This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/11/2018
A pair of press ticket stubs to two of the greatest fights in boxing history. The first is from the third and final Patterson-Johansson fight. The two men had split their first two bouts, the Swede taking the first fight and title in 1959 and Patterson winning the second one by knockout the next year to regain the heavyweight title. The rubber match was held on March 13, 1961, in Miami. After being floored twice by Johansson, Patterson rebounded to KO the Swede in the 6th round, retaining his belt.
Patterson lost the title the next year to Sonny Liston, which brings us to the second ticket stub in this group: the 1964 Clay-Liston fight. In the run-up to the much anticipated title bout, the brash young Clay baited and demeaned Liston, commissioning a bus with “Liston Must Go in Eight” pained on its sides and even driving to his home at 3am one morning to challenge the champ. Held in Miami on February 25, 1964, Cassius Clay (soon to be Muhammad Ali) dominated the Champ through six rounds. When the bell rang to signal the beginning of the seventh round, Liston gave up both the fight and belt.
The ticket stubs to these two monumental prizefights were issued to the working press. The Patterson-Johansson stub has been graded PSA Poor 1 (MK) and shows heavy toning along with soft edges and creasing. The reverse has “Tommy Garrigan” handwritten in pencil. The Clay-Liston stub is graded PSA VG-EX 4 and shows toning and slight staining throughout with soft edges. Two colorful mementos of boxing history. Both of these ticket stubs are 1 of 1 examples; there are no other graded or even authenticated in the PSA pop report.