{"title":"Muhammad Ali \/ Cassius Clay","description":"\u003cp\u003eAll Muhammad Ali \/ Cassius Clay Items\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-war-of-the-worlds-1st-ever-mma-fight-muhammad-ali-vs-antonio-inoki-official-event-program-1976","title":"The War of the Worlds (1st Ever MMA Fight) - Muhammad Ali Vs Antonio Inoki - Official Event Program (1976)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe War of the Worlds Antonio Inoki Vs Muhammad Ali\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJune 26th 1976\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Event Program\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMuhammad Ali vs. Antonio Inoki, billed as The War of the Worlds, was a fight between American professional boxer Muhammad Ali and Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki, held at the Nippon Budokan arena in Tokyo, Japan, on June 26, 1976. At the time, Ali had come off a knockout victory over Richard Dunn in May and was the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion. Inoki, who had been taught catch wrestling by wrestler Karl Gotch, was staging exhibition fights against champions of various martial arts, in an attempt to show that pro wrestling was the dominant fighting discipline.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe fight itself, which was fought under special rules, is seen as a precursor to modern mixed martial arts (MMA). The majority of the fight saw Inoki on his back kicking Ali's legs 107 times uninhibited by the referee (due to a particular rule negotiated shortly before the fight, which allowed him to do so without being disqualified). The result of the fight, a draw, has long been debated by the press and fans. The fight was refereed by Gene LeBell.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFull of great info and photos about the Event and Fighters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e This is an incredibly hard to find piece of MMA history, one of the, if not THE very first mainstream mma fights in history!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eGood Condition considering the age - See Photos for exact condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eSome minor Edge wear \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50586825163099,"sku":"CK00222","price":249.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20230627_113148.jpg?v=1747404216"},{"product_id":"ring-lords-official-boxing-trading-card-set-1991","title":"Ring Lords Boxing Legends -  New \u0026 Sealed Official Trading Card Set (1991)","description":"\u003cp data-sleek-node-id=\"011eb4\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1991 Ring Lords Boxing Personalities Official Trading card Set\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sleek-node-id=\"11eb41\"\u003e40 cards\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeaturing Legends such as Muhammad Ali, Chris Eubank, Lennox Lewis, Tommy Morrison, RayMercer, Roberto Duran \u0026amp; more\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-sleek-node-id=\"b2c202\"\u003e\n\u003cul data-sleek-node-id=\"ef4add\"\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eBrand New and Sealed - shrinkwraap has split slightly on one corner - see photos\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e(photos of individual cards are from a different set, not this sealed one)\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52631955702107,"sku":"CK00533","price":45.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260330_115800.jpg?v=1774868776"},{"product_id":"ring-lords-boxing-legends-official-trading-card-set-1991","title":"Ring Lords Boxing Legends -  Official Trading Card Set (1991)","description":"\u003cp data-sleek-node-id=\"011eb4\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1991 Ring Lords Boxing Personalities Official Trading card Set\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-sleek-node-id=\"11eb41\"\u003e40 cards\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFeaturing Legends such as Muhammad Ali, Chris Eubank, Lennox Lewis, Tommy Morrison, RayMercer, Roberto Duran \u0026amp; more\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52692969783643,"sku":"CK00600","price":39.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260326_104353.jpg?v=1774869025"},{"product_id":"muhammad-ali-vs-leon-spinks-2-official-boxing-event-program-1978","title":"Muhammad Ali Vs Leon Spinks 2 - Official Boxing Event Program (1978)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Boxing Event Program\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuhammad Ali Vs Leon Spinks 2\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e15th September 1978\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eIn good condition - some minor edge or surface wear possible - See photos for exact condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II, billed as Battle of New Orleans, was a professional boxing match contested on September 15, 1978, in New Orleans for the WBA and The Ring heavyweight championships\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter his shock win over Muhammad Ali to become Heavyweight champion, Leon Spinks was stripped of the WBC belt for not facing its number one ranked contender Ken Norton; instead he agreed to a rematch with Ali. Ali entered the rematch as a 2½ to 1 favorite. \u003cbr\u003eThe fight was held at the Louisiana Superdome, with ringside seats costing $200 (equivalent to $987 in 2025).\u003cbr\u003e The card contained three other world title fights: WBA Bantamweight Champion Jorge Luján vs. future WBC champion Alberto Davila; WBC Featherweight Champion Danny Lopez vs. Juan Malvarez; and WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Víctor Galíndez vs. Mike Rossman.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eABC paid $5.3 million ($22.24 million in 2021 dollars) for the rights to televise the fight live in the United States. The broadcast was blacked out in the entire state of Louisiana (except Monroe; KTVE, northeast Louisiana's ABC affiliate at the time--now affiliated with NBC--is licensed in El Dorado, Arkansas and was not subjected to the blackout) and markets within 200 miles of the Superdome, which included Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and Pensacola, Florida.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePat Putnam of Sports Illustrated wrote:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003e    The plan was simple. Ali would jab, jab, throw a right and grab. When Spinks came flailing in, Ali would hook his left hand around the back of Spinks' head and pull him into an embrace, effectively limiting Spinks to one or two punches or pulling him off balance. And Ali would dance, baby, dance. He would tie up Spinks and then dance away from him on the break, circling to the right, circling to the left. And the fight went as plotted.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eReferee Lucien Joubert took the fifth round away from Ali for holding. The Associated Press scored the fight 12–3 for Ali, while the three judges had the bout 11–4, 10–4–1 and 10–4–1 all in favor of Ali giving him a unanimous decision win.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Superdome attendance was 63,352, which, at the time, was the largest indoor attendance ever for a boxing match. Ticket sales of $4,806,675 ($20.168 million in 2021 dollars) was the highest live gate for a sporting event at the time. The average ticket price was $75.87 ($318.34 in 2021 dollars).\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAn estimated audience of 90 million viewers watched the main event in the United States, with 46.7% of TV sets in the nation tuned in—a record for the time. The fight was estimated to have been watched by a record 2 billion viewers worldwide.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAli regained the WBA heavyweight title and avenged his split decision loss to Spinks from seven months prior. He also became the first man to win the World Heavyweight Championship three times.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn June 1979, Ali sent an official letter of retirement to the WBA. Promoter Bob Arum said he paid Ali $300,000 to announce his retirement because Ali's reluctance had delayed the scheduling of a fight between John Tate and Gerrie Coetzee for the vacant WBA title. \"We knew Muhammad Ali was going to retire\", Arum said, \"but as long as he delayed, I couldn't make definite plans.\" However, in October 1980 Ali returned to face WBC Champion Larry Holmes but was stopped by TKO in the 10th round. He then retired for good after a lackluster loss to Trevor Berbick in December 1981, the final fight of Ali's career.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eUndercard:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Mike Rossman     Argentina Víctor Galíndez     WBA World Light Heavyweight Title     13th-round TKO.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Danny Lopez     Argentina Juan Domingo Malvarez     WBC World Featherweight Title     2nd-round KO.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003ePanama Jorge Lujan     United States Alberto Davila     WBA World Bantamweight Title     Unanimous decision.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eUnited States Marvin Johnson     United States Jerry Celestine     Light Heavyweight (10 rounds)     Unanimous decision.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomania Mircea Șimon     United States David Wynne     Heavyweight (4 rounds)     1st-round KO. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53345293828443,"sku":"CK00670","price":69.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260520_135520.jpg?v=1780995621"},{"product_id":"muhammad-ali-vs-brian-london-official-boxing-event-program-1966","title":"Muhammad Ali Vs Brian London - Official Boxing Event Program (1966)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Boxing Event Program\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMuhammad Ali Vs Brian London\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e6th August 1966\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eIn good condition - some minor edge or surface wear possible - See photos for exact condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMuhammad Ali vs. Brian London was a professional boxing match contested on 6 August 1966, for the WBC, NYSAC, and The Ring heavyweight championship.\u003cbr\u003eThe match took place at Earls Court Arena, London, England on 6 August 1966. It was scheduled for fifteen rounds. The match ended in the third round with Ali defeating London by knockout\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSpeaking before the bout London appeared unfazed by Ali's typical taunts, saying \"Clay insult me …. no way. I’m too ignorant.\" He would conceded that the champion would be the superior boxer but warned that: \"Clay may cut me, out-box me, or even beat me. But I’ll be there at the end, thumping.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAli at 24 years old put on a masterful performance against a clearly out-classed 32 year old opponent, with Ali having the advantages of height, weight, reach and youth on his side, almost hitting London at will as the fight went on. As London put it in an interview with the BBC: \"he was just getting through all the time\".\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAli bouncingly circled continually, whilst London tracked doggedly after him for the first two rounds seemingly with a strategy of trying to land a single knock-out punch to the American champion. London succeeded in landing only one blow in the match, a left jab to Ali's jaw midway through the 1st Round which caught Ali by surprise and left him for a moment stunned (and wide-open for a follow through right cross, which London failed to take advantage of), but the blow lacked weight and Ali was able to quickly recover.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn coming out for the 3rd Round London displayed a patent degree of hesitation to come forward to engage, and Ali sensing this advanced to the attack, penning him back into a corner and throwing a 12-punch combination in three seconds in a showboating display of speed and athleticism, but with a suspicion of Ali holding back, with few of the blows actually connecting or possessing weight behind them, and the one blow that did (the 10th) being just enough to knock London down and end the fight.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn a post-career media interview London described his contest with Ali in stark terms, describing Ali as being:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e    \"Big, fast and he could punch, whereas I was smaller, fatter and couldn't punch. He stopped me in three rounds and that was it, I don't think I hit him. It was good money and I got well paid for it - that's all I fought for. Every fight I ever had I always had a go, but with Muhammad Ali I thought don't get hurt Brian, and I therefore didn't try, which was wrong, totally wrong\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53345318895963,"sku":"CK00671","price":59.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260520_135729.jpg?v=1780996845"},{"product_id":"cassius-clay-muhammad-ali-vs-henry-cooper-official-boxing-event-program-1963","title":"Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) Vs Henry Cooper - Official Boxing Event Program (1963)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOfficial Boxing Event Program\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali) Vs Henry Cooper\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e18th June 1963\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eIn good condition - some minor edge or surface wear possible - See photos for exact condition\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCassius Clay vs. Henry Cooper was a professional boxing match contested on 18 June 1963.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe bout was stopped by the referee in the fifth round after Cooper started bleeding excessively from a cut to the left eye. The bout is famous for being one of the four fights in which Ali was officially knocked down in the ring, as well as leading to the mandate that ringside handlers always have an extra pair of boxing gloves available\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAfter a close victory over Doug Jones, Ali's management decided to match him with Henry Cooper in London. Prior to the fight, Ali called Cooper \"a tramp, a bum, and a cripple not worth training for.\"According to Ali, the Cooper fight was only a hiatus before \"I demolish that ugly bear Liston.\" Responding to Ali, Cooper said in an interview: \"Let him carry on. I'm on the gate, he's selling tickets and earning me good money.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e35,000 spectators witnessed the first Ali-Cooper fight in the first open-air fight at Wembley Stadium in 28 years. Ali weighed 207 pounds at this time; Cooper was about 20 pounds lighter. Ali also had a 4+1⁄2-inch reach advantage over Cooper.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRound 1\u003cbr\u003eIn the first round, Cooper surprised Ali by utilizing offensive tactics, advancing on Ali and firing jabs and double jabs. Many of Cooper's stronger punch, the left hook, narrowly missed their mark due to Ali's ability to sway away from an incoming punch. Unexpectedly Ali retired to his corner at the end of the round with a slight trickle of blood flowing from his right nostril.\u003cbr\u003eRound 2\u003cbr\u003eIn the second round, Cooper continued with his aggressive tactics, but Ali's left jab now started connecting regularly with Cooper's face and a slight cut opened above Cooper's eyes.\u003cbr\u003eRound 3\u003cbr\u003eIn the third round, Ali connected with a left hook to Cooper's head, and followed this up with a right jab that opened a deep gash above Cooper's left eyebrow.\u003cbr\u003eRound 4\u003cbr\u003eIn the fourth round, with blood tricking down his face, Cooper continued with his aggressive tactics and started pursuing Ali who now started \"fooling around\", moving and throwing only intermittent punches at Cooper. Near the end of the round, Cooper threw three successive jabs as Ali stood against the ropes. Ali retreated further against the ropes when Cooper unleashed a left hook which struck Ali squarely on his jaw, lifting Ali on impact. Two things happened simultaneously at this stage which saved Ali from a possible knockout. First, the round came to an end. Second, the ropes had cushioned Ali's fall. As Cooper later recalled:\u003cbr\u003e   \" The ropes let him down gentle. You went from the top, to the middle, to the bottom rope. Now, if that had been in the middle of the ring, and he'd gone down on his head, that would have shook him up. But unfortunately he was on the ropes. If that had just been off them bloody ropes.\"\u003cbr\u003eRound 4 - Round 5 interval\u003cbr\u003eAngelo Dundee had to help Ali to his corner at the end of Round 4. Ali was clearly shaken up by the knockdown and was disoriented for a few seconds, attempting at one point to rise from his stool. Dundee appears to pop an ampule of smelling salts under Ali's nose (which would have been a disqualifying offense if he had been caught), although the film is inconclusive. Dundee then waved to referee Tommy Little and showed Little Ali's right glove which had apparently split down a seam revealing horsehair stuffing which could have injured Cooper's eyes. Officials were requested to obtain a new pair of gloves for Ali, and popular myth has it that the resulting confusion led to the interval between round 4 and round 5 to be extended by 20 seconds which gave Ali extra time to recover.\u003cbr\u003eRound 5\u003cbr\u003eIn the fifth round, Ali adopted aggressive tactics himself, throwing a flurry of quick punches at Cooper which resulted in photographers near the ring splashed with Cooper's blood. Two minutes and fifteen seconds into the fifth round, the fight was stopped and Ali declared the winner, as he predicted.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImmediately after the fight, Ali retracted the abuses he had directed at Cooper before the fight and declared: \"Cooper's not a bum any more. I underestimated him. He's the toughest fighter I ever met and the first to really drop me. He's a real fighter.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCooper's left hook which had dropped Ali made him a celebrity after the fight. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two would have a rematch in 1966 which has been described as being similar to the most one-sided moments of the first without the drama of Ali's knockdown. Ali would win again, this time by a 6th-round TKO\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53345371980123,"sku":"CK00672","price":99.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/files\/20260413_162458.jpg?v=1780997942"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0926\/4719\/4971\/collections\/muhammad-ali-cassius-clay-sonny-listen-neil-leifer-facebook.webp?v=1780995969","url":"https:\/\/www.combatkingdom.co.uk\/collections\/muhammad-ali-cassisu-clay.oembed","provider":"Combat Kingdom MMA Memorabilia","version":"1.0","type":"link"}