# Neil Leifer's Ali-Liston photo: Who is the balding, gray-haired photographer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357 "2016-06-25T22:20:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357/1 "2016-06-25T22:20:30Z")
[For reference](https://www.google.com/search?q=ali+liston+leifer+photo&biw=1347&bih=1019&tbm=isch&imgil=ay2AMi22jBlLsM%253A%253BWzKeq-IO7mHI9M%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fneilleifer.com%25252Fportfolio%25252Fmuhammad-ali-vs-sonny-liston-1965-world-heavyweight-title-2%25252F&source=iu&pf=m&fir=ay2AMi22jBlLsM%253A%252CWzKeq-IO7mHI9M%252C_&usg=__3Vf5vvqU5ttSdZTNmQ8vuTojZA8%3D&dpr=0.95&ved=0ahUKEwjI-8P8mcTNAhWKNSYKHSlsBHYQyjcIOw&ei=egJvV8jWG4rrmAGp2JGwBw#imgrc=W6bNRWrKKaXUjM%3A). You can see him in the audience between Ali’s legs. Trivia note: Behind him, a couple of rows back, staring in open-mouthed shock is none other than Larry Merchant. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357/2 "2016-06-25T22:51:05Z")
According to this Cracked article, that’s Herb Scharfman. Herb was a more senior photographer who booted Neil Leifer out of his preferred seat. Neil then went and sat on the other side of the ring and got this picture. At best, Herb got a picture of Ali’s ass. Neil got to take one of the most iconic pictures of Ali’s career. > **[23 Mind Blowing Stories Behind The Most Famous Photos Ever](https://www.cracked.com/pictofacts-509-the-fascinating-stories-behind-world-renowned-photos)** > > That swimming baby made famous by Nirvana? Not actually swimming. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2016, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357/3 "2016-06-25T23:45:23Z")
Thank you. [And that’s even more interesting than Larry Merchant’s appearance.] ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357/4 "2016-06-26T00:08:31Z")
Scharfman did have his own iconic boxing photo. [This one]([https://www.google.com/search?q=herb+scharfman&biw=1347&bih=1019&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNmZnqssTNAhVJKCYKHQLLBqgQ\_AUIBigB&dpr=0.95\](https://www.google.com/search?q=herb+scharfman&biw=1347&bih=1019&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjNmZnqssTNAhVJKCYKHQLLBqgQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.95%5C)) of Rocky Marciano slugging Jersey Joe Walcott in their first fight. It’s not actually the 13th round KO hit, but a hit from an earlier round that just happened to get it at the right moment. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2016, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/neil-leifers-ali-liston-photo-who-is-the-balding-gray-haired-photographer/758357/5 "2016-06-26T02:59:23Z")
This is fairly comprehensive story and tells why the other photographer was where he was. > **[Ali-Liston 50 Years Later: The Real Story Behind the Greatest Sports Photo of...](https://slate.com/culture/2015/05/ali-liston-50th-anniversary-the-true-story-behind-neil-leifers-perfect-photo.html)** > > A version of this essay was originally printed in the Iowa Review. * * * > [@](#): > > “Luck in sports photography is everything,” Leifer would say later, “but what separates the really top sports photographer from the ordinary is that when they get lucky, they don’t miss.” > > Leifer didn’t miss that day, and he also got lucky. If Leifer hadn’t chosen the opposite side as Scharfman, he would’ve been stuck shooting toward Ali’s back at the big moment.\* But when Liston fell, he fell in front of Leifer, not Scharfman. “It didn’t matter how good Herbie was that day,” Leifer said. “He was in the wrong seat.” Instead of snapping a historic photo, Scharfman became part of one. The balding man between Ali’s legs? That’s Herb Scharfman, Leifer’s rival: