Muhammad Ali was known as “The Greatest,” not just as a boxer, but among athletes the world over. That’s quite an honor. On September 29th, 1977, Ali entered the ring at Madison Square Garden, the cathedral of boxing, to defend his heavyweight title against Earnie Shavers, one of the greatest knockout artists in heavyweight boxing history. Pre-fight, Ali dubbed Shavers “The Acorn,” due to his shaved, bald head. The “Acorn” almost felled the big oak tree, as Shavers and Ali fought a fifteen-round slugfest, with Ali earning a unanimous decision. Authentic Ali memorabilia is highly sought-after and much prized, and this piece is no exception, a champion in the heavyweight division of collectibles, because: 1) It features Muhammad Ali’s name and likeness. 2) It was a world heavyweight championship fight. 3) The fight took place at Madison Square Garden. 4) The poster is autographed by Earnie Shavers, the challenger. 5) Shavers added the inscription, “Ali said, ‘Shavers hit me so hard it shook my kinfolk in Africa.’” 6) The undercard, listed on the poster, featured two all-time great boxing champions, Alexis Arguello and Vito Antuofermo, as well as Ali’s previous conquest, Alfredo Evangelista and World Light Heavyweight champion, Mike Rossman. This gallery piece offers a dark, wood frame, 27” H X 23” W, and features black matte with a bold outline. TDF Collectibles is confident that whoever purchases this collectible will be a true champion in the collecting world.
