ALI, MUHAMMAD-SONNY LISTON II LARGE FORMAT WIRE PHOTO (1965-1ST ROUND)

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. Offered here is an original, large format, wire photo depicting early action during this bout.
This is an original, large format wire photo with the Associated Press stamp on back and caption on the front. Bold, clear image. Clean. Crease in upper left corner. Edge and corner wear with small tear on lower border (with no paper loss). 11" x 14."