Opening Day Auction Closing May 9th
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/10/2015
After an amazing series of events that led to upstart Cassius Clay “shocking the world” with a victory over Heavyweight Champ Sonny Liston, the two finally stepped back into the ring on May 25, 1965, in tiny Lewiston, Maine. The new champ, who had just joined the Nation of Islam and changed his name to Muhammad Ali, once again stunned the world with a first round punch that was so lightning fast that many to this day believe that Liston took a dive and it has been referred to as “The Phantom Punch.” These three untorn tickets are from that decisive rematch and are in tremendous condition, without so much as a bent corner. Each fighter’s picture is on the ticket – so prominent was this showdown that neither man’s name is listed anywhere on the ticket, they are just labeled as “Champion” and “Challenger” beneath their respective photos. Two tickets (one blue, one orange) are SRO ducats priced at 25 and 50 dollars, while the orange “Arena” seat is marked at $50. Just over 2,400 fans actually attended the fight at St. Dominick’s Arena, which sat just 4,900, so tickets of this nature in any condition are quite rare.