The gloves which bought Muhammad Ali glory against Sonny Liston on Feb. 25, 1964, were auctioned off on Saturday night. According to ESPN’s Dan Rafael the gloves delivered a stunning $836,500. The buyer chose to remain anonymous:
The Heritage Auction took place almost after 50 years to the day, when Ali who was known as Cassius Clay took down Sonny Liston in Miami Beach, Fla in 1964.
“These are the very gloves that Ali wore when he claimed his first heavyweight championship 50 years ago and, given the attention these received from media and fans all over the world, and the spectacular price they achieved, it’s clear that Ali is just as loved and respected today as he’s ever been,” said Chris Ivy, director of sports collectibles at Heritage Auctions.
It is no surprise when the gloves fetched such a large price, knowing how big of and icon Ali has become. His victory against Liston marked the beginning of his career rise. Though he did win a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics, but it was the match at the Miami Beach which Ali’s legend began.
For those who are wondering why would Ali would choose to auction his priceless piece of memory, the gloves actually belonged to the estate of Angelo Dundee, Ali’s legendary trainer, who died in 2012. Dundee’s son, Jim, put the gloves and other pieces of boxing memorabilia up for auction that same year in order to help pay for the family’s medical bills. Jim Dundee put a portion of the auction fee into the Muhammad Ali Foundation. Ali’s famous gloves were not the only big-money items to be jettisoned by Heritage Auctions, The auction also included a World Series pocket watch belonging to Babe Ruth which went for $717,000, while a game-used bat from “Shoeless” Joe Jackson fetched $956,000. So at the end of the day we learn that if you own a piece of Sports history it is going to earn you in a precipitous price.