North Las Vegas, NV, Friday May 29, 2009
In the boxing ring, legendary pugilist Muhammad Ali used to float like a butterfly and sting like a bee. The former heavyweight champion of the world was considered one of the greatest fighters of all time. And now collectors can relive two of Ali’s most famous bouts via Upper Deck’s latest launch of its Pro Shots action figures series. Spotlighting the champ’s 1965 heavyweight championship bout against Sonny Liston as well as the much-publicized “Thrilla in Manila” battle against Joe Frazier in 1975, the just-released Ali Pro Shots action figures are sure to score back-to-back knockouts with collectors.

The stunning figures recently arrived from the factory and are now being shipped to retail and hobby stores nationwide. Locations include Toys R' Us and Champs stores nationwide. Be sure to keep an eye out for the hobby-exclusive, black-and-white variant of the 1965 heavyweight champion figure showing Ali exulting after knocking out Liston in the first round.

Pro Shots figures are 7" scale collectible figures presented in the popular "hyper-realistic" style. With sculpting by industry leading Gentle Giant Studios and an impeccable level of accuracy in paint and deco applications, Pro Shots action figures recreate classic moments of sport's top athletes. Packaged in either a diorama collector's box or in a crisp clam shell, each Pro Shots figure connects the collector to the emotional moment that’s being recreated.

“We’re very pleased with the way these latest ‘Pro Shots’ figures of Muhammad Ali turned out,” said Eric Hansel, sports collectibles product manager for Upper Deck Authenticated, Upper Deck’s memorabilia division. “We worked hand-in-hand with Ali Enterprises Gentle Giant in every detail to capture the likeness and spirit of two of Muhammad’s greatest moments and now collectors can relive both of them.”

Each Pro Shots figure comes packaged inside a clear “in the moment” diorama-style display box with an Upper Deck trading card commemorating the moment. The two Ali collectibles from Upper Deck join four previously released Michael Jordan ‘Pro Shots’ figures, as well as four Tiger Woods action figures commemorating his victories at the 1997 Masters and the three majors he captured in 2000. The suggested retail price for each one is $15.99 to $19.99. Collectors can also track down the Pro Shots releases by ordering at www.upperdeckstore.com.



About Upper Deck
Upper Deck is the leading sports and entertainment trading card and collectibles company. For more information on Upper Deck and its products please visit www.upperdeck.com