Provenance

(sale, Henry Yee, Ebay.com); Mary and Dan Solomon, Monarch Beach, CA; gift to NGA, 2018.

Associated Names

Inscriptions

on verso, by unknown hand, top left in blue ink underlined: CLAY / BOXING / 4/3/64.; center left Central Press Photos copyright stamp in purple ink perpendicular; center right printed in black ink perpendicular: CASSIUS WINS WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP / P-DPA G3026 26.2.64 / CASSIUS CLAY, 22, WON THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP / AT MIAMI BEACH, BEATING SONNY LISTON, WHO RETIRED FROM / THE CONTEST AND SURRENDERED HIS TITLE AT THE END OF SIX / ROUNDS. DOCTORES [sic], AFTER EXAMINING 12 X-RAY PLATES, DIAGNOSED / TORN TENDON IN THE LEFT SHOULDER OF LISTON. THERE ARE / STILL MANY RUMOURS FLYING ABOUT IN MIAMI. CASSIUS CLAY / [CL]AIMS THAT THERE WAS SOMETHING EITHER IN SONNY'S HAIR, / OR ON HIS GLOVES, WHICH MADE HIS EYES AND FACE BURN. / WHATEVER THE OUTCOME OF THIS CLAIM, THIS FIGHT WILL GO / DOWN IN BOXING HISTORY AS BEING ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING / FIGHTS EVER. / PHOTO SHOWS: / ONE OF CLAY'S [underlined in blue ink] SECONDS UNSUCCESSFULLY TRIES / TO RESTRAIN THE NEW CHAMPION AS HE RUSHES ACROSS THE RING / AFTER HIS VICTORY TO YELL TO THE RINGSIDE REPORTERS "EAT" / YOUR WORDS".