Awesome LeRoy Neiman "Fight of the Century" poster signed by the late renowned artist himself. "The Fight of the Century" was the promotional nickname given to the first boxing match between World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier (26-0, 23 KO's) and challenger Muhammad Ali (31-0, 25 KO's), held on March 8, 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The fight lived up to every bit of the hype, as it went the distance. Ali dominated early before Frazier came on strong in the later rounds. By the 11th, most had the fight scored even. By the 14th, Frazier was ahead on all three judges' cards. In the 15th, Frazier landed a tremendous left hook that brought Ali to the canvas. Ali, his right jaw swollen grotesquely, jumped up quickly and managed to stay on his feet for the rest of the round despite continued punishment from Frazier. Ultimately, Frazier retained the title by unanimous decision, dealing Ali his first professional loss.
The powerful 24" by 36" poster depicts Muhammad Ali (without gloves) face-to-face with champion Joe Frazier (wearing gloves). The top reads "JOE FRAZIER vs. MUHAMMAD ALI - WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN / MAR. 8, 1971". The poster is one of two given to the consignor as a personal gift by the artist (see photo of them together in Neiman's apartment). It is mounted on acid free foam backing with a beautiful acid free mat border and features a personal signature found in the lower-right corner above LeRoy Neiman's facsimile signature, which has been covered by the matting. The 8/10 black pen signature reads "To David - LeRoy Neiman '98". Overall, the poster is in good condition, with creasing from how it was stored folded up. Other than that, the only blemish is a small 1-2" tear to the top right of Ali's head. It still frames beautifully and is truly a rare find in Neiman's Muhammad Ali portfolio.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.
Note about consignor: David Kohn is the nephew of the late Marvin Kohn, who served as Deputy Commissioner of Boxing in New York for 38 years (1951-1989). Marvin's list of associates and friends during his career included virtually the who's who of boxing, from Ali, Frazier, Angelo Dundee and George Foreman, to Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Floyd Patterson and Marvin Hagler. When Kohn died in 1994, Ali wrote, "I don't remember the first time I met Marvin Kohn. It seems I always knew him...He made everyone feel special. I'm sorry he's gone." Upon his passing, the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) named an award after him. "The Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award" is given each year to a special contributor to the sport of boxing. Past winners include Marvin's close friends Foreman, Gerry Cooney and, of course, LeRoy Neiman.