The Fight of the Century
`Muhammad Ali aka Cassius Clay´


ALI MUHAMMAD: (1942-2016) American Boxer, World Heavyweight Champion

FRAZIER JOE (1944-2011) American Boxer, World Heavyweight Champion 1970-73.

D.S. by both Muhammad Ali (in both forms, 'Muhammad Ali AKA Cassius Clay') and Joe Frazier ('Joe Frazier', twice), twelve pages, 4to, n.p., June 1970. The photocopied document is entitled Ancillary Rights Agreement and is a contract made between the promoters 21st Century Promotions and Marlett Inc., Sports Action, Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay) and Joe Frazier. The contract relates to a World Heavyweight Championship contest between Ali and Frazier, scheduled to take place at the Cobo Hall in Detroit, Michigan, on 21st September 1970, and states that the two fighters and the promoters have agreed to assign to Sports Action and its licensees 'all radio, television and motion picture rights in and to the Bout', subject to various conditions stated in the document, Sports Action ('SAC') agreeing to 'use its best efforts to exploit the rights to the Bout….so as to derive the maximum proceeds….for Clay', and being authorised to use the name, likeness and biography of both Ali and Frazier for the purposes of advertising, promotion and publicity and also agreeing the percentages of the net proceeds to be paid to Ali, being 32.5% on the first $1,000,000, 35% on the net proceeds between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000, 37.5% on the net proceeds between $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 and 40% on any net proceeds in excess of $3,000,000 and that the minimum amount paid to Ali will be $300,000 and that the payment will be made within twenty days following the bout. Signed by both Ali and Frazier at the conclusion and countersigned by representatives of Sports Action Inc., Cloverlay Inc. and 21st Century Promotions. With a number of red pencil annotations in an unidentified hand in the margins of the document, most significantly increasing Ali's percentages of the net proceeds. The first eleven pages of the document are joined together by a single staple to the upper left corner, and the final page is detached (and with a few small staple holes to the upper left corner where originally attached to the rest of the document). A rare signed document relating to one of the most important World Heavyweight Championship contests in history. VG

'The Fight of the Century' would eventually take place in 1971, almost a year after the present document was signed, and not on the date, or venue, specified in the present contract. In 1971 both Ali and Frazier had legitimate claims to the title of World Heavyweight Champion. The undefeated Ali had won the title from Sonny Liston in 1964 and successfully defended his belt up until he had it stripped by boxing authorities for refusing induction into the armed forces in 1967. In Ali's absence, the undefeated Frazier garnered two championship belts through knockouts of Buster Mathis and Jimmy Ellis. He was recognised by boxing authorities as the World Champion. Frazier was plausibly Ali's superior, which created a tremendous amount of hype and anticipation for a bout pitting the two undefeated pugilists against one another to decide who was the true World Heavyweight Champion. The contest took place at Madison Square Garden on 8th March 1971 and Frazier was victorious, winning in 15 rounds via a unanimous decision and dealing Ali his first professional loss.