇺🇸
Liston 13-1-0 · Marshall —
W
Larry Watson
TKO 4/10 · Alnad Shriner Temple, East St. Louis, Illinois, 🇺🇸
Liston 12-1-0 · Watson —
W
Johnny Gray
TKO 6/10 · Victory Field, Indianapolis, Indiana, 🇺🇸
Liston 11-1-0 · Gray —
W
Calvin Butler
TKO 2/8 · St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 10-1-0 · Butler —
W
Emil Brtko
TKO 5/10 · Duquesne Gardens, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 🇺🇸
Liston 9-1-0 · Brtko —
W
TKO 6/8 · Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 8-1-0 · Marshall —
W
Neal Welch
PTS 8/8 · New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 7-1-0 · Welch —
L
SD 8/8 · Motor City Arena, Detroit, 🇺🇸
Liston 7-0-0 · Marshall —
W
Johnny Summerlin
SD 8/8 · Motor City Arena, Detroit, 🇺🇸
Liston 6-0-0 · Summerlin —
W
Johnny Summerlin
UD 8/8 · Motor City Arena, Detroit, Michigan, 🇺🇸
Liston 5-0-0 · Summerlin —
W
Stanley Howlett
PTS 6/6 · St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 4-0-0 · Howlett —
W
Martin Lee
TKO 6/6 · New Masonic Temple, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 3-0-0 · Lee —
W
Bennie Thomas
SD 6/6 · Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 2-0-0 · Thomas —
W
Ponce de Leon
PTS 4/4 · Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, 🇺🇸
Liston 1-0-0 · Leon —
W
Don Smith
TKO 1/4 · St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, Missouri, 🇺🇸
Liston 0-0-0 · Smith —
Ratings now Not in any current ranking.
World titles
Facts
What is Sonny Liston's record? Sonny Liston's professional record is 53-4-0 with 40 knockouts.
Who did Sonny Liston fight last? Sonny Liston last fought Chuck Wepner on Jun 29, 1970 and won by TKO in round 9 of 10.
Which world titles has Sonny Liston held? Sonny Liston has held 2 world title reigns: WBC heavyweight (1963–1964), WBA heavyweight (1962–1964). Sources Boxerbook ID 10475 · permanent link boxerbook.com/id/10475 . Wikidata (CC0), English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA), photo from Wikimedia Commons. Last fetched: 2026-10-12. Spot a mistake? Every bout page has a link to report it.
