Fifty-year-old boxing gloves worn by American boxing legend Mohammad Ali and Sonny Liston during the infamous 'Phantom Punch' bout in 1965 are reportedly expected to fetch more than 3,00,000 pounds at an auction.
Auctioneers Heritage Auctions in New York have revealed that the two pairs of gloves are among the most important pieces of memorabilia to ever come on the market and they would have a starting bid of 3,33,454 pounds when they are sold on February 21, but are expected to sell for double that amount.
The boxing commissioner for the state of Maine sized the gloves after the infamous 'Phantom Punch' bout on May 25, 1965 ended in just under two minutes when Liston was 'knocked out', the Mirror reported.
The first bout between the boxing duo had ended with Liston refusing to come out for the seventh round and controversy was rife about a fix and a secret contract.
Ali, who was then still known as Cassius Clay, was feared for his association with Malcolm X and the Black Muslims and Liston was widely suspected of having mob ties.
Chris Ivy from Heritage Auctions revealed that the rematch was the first time Ali officially changed his name and put him on the path to becoming the greatest boxer of all time.
More From This Section
Only 2,434 fans witnessed the bout, the smallest audience in heavyweight championship history, and the continued existence of the gloves was unknown to the collecting world until a few years ago.
Collector Seth Ersoff acquired the gloves from the family of the boxing commissioner and they are accompanied with sworn affidavits and a letter from Ali himself.
Ivy said that it's not out of line to place these gloves among the most important pieces of memorabilia to ever come to market, adding that these transcend sports. He said that the drama and outrage that swirled around the Ali-Liston fights were a microcosm of America's growing pains of the mid-1960s.
Ivy claimed that the rematch was the first time Muhammad Ali stepped into the ring as Muhammad Ali, adding that not only had he just officially changed his name, the fight and everything that happened around it put Ali on the path to becoming not only the greatest boxer of all time, but also one of the most beloved human beings on the planet.
