This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/17/2021
Offered is a FULL pictorial ticket for the second bout between reigning Heavyweight Champion Rocky Marciano and Jersey Joe Walcott. The ticket's date is "April 10, 1953," which was the originally scheduled date for the event, though the fight was postponed in early April after Marciano had a blood vessel burst in his nose during training. The match eventually went off at Chicago Stadium on May 15. Making the assumption that the original owner of this unused ticket found something better to do that evening may be unfair. He may just have been a few minutes late and decided not to go in because the whole thing was over with just less than a minute to go in Round 1? After 2 minutes of limited action, Marciano reached Walcott with a glancing jab but followed it quickly with a devastating right hook that sent Jersey Joe to the mat. Walcott was visibly shaken and dazed, and did try to get back up, but the referee's count had already reached 10 seconds.
Fans were expecting a repeat of the first bout between the two fighters, a grueling contest that ended in a 13th round knockout by Marciano. Also included here is an original black and white 35 mm negative of a famous shot of the two boxers taken just before that September 23, 1952, bout in Philadelphia. The negative is accompanied by a modern 8 x 10 inch print from the negative showing how clear and high-contrast the shot is, capturing the two fighters ready to do battle. The FULL ticket measures 6 x 2 1/8 inches and presents with some minor toning on the back. Excellent to Mint condition.