This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/21/2017
On September 15, 1978, former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali found himself at the Superdome in New Orleans trying to win his title back from an upstart boxer named Leon Spinks. Spinks, the 1976 Olympic Heavyweight Champion, had surprised Ali seven months earlier by scoring a 15-round, split decision over the champ in Las Vegas. This time around, the 36-year-old Ali had enough gas left in the tank to stage a 15-round, unanimous decision over the younger, 25-year-old Spinks. Ali would go on to fight just two more times before retiring
First version is a colorful original poster to the World Heavyweight Championship fight between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks on Sept. 15, 1978 held at the Louisiana Super dome in New Orleans. Poster depicts Ali and Spinks atop the Superdome, ready to square off. "Sept. 15, 1978" set to their left and "Spinks vs. Ali" to the right. "SUPERDOME - NEW ORLEANS" printed at bottom. Poster is a size of 18"X23”. This poster has also been signed by the original artist, Sal Navaro, in black ink with a 9 in strength on the bottom right hand side. This poster also has the original stamps “Can’t be reproduced without permission from Sal Navaro Productions”, on the back.
Second, another rare full color poster publicizing the event with both Spinks and Ali illustrated prominently with the foreground showing a Bourbon Street corner with a jazz band playing and the Superdome in the center.