In 1969, the only two undefeated heavyweight champions in history were Rocky Marciano and Muhammad Ali, and fans, writers, and all manner of boxing aficionados were speculating about the result if the two champions had ever been able to fight each other in their primes. Displayed is a fascinating 1970 Muhammad Ali vs. Rocky Marciano oversized, die-cut movie poster for the most riveting, intriguing fight that never was - The Super Fight. The background: In 1967, radio producer Murray Woroner devised a fantasy boxing tournament in which 16 of the greatest heavyweights in history were placed into competition, like the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, in which these greats, such as Ali, Marciano, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, John L. Sullivan, Joe Louis, etc. faced each other in an elimination tournament broadcast over the radio. The results from detailed questionnaires sent to 250 boxing writers and statistics of fights in the boxers' primes were fed into an NCR 315 computer, and an algorithm was developed to analyze the fighters and create detailed results. The bouts were broadcast by Woroner and boxing announcer Guy LeBow as commentators. Marciano and Jack Dempsey advanced to the final round, where Marciano defeated Dempsey, and Rocky received a diamond and gold championship belt worth $10,000. Ali, eliminated in a preliminary round by Jim Jeffries, sued for defamation, and a deal was arranged in which Ali and Marciano would meet in The Super Fight, made during 1969 and shown on January 20, 1970, in 1,500 theatres worldwide. In preparation, Ali and Marciano were filmed for approx. 70 one-minute rounds, to allow for any contingency. The fight grossed five million dollars, and it actually had two different results! In the North American version, Marciano knocked out Ali in the 13th round; In the European version, Ali was awarded the decision on a TKO when he opened up cuts on Marciano. Three weeks after the initial filming, Marchiano died in a plane crash, and he never knew the results. The film was later broadcast on television and three decades later it was made available on DVDs.

The offered movie poster reads, "At this theatre January 20, 1970 - 10 PM-E.S.T. ROCKY MARCIANO VS. MUHAMMAD ALI (Cassius Clay)/Tickets on Sale NOW! /THE ONLY 2 UNDEFEATED HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS IN HISTORY"/THE SUPER FIGHT/ LIVE! On Film - In Color/ ONE SHOWING ONLY." The poster measures approx. 54x34", framed at 63x42". The poster exhibits general surface wear and the fold lines have some minor splitting. There is a small chip on the right side of the frame. The poster is free from any significant folds. Please Note: The size and/or weight of this lot will necessitate an increased shipping charge (most likely a freight charge).