St. Louis Sentinel
Feburary 22, 1958
Liston Returns to Ring in April
Boxing Commission Restores License
By Billy McKeever
Heavyweight slugger Charles "Sonny" Liston won another crucial victory outside of the boxing ring when the Missouri Boxing Commission restored his license to fight professionally.
Liston, had been serving a five year prison term, was granted a conditional release last week by the state's parole board. He had served more than a year in the Missouri penitentiary after his conviction on charges of assualting a law enforcement officer.
Liston's last fight was nearly two years ago when he haulted Chicago's Marty Marshall, avenging the only loss in his fifteen bout career.
His opponent will be former California state heavyweight champion Andy Walker who lasted nine rounds with Joe Louis in 1951. A veteran of the ring, Walker has been inactive for the past year and sports a record of seventeen wins against nineteen losses. He has stopped eight of his opponents.
The two will meet in an eight round contest at the Kiel Auditorium on April 17th as the main event on a full boxing card.
Under the current conditions of Liston's control, he is prohibited from leaving the state. His attorneys, however, are in the process of petitioning the parole board to rescind the restriction on the claims that it seriously restricts Liston's ability to pursue a career as a professional boxer.
It is expected that the parole board will render an opinion on the matter in early May.