The '62 Ali actually turned out to be a '62 Ali
ReggieCleveland
Posts: 3,855 ✭✭✭✭✭
So I've had this card for a while and never really bought the '62 date.
All the sellers I spoke with referred to it and other singles from the set as 1962 issues but it didn't feel right. There's a futbol card in the set that references a match that took place halfway through the year. There's also the fact the earliest Ali cards (other than the Hemmett which references his Olympics bouts) are from '64 and there's only like 1 or 2 of those. No way Argentina beat the rest of the world by two years.
Well, it turns out they did and it is. I recently stumbled upon a seller who had some futbol singles from the set and they named the set, which led me to a few listings for the album, which led me to a seller who actually put a picture of the set's entry from "Malditas Dificiles" up in their listing. That is the catalog for all things futbol cards in Argentina from turn of the century to its publishing.
To be exact, it's 1962 Editorial Bruguera "Los Diez Mandamientos" -- the first pack-issued card of Muhammad Ali.
Now to get to PSA to make the correction. 
Arthur
Comments
Excellent work, and congrats on confirming the facts! Good luck with the label correction, I hope that goes well. Your post is exactly what I love in this hobby.
And like that, things change. A collector contacted me after seeing this info on another site and was able to prove the reference book wrong. The card is at EARLIEST a late-1963 issue. But, the manufacturer and set name are correct so we no longer have to refer to the boxing cards as that stupid label Po-Po boxing discs.
That's how we roll in the boxing card world. It's the wild, wild west out there and stuff changes in an instant.
Arthur
ETA: Still the earliest pack-issued Ali card. Just not AS early as we thought.
That's an interest post Arthur.
Have you seen many copies of this card?
If it didn't say Clay on it? I wouldn't have guess him.
I'm guessing you have a very rare card there?
It would be sad if there would be no more Po Po s
Bowman Baseball -1948-1955
Fleer Baseball-1923, 1959-2007
Al
Don't worry, Al, Po-Po is still a manufacturer from that time period, responsible for a whole lot of cards. The great spirit of the Po-Po lives on in each of us.
Arthur
Hi Mike, it is the only one I have seen to this point but I'm sure others will surface. I've seen other boxers from the set (although just a single copy so far of those) and PSA has also slabbed a Dempsey, which belongs to the #1 player registry set. It has a few things going against it that will always keep it as more of a second-class Ali card, despite the early release date. At this point, it's too rare. With only one known example (and it being beat to hell) it's easy to dismiss. More importantly, collectors just don't like round cards.
The debate over what is Ali's rookie is one that will never end. Invariably, what ends up happening with many (not all) people is they push for whatever card they already own. But it comes down to how each person defines what a "card" is and if you ask 10 people you'll get 10 different answers. Personally, I don't give a rat's patootie what a fighter's rookie is. The concept of rookie card does not apply to boxing cards.
Arthur
The concept of rookie card does not apply to boxing cards.>
I can see that for sure.
Even in baseball, the argument went on forever. Not sure if everyone accepts the RC designation on cards as gospel?
Still, that's quite the card! Where did you pick this up?