On the night of the heavyweight title fight between Joe Frazier and Jimmy Ellis, Muhammad Ali was sitting in the shadows of a Philadelphia theater. He was there to watch the fight (happening at Madison Square Garden) via a closed-circuit live action feed, and in the dark, he was anonymous.

It was February of 1970 and photographer Carl Fischer, who'd shot the iconic Ali Esquire cover two years earlier, was on assignment again for the magazine, this time photographing the Champ around his Philadelphia neighborhood and later at the late boxer's home. "Esquire thought there'd be a story there," Fischer remembers, "but it turned out not to be much so the story never ran."

The negatives sat in Fischer's archives for 46 years.

In the days leading up to Ali's death, I visited Fischer at his studio in New York City, where we uncovered the unpublished negatives and talked about that night and the time he spent with the late, great champion.

"We sat in the balcony and watched the fight, and with the lights down, no one recognized him," recalls Fischer. "But when it was over, for some reason…as the lights went up, he jumped up on the seat and yelled, 'I am the champ, I am the champ!' The crowd loved him and went crazy and it was all we could do to get out of there."

As the lights went up, he jumped up on the seat and yelled, 'I am the champ, I am the champ!'

After the fight, Ali and Fischer drove back to Ali's home where friends and family, including Ali's two-year-old daughter, Maryum were waiting. In the hours that followed, Fischer continued to photograph, capturing some extraordinary moments of Ali with his daughter—moments during which the champ was seemingly completely unguarded.

"There was never a photograph Ali told me not to take," Fischer says. "He was a celebrity, he was an icon, but he never played it that way."

Have a look at these never-before-seen pictures, including the image that is now our commemorative cover of our August issue—another image we found in our search through Fischer's priceless, immense, incredible archive. It is an outtake from the 1968 cover shoot in which Ali, the greatest of all time, the unbeatable champion, is plucking the arrows from his chest. Not even those could stop him.

Monochrome, Black-and-white, Monochrome photography, Plumbing, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali on the telephone at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Ear, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Cap, Black-and-white, Baseball cap, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali reading the newspaper at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Table, Furniture, Sitting, Monochrome, Curtain, Vintage clothing, Desk, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali at home. February 1970.
Motor vehicle, Automotive design, Steering part, Steering wheel, Car, Vehicle door, Glass, Windshield, Blazer, Radio, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali driving to watch the Frazier/Ellis fight (via close-circuit feed) at a local theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Motor vehicle, Automotive design, Vehicle door, Glass, Sitting, Windshield, Steering wheel, Automotive window part, Steering part, Driving, pinterest
Carl Fischer
On the drive down to the fight, Ali was speeding. When he was pulled over, the policeman didn't recognize him. "I'm the champ," Ali reportedly said. The policeman let him go with a warning. February 1970.
Crowd, Monochrome, Audience, Monochrome photography, Concert, Black-and-white, Pop music, Negative, Music venue, Rock concert, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali yelling to the crowd, "I am the champ. I am the champ," at a local theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Flash photography, pinterest
Carl Fischer
The crowd reacts to Ali announcing his presence at the local viewing of the Frazier/Ellis fight in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
People, Crowd, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Audience, Photo caption, Lens flare, Crew, pinterest
Carl Fischer
An excited crowd tries to shake hands with Muhammad Ali at a theater in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Dress shirt, Monochrome, Sitting, Collar, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, Curtain, Cobblestone, Tie, Suit trousers, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali relaxes with a glass of milk in his kitchen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Human body, Photograph, Monochrome, Black-and-white, Sitting, Monochrome photography, Snapshot, Vintage clothing, Cobblestone, Curtain, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali makes a phone call in his kitchen while daughter Maryum plays in front of him in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Eyebrow, Style, Jaw, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black hair, Portrait, Black-and-white, Portrait photography, Stock photography, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali at home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. February 1970.
Finger, Wrist, Comfort, Gesture, Nail, Thumb, Black-and-white, Monochrome photography, Cuff, Flesh, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali's hands. February 1970.

Eye, Photograph, Happy, Style, Curtain, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Window treatment, Love, Black-and-white, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ali with daughter Maryum. February 1970.
Ear, People, Shirt, Photograph, Child, Dress shirt, Monochrome, Monochrome photography, Black hair, Black-and-white, pinterest
Carl Fischer

Head, Ear, Shirt, Photograph, Child, Monochrome photography, Interaction, Monochrome, Black-and-white, Love, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ear, Shirt, Dress shirt, Photograph, Style, Adaptation, Interaction, Monochrome, Sharing, Monochrome photography, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ear, Shirt, Dress shirt, Photograph, Interaction, Monochrome photography, Monochrome, Love, Black hair, Black-and-white, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ear, Cheek, People, Photograph, Child, Interaction, Love, Gesture, Monochrome photography, Black-and-white, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Ear, Photograph, Style, Black hair, Drinking, Snapshot, Taste, Plastic bottle, Baby bottle, Eating, pinterest
Carl Fischer

And may we present, our commemorative Ali cover shot for August's issue:

Shoulder, Human leg, Standing, Joint, Shorts, Chest, Knee, Muscle, Trunk, Barechested, pinterest
Carl Fischer
Muhammad Ali photographed by Carl Fischer for Esquire. 1968.

Headshot of Elizabeth Griffin
Elizabeth Griffin
Strategic Visual Content Editor for Hearst Digital Media, Photo Editor of Esquire.com, and staff photographer at Hearst. Basically, I am a MadLib.