The Interwoven Careers of Neil Leifer & Muhammad Ali
We look into the work of sports photographer Neil Leifer and his role in the career of Muhammad Ali...
December 20, 2021
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
Neil Leifer is one of the most iconic sport’s photographers to date. Leifer became a professional photographer whilst still in teens, embarking on a prolific and fruitful career in the 1960s and went on to work for major publications such as Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine. His career ran beside and complimented that of the greatest heavyweight boxer of the 20th century, Muhammad Ali. One cannot know the iconic moments of Ali’s career without knowing Leifer. If you know the photographs, then you should know that it is highly probable that Leifer was the man behind the lens.
Boxing history, Ali and Leifer’s careers are now defined by ‘The Punch: Ali vs Liston May 26, 1965’. However, when it was first captured and handed to the editors of Sports Illustrated it was not considered good enough for the cover or even the lead page story. How did this photo go from underappreciated to legendary? As Ali’s career took off, the public needed an image that captured him as what he was. In Leifer’s words, this image captured Ali in a way that people would want to remember him, as a young, handsome, charismatic and a fabulous-looking fighter.
‘Flat Out: Muhammad Ali vs Cleveland Williams, Houston Astrodome 1966’ is another photo that defined boxing history. Uncoincidentally, the bird's eye photograph captures Ali and the perpetrator of the photo was none other than Leifer. In 2012, Sports Illustrated named this photograph the ‘single greatest sports photo of all time’. The image not only captures an iconic sports moment but is a marvel of clarity and composition. It captures the ropes, the ring, the reporters and the crowd. Both champion (Ali) and the defeated (Williams) appear to have the same arm positioning. However, the contrasting stature of being upright compared with flat out truly highlights this incredible win.
Leifer’s incredible photography is not exclusive to boxing. However, if an incredible and defining moment took place inside the ring, it’s a sure bet that Leifer was ringside to capture and eternalise it.
