Sonny Liston - Birth Date Controversy

Birth Date Controversy

There is no record of Liston's birth. He once gave an age compatible with his being born in 1928, but is said to be absent from the 1930 United States Census. Listed in the 1940 Census as being born in 1929 or 1930, it has been suggested he may not have known what year he was born. Liston settled on a date of birth of May 8, 1932, for official purposes, but by the time he won the world title an aged appearance added credence to rumors that he was several years older than claimed.

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