This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/8/2013
For a man who was portrayed in literally thousands of the top boxing live-action photographs ever taken, it's also worth remembering that Muhammad Ali was also the master of the staged pre-fight imagery that was used to promote epic matches that in hindsight would have seemed to promote themselves. In this marvelous 20-by-16-inch black-and-white, Ali is pictured ostensibly fleeing from a pursuing Ken Norton. The traditionally meticulous preparation for these hammy photo ops whiffed in one small detail, leaving an already-classic piece of photography with a hilarious nuance: both fighters are in street shoes, and as the photo shoes, street shoes in the giddy 1970's were a sight to behold. Ali has added a striking blue Sharpie autograph to the left side of the photo. Comes with Certificates of Authenticity from PSA/DNA and additionally carries Ali's own hologram in the lower-right corner.