For me, Mike Tyson's summary is the best: Sonny Liston was a Champion. No matter what it took for him to get there, what unfathomable obstacles he had to endure and overcome, no matter the naysayers and institutional disadvantages, the rejections, hypocrisies, hangers-on and users, he earned the stature of Champion. Gone too soon; questions about his end still lingering; speculations about his fights against Muhammad Ali -- it all makes for fascinating theorizing. But none of it can take away from the fact that Sonny Liston earned his Championship.

I was 12 years old when I watched the Patterson/Liston fight. In those days we paid $3 to watch the fight in the local movie house. Sonny's story is a "rags to riches to rags" story up til his death. When you watch this movie it all makes sense. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time especially back then. The mob ran boxing in the 50's & 60's & Sonny got involved with the wrong people. He was a champ but at the wrong time in boxing history. It's an interesting watch & story with a half a dozen endings.....