At the time of the first Liston-Ali fight on February 25, 1964, Sonny Liston was the world heavyweight champion, having beaten Floyd Patterson by a first round knockout in September 1962. With an impressive knockout record to that point, Liston was a fighter many other heavyweights were reluctant to meet in the ring. Henry Cooper said that if Cassius Clay (Ali’s name at the time) won, he was interested in a title fight, but if Liston won, he was not going to get in the ring with him. Cooper’s manager Jim Wicks said, “We don’t even want to meet Liston walking down the same street.” Liston was an ex-con with ties to 
organized crime whose ominous, glowering demeanor was so central to his image that Esquire Magazine caused a controversy by posing him in a Santa Claus hat for its December 1963 cover.
Cassius Clay, on the other hand, was a glib, fast-talking 22-year-old challenger who enjoyed the spotlight. Known as “The Louisville Lip”, he had won the light-heavyweight gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics and had great hand and foot speed—not to mention a limitless supply of braggadocio and confidence. Nevertheless, Clay had been knocked down by journeyman Sonny Banks early in his career and—more seriously—was almost knocked out by the cut-prone converted southpaw Henry Cooper. Although Clay rallied to win, it seemed to show he would be vulnerable to Liston’s formidable left hook.
The brash Clay was not liked by most reporters, and his chances were widely dismissed. Lester Bromberg’s forecast in the New York World-Telegram was typical, predicting “It will last almost the entire first round.” The Los Angeles Times’ Jim Murray observed, “The only thing at which Clay can beat Liston is reading the dictionary,” adding that the face off between the two unlikeable athletes would be “the most popular fight since Hitler and Stalin—180 million Americans rooting for a double knockout.”The New York Times’ regular boxing writer Joe Nichols declined to cover the fight, assuming it would be a mismatch. By fight time, Clay was a seven to one betting underdog. Of the 46 sportswriters at ringside, 43 had picked Sonny Liston to win by knockout.
If your Ali fan here is authentic reproduction tin sign for you.
This is for all the Elvis Presley fans. I remeber my aunt going to see him at the Pontaic Silver Dome shortly before he died. She tolds us how he ripped the seat out of his custom and had to go back stage to have it fixed. This is for you Elvis your still missed.
Elvis Aaron Presleya (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977) was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the “King of Rock and Roll” or simply “the King”.
Born in Tupelo, Mississippi, Presley moved to Memphis, Tennessee, with his family at the age of 13. He began his career there in 1954 when Sun Records owner Sam Phillips, eager to bring the sound of African-American music to a wider audience, saw in Presley the means to realize his ambition. Accompanied by guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black, Presley was one of the originators of rockabilly, an uptempo, backbeat-driven fusion of country and rhythm and blues. RCA Victor acquired his contract in a deal arranged by Colonel Tom Parker, who would manage the singer for over two decades. Presley’s first RCA single, “Heartbreak Hotel”, released in January 1956, was a number one hit. He became the leading figure of the newly popular sound of rock and roll with a series of network television appearances and chart-topping records. His energized interpretations of songs, many from African American sources, and his uninhibited performance style made him enormously popular—and controversial. In November 1956, he made his film debut in Love Me Tender.
Conscripted into military service in 1958, Presley relaunched his recording career two years later with some of his most commercially successful work. He staged few concerts, however, and, guided by Parker, proceeded to devote much of the 1960s to making Hollywood movies and soundtrack albums, most of them critically derided. In 1968, after seven years away from the stage, he returned to live performance in a celebrated comeback television special that led to an extended Las Vegas concert residency and a string of profitable tours. In 1973, Presley staged the first concert broadcast globally via satellite, Aloha from Hawaii, seen by approximately 1.5 billion viewers. Prescription drug abuse severely compromised his health, and he died suddenly in 1977 at the age of 42.
Presley is regarded as one of the most important figures of 20th-century popular culture. He had a versatile voice and unusually wide success encompassing many genres, including country, pop ballads, gospel, and blues. He is the best-selling solo artist in the history of popular music. Nominated for 14 competitive Grammys, he won three, and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at age 36. He has been inducted into four music halls of fame.
Lynda Carter (born July 24, 1951) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for the Amazonian 
title role in the fantasy-adventure television series Wonder Woman which aired from 1975 to 1979.
However, Carter’s acting career did not take off until she landed her starring role in the Wonder Woman television series. Carter has stated that the savings her parents set aside for her to pursue acting in Los Angeles was almost depleted and she was close to returning to Arizona when her manager informed her that the Wonder Woman television series producers selected her to star. Her earnest performance endeared her to fans and critics, and the series lasted for three seasons. Thirty years after first taking on the role, Carter continues to be closely identified with Wonder Woman.
As the program was winding down, Carter told a national magazine:
“I hate men looking at me and thinking…what they think; and I know what they think–they write and tell me.”
She was referring to the sexually explicit content of some of the letters she had received from male admirers.
Carter was also upset with some of the marketing of her image while taping the series. Warner Bros. worked out a deal with the toy company Mego to create a doll series on the Wonder Woman television series while it was still on the air. While interviewed on The Late Show in 1987 Carter commented:
“I think that you’re probably familiar with a problem in Hollywood, and that is that they market you and they use you. They did a mask of my face and put it on the doll and they put my name on for the first run of it. And then they took my name off and said they didn’t have to pay me anymore. So it’s the kind of thing that you can be used SO much in this industry. I make nothing. I don’t even make anything from the reruns. Don’t ever settle for net profits. It’s called creative accounting.”
This tin sign makes a great gift.