This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/4/2017
Presented here is a $30 full unused ticket to the World Heavyweight Championship Fight between Champion Jack Johnson and challenger and former retired champion Jim Jeffries held in Reno, Nevada on July 4, 1910. The day after Christmas in 1908 Johnson had taken the heavyweight crown by giving Tommy Burns one of the most one-sided beatings ever witnessed in a title fight to become the first African-American champ. Thus began the public outcry for a "Great White Hope" to defeat Johnson and retake the title.
In 1909 Johnson knocked out Stanley Ketchel and now would get his chance to face the former undefeated champ in the ring. At that point Jeffries had become an alfalfa farmer who had bloated to almost 300 pounds since his retirement six years earlier. By the time of the 2010 Fourth of July fight, he had lost over 70 pounds. He managed to stay with the better conditioned Johnson for the first few rounds. Johnson started to gain the edge in the 6th and continued to build up momentum in the 100+ degree heat. Jeffries was known for his ability to absorb punishment and managed to stay with him. In the 14th, Johnson knocked Jeffries to the canvas three times, the first time the former champ had ever been knocked down in his career. Finally, Jeffries' camp threw in the towel and Johnson retained his World Championship title.
The full ticket itself has fairly clean surfaces with VG to VG-EX looking corners. Both printing and photographic images are good quality. PSA has given it a Fair 1.5 assessment, which surprises us considering its Good to Very Good appearance. Regardless, it survives as an outstanding memento from one of the most historic fights in boxing history. It is one of only eight full examples in the entire PSA registry.