LISTON, SONNY ORIGINAL WIRE PHOTO (1965- ALI FIGHT)

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 Walcoot 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 antique wire photo of Sonny Liston during his physical for this bout.
This antique wire photo of Sonny Liston before his second bout with Muhammad Ali is 7" x 9." There are small creases in the corners and along the left edge. There is a small rip along the bottom and left edges.