The Murder of Sonny Liston

An in-depth examination into the murder of the former Heavyweight Champion Sonny Liston and a portrait of mob-ruled 1970s Las Vegas that is as gripping as any noir fiction.

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Sonny Liston was a legend, described by Mike Tyson as "the baddest man boxing ever produced". From veteran sports reporter Shaun Assael, The Murder of Sonny Liston is a gripping, intense examination of the former Heavyweight Champion's death in mob-ruled 1970s Las Vegas.

'The Murder of Sonny Liston is a classic of the genre' – Daily Mail

On January 5th 1971, former heavyweight champion Sonny Liston was found dead at his Las Vegas home.

Liston’s death, labelled an overdose, has long hung over Las Vegas and the boxing world, leaving unanswered questions about his ties to mob kingpins, drug lords, billionaire hoteliers and powerful promoters.

Against the backdrop of the pivotal era in the history of Las Vegas when the mob turned a sleep desert oasis into a gambling paradise, Shaun Assael's The Murder of Sonny Liston is both a riveting murder hunt and a stunning portrait of a city that was home to the Rat Pack, race riots and glittering high-rises along the strip.

'Shaun Assael has delved deeper into Liston's mysterious death than anybody and come up with sensational results' – Nigel Collins, former editor-in-chief of The Ring