1964 Sonny Liston vs. Cassius Clay 'Auxiliary Press' Full Ticket

This is a rare full admission ticket for the historic World's Heavyweight Championship boxing match between champion Sonny Liston and challenger Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) held at Convention Hall in Miami Beach, Florida, on February 25, 1964. The ticket is specifically designated for the 'AUXILIARY PRESS' in bold red sans-serif typeface at the top and repeated as a vertical red stamp on the left side. The ticket is printed on off-white cardstock with black and red ink, featuring headshots of both fighters in circular frames. It details Section 11, Row 24, Seat 15. Notable features include the venue address (1700 Washington Ave.) and the scheduled 15 rounds. The condition appears excellent for its age, showing sharp corners, no visible creasing, and vibrant ink, though there is minor age-toning and very slight surface wear. The typography and layout are characteristic of 1960s sports ephemera. This event is globally significant as it marked the beginning of Ali's first reign as heavyweight champion and his subsequent name change, making any genuine press-related materials from this night highly collectible.

This full 'Auxiliary Press' ticket from the February 25, 1964, Liston vs. Clay I bout represents a significant artifact from one of the most pivotal nights in boxing history. Visually, the piece presents exceptionally well. The off-white cardstock retains good rigidity, and the red and black inks are famously susceptible to fading but appear vibrant here. The corners look sharp with minimal rounding, and I do not observe rare creases or fold lines, which are common in full tickets that survived the event unused. The 'Auxiliary Press' designation makes this notably scarcer than standard general admission stubs, placing it in a higher tier of desirability for comprehensive Ali collectors. From a market perspective, Clay/Ali debut championship material has seen a robust upward trajectory. While a standard PSA-graded full ticket might fetch $1,500–$3,000 depending on the grade, press variants often command a premium due to their scarcity. Similar high-grade examples have hammered near the $5,000 mark in recent specialty auctions. However, a definitive valuation is contingent upon third-party encapsulation (PSA or SGC). Counterfeits of this specific fight are rampant. My visual inspection cannot definitively rule out high-quality reproductions without tactile examination of the cardstock weight, a loupe inspection of the printing dot matrix to ensure it matches 1960s lithography rather than modern digital printing, and a blacklight test to check for modern optical brighteners in the paper. Assuming this ticket authenticates as genuine and grades in the Near Mint (NM) 7 or better range, the estimated value holds strong.