Sonny Liston

“The Big Bear”

Boxing · Deceased

50-4-0RECORD

39WINS BY KO / TKO

11WINS BY DECISION

54PRO FIGHTS

Profile

Full name	Charles L. Liston
Nickname	The Big Bear
Date of birth	Not added yet
Died	30 Dec 1970
Nationality	American
Birthplace	Sand Slough, Arkansas, USA
Based in	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Weight classes	Heavyweight
Trainers	Willie Reddish
Height	185 cm (6′1″)
Reach	213 cm (84″)
Stance	Orthodox
Years active	1953–1970
Status	Deceased
Pro debut	2 Sep 1953
Last fight	Win vs Chuck Wepner, 29 Jun 1970

Details on this page were compiled from public information on 8 Oct 2026 (the record is as of that date).

Titles and honours

World heavyweight champion (WBA, NYSAC, The Ring) 1962–1964
Won the heavyweight title by first-round knockout of Floyd Patterson in 1962
Won the inaugural WBC heavyweight title by again beating Patterson in 1963
International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee (1991)

Background

Raised in Arkansas and later based in St. Louis, he turned professional in 1953 and won the heavyweight championship from Floyd Patterson in 1962; his exact birth date is uncertain.

Fight history

54 professional fights. Newest first.

Result	Opponent	Method	Round	Time	Date	Location	Notes
Win	Chuck Wepner	TKO	9	3:00	29 Jun 1970	Jersey City, New Jersey, USA
Loss	Leotis Martin	KO	9	1:08	6 Dec 1969	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	For vacant NABF heavyweight title
Win	Sonny Moore	KO	3		23 Sep 1969	Houston, Texas, USA
Win	George Johnson	TKO	7	2:55	19 May 1969	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Win	Billy Joiner	Decision (unanimous)	10		28 Mar 1969	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Amos Lincoln	KO	2	2:46	10 Dec 1968	Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Win	Roger Rischer	KO	3	2:23	12 Nov 1968	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Willis Earls	KO	2	1:52	3 Nov 1968	Ciudad Juárez, Mexico
Win	Sonny Moore	TKO	3		14 Oct 1968	Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Win	Henry Clark	TKO	7	2:47	6 Jul 1968	Daly City, California, USA
Win	Billy Joiner	TKO (corner retirement)	7	3:00	23 May 1968	Los Angeles, California, USA
Win	Bill McMurray	TKO	4	0:47	16 Mar 1968	Reno, Nevada, USA
Win	Elmer Rush	TKO	6		28 Apr 1967	Stockholm, Sweden
Win	Dave Bailey	KO	1	2:22	30 Mar 1967	Gothenburg, Sweden
Win	Amos Johnson	KO	3	1:48	19 Aug 1966	Gothenburg, Sweden
Win	Gerhard Zech	KO	7	1:11	1 Jul 1966	Stockholm, Sweden
Loss	Muhammad Ali	KO	1	2:12	25 May 1965	Lewiston, Maine, USA	For WBC, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles
Loss	Muhammad Ali	TKO (corner retirement)	6	3:00	25 Feb 1964	Miami Beach, Florida, USA	Lost WBA, WBC, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles
Win	Floyd Patterson	KO	1	2:10	22 Jul 1963	Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	Retained WBA, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles; won inaugural WBC heavyweight title
Win	Floyd Patterson	KO	1	2:06	25 Sep 1962	Chicago, Illinois, USA	Won WBA, NYSAC and Ring heavyweight titles
Win	Albert Westphal	KO	1	1:58	4 Dec 1961	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Howard King	TKO	3	0:53	8 Mar 1961	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Eddie Machen	Decision (unanimous)	12		7 Sep 1960	Seattle, Washington, USA
Win	Zora Folley	KO	3	0:28	18 Jul 1960	Denver, Colorado, USA
Win	Roy Harris	TKO	1	2:35	25 Apr 1960	Houston, Texas, USA
Win	Cleveland Williams	TKO	2	2:13	21 Mar 1960	Houston, Texas, USA
Win	Howard King	TKO (corner retirement)	7	3:00	23 Feb 1960	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Willi Besmanoff	TKO (corner retirement)	6	3:00	9 Dec 1959	Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Win	Niño Valdés	KO	3	0:47	5 Aug 1959	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Cleveland Williams	TKO	3	2:13	15 Apr 1959	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Mike DeJohn	TKO	6	2:43	18 Feb 1959	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Ernie Cab	TKO (corner retirement)	7	3:00	18 Nov 1958	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Bert Whitehurst	Decision (unanimous)	10		24 Oct 1958	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Frankie Daniels	KO	1	2:22	7 Oct 1958	Miami Beach, Florida, USA
Win	Wayne Bethea	TKO	1	1:09	6 Aug 1958	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Julio Mederos	TKO (corner retirement)	2		14 May 1958	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Bert Whitehurst	Decision (points)	10		3 Apr 1958	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Ben Wise	TKO	4		11 Mar 1958	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Billy Hunter	TKO	2		29 Jan 1958	Chicago, Illinois, USA
Win	Marty Marshall	Decision (unanimous)	10		6 Mar 1956	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Larry Watson	TKO	4		13 Dec 1955	East St. Louis, Illinois, USA
Win	Johnny Gray	TKO	6		13 Sep 1955	Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Win	Calvin Butler	TKO	2	2:18	25 May 1955	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Emil Brtko	TKO	5	2:55	5 May 1955	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
Win	Marty Marshall	TKO	6		21 Apr 1955	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Neal Welch	Decision (points)	8		1 Mar 1955	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Loss	Marty Marshall	Decision (split)	8		7 Sep 1954	Detroit, Michigan, USA
Win	Johnny Summerlin	Decision (split)	8		10 Aug 1954	Detroit, Michigan, USA
Win	Johnny Summerlin	Decision (unanimous)	8		29 Jun 1954	Detroit, Michigan, USA
Win	Stanley Howlett	Decision (points)	6		31 Mar 1954	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Martin Lee	TKO	6		25 Jan 1954	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Bennie Thomas	Decision (split)	6		21 Nov 1953	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Ponce de Leon	Decision (points)	4		17 Sep 1953	St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Win	Don Smith	TKO	1	0:33	2 Sep 1953	St. Louis, Missouri, USA