1966 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #377

These cards were the first regionally distributed options for Cassius Clay collectors. An argument can be made that Clay’s 1st year Panini release is the best fit for the modern-day definition of a “rookie card”. There are two distinct print runs from this set (both from 1966) easily distinguishable by the lighter or darker background which can be compared in the image below. It has been said that the first ever “Campioni Dello Sport” set was so popular because of the Cassius Clay card that Panini decided to do a 2nd print run to satisfy collector demand. It is believed that the lighter print copy was printed before the dark. The highest graded copies of this card appear to be mostly of the darker varietal. PSA does not differentiate between the two print colors. There is no question that the light grey background with the more vivid colors on Clay’s robe is definitely more appealing to the eye. PSA has graded 117 of the regular back copies (light and dark combined) plus 37 Valida backs. Centering and tilting issues are very common problems with this set in all variations and there are only nine copies of this Clay card in a PSA 9 grade (regular back version). There are 24 PSA 8’s, but I have yet to see an example of the lighter print version higher than a PSA 7. No 10’s currently exist. A PSA 9 copy of the lighter print version of this card would undoubtedly be one of the most valuable Clay cards you could own.

1967 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #451

The 1967 Campioni Dello Sport has the most consistent centering of all the Cassius Clay Panini releases and is the easiest to find in high grade (77 total copies graded PSA 6 or higher). There is one PSA 10, eleven 9’s and 20 PSA 8’s of the regular back version on the pop report today. The image is more understated and the colors on this card seem to leave something to be desired, but this card features Cassius Clay in his prime, training for a fight against an opponent that doesn’t stand a chance. It has a slightly narrower and taller shape than the other Panini cards. There are 111 regular backs on the PSA pop report plus 29 Valida backs.

1968 Panini Campioni Dello Sport #308

The 1968 Panini Campioni Dello Sport is one the coolest looking Cassius Clay cards you can own. This card’s colors, design and striking image of Cassius Clay in his prime, draw you in and give you the impression that this is something worth collecting. This is the last card printed by Panini during the period that Clay lost his boxing license and was fighting his case regarding the Vietnam Draft. Panini would not include him again in another set until the 1971 Panini Olympia set. One of my favorite Panini designs is the 1969 Campioni Dello Sport set. It would have been cool to see a Clay card from that year. Clay’s last Panini card of the 1960’s is notorious for centering problems, with many crisp copies unfortunately earning an OC or MC qualifier from PSA. There is also a fairly common print defect variation for this card where the top black border of the yellow nameplate is slightly raised (seen in the image below). PSA used to give this a “PD” qualifier in the past, but now appears to account for it in a downgrade. PSA has graded this card 135 times including 16 of the Valida back version. There does exist 1 copy of a PSA 10 in the regular back version. That sold for $12,434 in July of 2021.

1971 Panini Olympia #208

After a 2 year hiatus Panini brought Cassius Clay back to its 1971 Olympia set just in time for the Fight of the Century with Joe Frazier. This card is misunderstood and underappreciated by collectors in my opinion. The card really pops with the blue borders that match Clay’s outfit from his famous photo in the Olympic Village from 1960. The date on the card is also deceiving and I have seen several listings over the years try to portray this as a 1960 rookie card, which it obviously is not. Centering problems and chipping on the blue borders makes this card very tough to find in high grade. There are also 3 back variations for Clay in this set. The standard and most common back has red writing. There is a Brown Letter back that is about 2 x as rare on the pop report than the Red Letter back and there is also a Bisvalida redemption back parallel (both seen in the image below). High grade copies of this card with any of the backs fetch high price tags, but the lower grade copies can still be found for relatively cheap.