Spotted: The Jack Davis Knockout

Last year, on my visit to the MAD Magazine headquarters in New York I was shown an amazing Jack Davis original featuring a boxer getting his head knocked off by his opponent. According to Assistant Art Director Ryan Flanders, the illustration - probably drawn in the 50's or even early 60's - was never originally published. The reason? A mystery.

But the other day, my dad delivered a box of old MAD's from his collection, and lo and behold! I spied a familiar sight:

The illustration finally appeared in MAD Super Special #70 "Sports 2" from Spring 1989 - many years later.

Below is me drooling all over the original: