Auction Item Details
Lot 295
LOADING IMAGES
Lot Number: 295
Description: The Sonny Liston Boulder from the Muhammad Ali Training Camp. Muhammad Ali was the focus of massive media attention in the late 1960s. Although one would believe that his high profile antics with journalists suggested a man who coveted this attention, in truth there were many times he required a respite from the crowds. Dedicated to a strict training regimen, he eventually took up an offer to train on a mink ranch near Reading, Pennsylvania. Finding the solitude of the country very much to his liking, he then sought out a permanent place for his family and boxing entourage where he could comfortably train. His hunt lead to buying the property that became known as the Deer Lake, Pennsylvania Training Camp. (In truth, the Camp is located outside of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania.) The Camp was made from the wooded site where a clearing was created for the eighteen rustic structures Ali was to build. What became quickly evident was that there were several areas where sever drop-offs existed; in other words, due to the somewhat vertical terrain, there were areas that were dangerous to any who approached. One of those areas was designated as a small parking lot for cars. With concerns that a car might roll off the cliff, Ali ordered at a large boulder be brought to the property from many miles away. (Despite the fact that the area was rocky, there were no suitably large boulders on the property.) The boulder was strategically placed and solved the problem. In time, other parts of the property required similar protection and more boulders were brought in. Increasingly becoming surrounded by these large, almost menacing looking grey stones, Ali had an idea, paint them! At the time, Muhammad's father - a painter by trade - was living at the Camp. Accustomed to creating interesting scenes for murals and signs, the painter/artist came up with the notion by painting - in bright colors - the names of great fighters, past and present. Names including Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson starting appearing. The idea so appealed to Ali that it wasn't long before he brought in twenty five boulders to surround the perimeter of the property. Each one of these boulders sported a legendary name. In rapid order, this unique outdoor ornamentation became known to fight fans universally. Today, the boulders remain, standing as sentries to the cabins, gym, homes and dining hall that still very much is the Muhammad Ali Deer Lake Training Camp being offered in this auction. In an effort to offer a single unique element from this historic site to a member of the public not interested in owning the entire Camp, one boulder is being offered separately. The boulder features the name of the opponent credited for rocketing Muhammad Ali's career into stardom Sonny Liston. All fight fans know of the legendary first championship fight that a young Cassius Clay, a major underdog, had with the fearsome Sonny Liston. In respect to his opponent, Ali - years later - asked that a boulder be dedicated to the former Champion. The Sonny Liston boulder is now being offered as one of the most unique items ever to come to auction. The boulder is being sold F.O.B. the Ali Training Camp. It is a two and half hour drive from New York City and about an hour from Philadelphia. Just as the boulders were trucked into the Camp, they can be removed by proper equipment. The approximate dimensions are 4' h, 6' wide, 8' long.
Estimated Price: (Estimate on Request)
