Spring Premier Auction 2013
Wed, Apr 10, 2013 08:00PM EDT - Mon, Apr 29, 2013 12:00AM EDT
Timed Auction
Lot 955
THE MOST FAMOUS PHOTOGRAPH OF MUHAMMAD ALI, TOWERING TRIUMPHANTLY OVER SONNY LISTON - ONE OF ONLY 350 SIGNED BY BOTH ALI AND PHOTOGRAPHER NEIL LEIFER
Sold for
$5,026.80
Sold Price includes BP
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $200 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $3,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $30,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
| $200,000 | $25,000 |
| $500,000 | $50,000 |
| $1,000,000 | $100,000 |
| $1,500,000 | $150,000 |
The finest example printed of the most famous sports image of all time shows Muhammad Ali towering over a knocked-out Sonny Liston during their May 25 1965 championship match. This exceptional piece is number 65 of a Limited Edition of 350 copies signed by Ali and famed photographer Neil Leifer.
Ali was a heavy underdog when he met Sonny Liston for the heavyweight championship on February 25 1964 at Miami Beach FL but he won the fight when Liston failed to come out for the 8th round claiming a shoulder injury. In the very first minute of the first round of their May 25 1965 rematch at Lewiston ME Ali knocked Liston out with a punch that few observers even saw and only photographer Neil Leifer managed to capture the moment perfectly. Leifer is among the most heralded sports photographers of the modern era his work having appeared on more than 200 Sports Illustrated Time and People magazine covers the most covers ever published of one photographers work in Time Inc. history. He has photographed his favorite subject Muhammad Ali on almost 60 different occasions in addition more than 20 private photo sessions with the champ. This piece represents Leifers quintessential work. When Sports Illustrated published its special issue The Centurys Greatest Sports Photos this photograph was used as the cover. This image represents the way people want to remember Ali: strength confidence and braggadocio (Leifer). Sports photography is a matter of being in the right place. Youve got to be in the right seat. A great example is the Liston-Ali picture. The photographer you see between Alis legs is Herbie Scharfman the other Sports Illustrated photographer. It didnt make a difference how good he was that night. He was obviously in the wrong seat. What the good sports photographer does is when it happens and youre in the right place you dont miss (Leifer interviewed by Larry Berman). The visible image area measures 20 by 21. Exquisitely framed to museum standards with overall dimensions of 33 by 34. A similar example of this photo from the same series sold for $17365 in our Fall 2012 auction.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.
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