ALI, MUHAMMAD-SONNY LISTON II WIRE PHOTO (1965)

On May 25, 1965 World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali defended his title for the first time against the man he had won it from a little over a year earlier, Sonny Liston, in one of the great upsets in boxing history. This fight was originally slated for Boston, but delayed due to an injury and moved to the unlikely setting of Lewiston, Maine. The fight ended in the first round. Ali landed what many observers coined a phantom punch to put Liston away while a confused referee Jersey Joe Walcott lost track of the count. Many people insisted the fight was thrown by Liston, long known to have mob ties, but Ali defended the punch that ended it. That controversy lives on to this day. Presented here is an original wirephoto from the fight depicting Liston ducking down after being hit by Ali.
This is an original black and white wirephoto with the wire service stamp on the reverse and the caption on the front. There are two very slight creases along the right border. Otherwise, this photo has no other flaws and is clean with a very sharp image. Unusual shot that is seldom seen from the fight. 7 3/4" x 9 1/4".