A piece of boxing history is returning to the ring as the white satin trunks worn by the late Muhammad Ali during his 1975 'Thrilla in Manila' fight against Joe Frazier in the Philippines are being auctioned off. In fact, it appeared at the auction. The New York branch of London-based auction house Sotheby's put out bids Thursday and estimates the short sale will sell for $4 million to $6 million by the time the auction closes on April 12.
Sotheby's says the famous Everlast branded trunks, engraved by Ali's assistant trainer and cornerman Drew “Bandini” Brown and signed by “The Greatest” himself, will be up for auction. This is the fifth time Brown's estate has sold the rare pants since they first sold them. It was sold to a private collector in 1988 for a reported $1,000 at the time. It was last sold in 2012 and reportedly cost $150,000.
If Ali's trunk sells for more than $5 million, it would rank among the top 10 most expensive sports memorabilia items (not including trading cards), according to research firm Altan Insights. Sports goods have transformed from once primarily a hobby for hobbyists into a large-scale industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, with global market values increasing by 2021, according to Market Decipher. It is expected to reach $26 billion a year and jump to more than $227 billion by 2032.
Analysts say one big driver of growth is match-worn memorabilia, which Sotheby's verifies authenticity through a meticulous photo-matching process. According to Altan Insights, the current record holder for the most expensive piece of sports memorabilia (excluding trading cards) is Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls jersey from Game 1 of the NBA Finals during the 1998 “Last Dance” season. , which reportedly sold for more than $10 million. Ali's 1974 Rumble in the Jungle championship belt against George Foreman sold for more than $6 million in July 2022.
Ali, who was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in 1942 and died in 2016, is considered not only one of the greatest boxers, but also one of the most iconic sports and civil rights figures of all time. ing. The bout with Frazier in the Philippines in 1975 began with the “Fight of the Century,” in which former champion and then-undefeated Ali lost to heavyweight champion “Smokin' Joe” at Madison Square Garden. It was the culmination of a legendary three-game rivalry. Shortly after Ali returned to the ring in 1971 after a long hiatus after refusing to register for the draft due to religious and moral objections to the Vietnam War. Ali settled the fight in his next fight in 1974, proving his superiority over Frazier in the final in Manila.
