This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/4/2021
After his shocking victory over Sonny Liston on Miami Beach with a skillset unlike any predecessor, Ali would set the boxing world on fire and fans clamored for a rematch. The second fight would be booked and hyped like no other and the two behemoths were quickly set on a collision course to meet at the Boston Garden. As the fight approached promoters became concerned with the close mob connections with the fight promoters which ultimately lead the Suffolk County District Attorney Garrett Byrne to file an injunction to block the massive event. The event planners were quickly swept into a frenzy to find a new venue and ended up settling on a junior hockey rink in the small Maine town of Lewiston. The fight and its new venue quickly became one of the most controversial events in boxing history, overshadowing a long list of other scandals of the sport’s checkered past.
Featured is an on-site poster for the original venue of Ali vs. Liston II. A beautiful gem that has no shortage of advanced boxing collector’s clamoring for a shot at hanging this historic relic at home. The framed piece presents NM and has some expected surface wear along with some typical moisture spots and warping throughout. Afterall, this piece was likely posted outside for a period in its early existence. The vibrant colors pop and the historic imagery of Ali and Liston is unmatched by most any early boxing promotional materials. The poster’s outsized dimensions are 22x28” and represent one of the most important fights in the sport’s history.