April 2020 Autographs, Collectibles & Memorabilia Auction - Ends Thursday, April 30th

Lot #7:

Muhammad Ali & Joe Frazier Dual Signed Original 1971 Closed-Circuit Fight Poster (JSA)

In 1971, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier met for the first battle in their legendary trilogy of fights. Known as “The Fight of the Century”, this fight was the first contest between undefeated boxers vying for the heavyweight title belt. In a grueling 15-round fight at Madison Square Garden, Frazier was named the victor by unanimous decision after scoring a knockdown against Ali in the final round. Frazier and Ali would go on to fight twice more, in Ali-Frazier II and the “Thrilla in Manila”, with Ali winning each fight.

This historic poster from their first fight on March 8, 1971 is for a closed-circuit television viewing of the fight, which bills the fight as the “Battle of Champions”. This poster measures 14" x 22". Both Ali and Frazier have signed this poster in bold black marker, signing their names on the white space above the portraits of the two mythic fighters. Poster exhibits some light handling wear along the lower edges and some light creasing in the lower right quadrant, none of which detracts from the poster's overall fine appearance. Accompanied by a full Letter of Authenticity from James Spence Authentication (JSA).