The moments between rounds reveal as much about a fighter’s character as the rounds themselves. In Chris Smith’s extraordinary photographic record of Muhammad Ali, some of the most compelling images capture Ali not throwing punches, but in the raw, unguarded seconds at the corner — drinking water, conferring with his team, and staring down his opponents from across the ring.

These ringside photographs, taken across Ali’s career from the early 1970s through to his final fights, offer collectors and boxing historians a perspective that television cameras rarely captured with such intimacy.

Water and Warfare: The Corner Moments

One of the most striking images from Chris Smith’s collection shows Ali taking water between rounds, his cornerman holding the bottle as arena lights blaze overhead. The photograph captures the physical toll of elite boxing — the sheen of sweat, the focused intensity in Ali’s eyes, and the trust between fighter and trainer that defined his career.

Smith’s positioning at ringside allowed him to photograph these private exchanges with remarkable closeness. Unlike the television cameras perched high above the action, Smith was often just feet from Ali’s corner, capturing moments that most spectators in the arena never saw.

For those interested in how Ali prepared for these gruelling encounters, our post on Miami Mornings with The Champ explores his legendary training routine at the 5th Street Gym.

The Media Scrum: Ali and the Press

Several photographs from the book reveal the extraordinary media circus that surrounded Ali’s fights. One remarkable image shows Ali in a robe marked “M. ALI” standing in a ring at Deer Lake, Pennsylvania, surrounded by a wall of journalists, cameramen, and television crews jostling for position. The scene underlines just how unprecedented Ali’s fame was — no athlete before or since has commanded such attention from the world’s press.

Another powerful image captures Ali post-fight, draped in a white robe and being examined by a doctor while reporters crowd around him with notebooks and tape recorders. These were the moments when Ali’s wit was at its sharpest, delivering the quotes that would fill newspaper columns around the world the following morning.

Smith’s ability to navigate these chaotic press scrums while maintaining his artistic eye is what elevates his work above standard sports photography. As explored in our article on The Photographer’s Perspective, Smith brought a documentary sensibility to a world dominated by action shots.

Confrontation in the Ring: Ali vs Holmes

Among the most poignant images in the collection are those from Ali’s fight against Larry Holmes in October 1980. Smith captured the painful aftermath — Holmes with his arm raised in victory while Ali leans against the ropes, his corner team attending to a fighter who had given everything but could not turn back the clock.

The Holmes photographs are difficult to look at for any Ali admirer, yet they are essential historical documents. Smith’s camera records the dignity Ali maintained even in defeat, and the respect shown between the two men who had once been sparring partners at Deer Lake. Our detailed account of those final bouts can be found in Super Fight II and the Final Chapters.

Earlier in the ring, Smith captured Ali in full flow — animated, vocal, and commanding the attention of everyone present. One image shows Ali mid-confrontation with an opponent, his expression fierce and theatrical in equal measure. Another shows him being directed to a neutral corner by the referee, the packed arena a blur of faces behind him.

The Portrait: Ali Unguarded

Perhaps the most arresting image in this sequence is a full-page close-up portrait of Ali’s face. Shot straight on, with no headguard, no gloves, no entourage — just Ali looking directly into Smith’s lens. The small scar above his right eyebrow tells its own story. His expression is calm, almost contemplative, a world away from the showmanship he displayed for the cameras.

This portrait sits alongside the sparring photographs where Ali wears the Everlast headguard that features on the cover of the book itself. The contrast between the two — the stillness of the portrait against the physicality of the sparring shots — encapsulates why Smith’s work resonates so deeply with collectors of fine art photography.

To understand why these photographs hold such enduring value, read our analysis in Why These Photographs Matter Today.

Collecting Ali’s Ringside Story

Chris Smith’s ringside photographs of Muhammad Ali represent some of the most significant sports photography of the twentieth century. Each print captures a moment that defined an era — from the early confidence of a young champion to the brave vulnerability of his final fights.

These images are available as limited-edition signed prints through Muhammad Ali Prints. Whether you are drawn to the intensity of the fight photographs or the quiet power of Ali’s portraits, each print is produced to the highest archival standards.

Browse our full collection of Ali prints or contact us to discuss commissioning a specific image from the archive. You can also explore our other articles on The Fight of the Century and The Deer Lake Sessions for more of Smith’s extraordinary body of work.