This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/11/2013
This is certainly one of the most iconic boxing photos extant. A very young and ferocious Muhammad Ali towers over a prostrate Sonny Liston during their May 25, 1965, championship match. This exceptional piece is signed by Ali in bold gold Sharpie precisely in the middle of the photo.
Ali was a heavy underdog when he met Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship on February 25, 1964, at Miami Beach, FL, but he won the fight when Liston failed to come out for the 8th round, claiming a shoulder injury. In the very first minute of the first round of their May 25, 1965, rematch at Lewiston, ME, Ali knocked Liston out with a punch that few observers even saw, and only photographer Neil Leifer managed to capture the moment perfectly. Leifer is among the most heralded sports photographers of the modern era, his work having appeared on more than 200 Sports Illustrated, Time and People magazine covers, the most covers ever published of one photographer’s work in Time, Inc. history. He has photographed his favorite subject, Muhammad Ali, on almost 60 different occasions in addition more than 20 private photo sessions with the champ. This piece represents Leifer’s quintessential work. The photograph is in essentially Nr-Mt and problem-free condition.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.