Muhammad Ali robe worn for fight of the century to sell for eye-watering fee
The iconic red and white robe worn by boxing icon Muhammad Ali before his 1971 fight of the century against rival Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden is set to sell for almost £1million.
The legendary American boxer donned the famous crimson red attire, which has white trim, to the ring before the New York showdown which handed him the first defeat of his career after 31 consecutive victories.
The gown, which has the name of the late great stitched into the back, was also signed by Ali before his 2016 passing – which has sent the estimated value skyrocketing.
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Listed by Heritage Auctions, the robe has a current bid of $100,000 (£83,000), with their experts expecting offers to climb to £800,000 before the July 18 deadline.
As estimated 300 million people watched the highly-anticipated 1971 bout in which the WBA, WBC, and The Ring heavyweight titles were on the line.
Ali lost by unanimous decision to the undefeated Frazier, but did go on to get his revenge in their 1974 rematch and 1975 trilogy bout via technical knock-out and then corner retirement.
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With their second bout entitled Super Fight II, their third had the more catchy title of Thrilla in Manila.
On Frazier's passing in 2011, Ali was quick to offer a tribute by saying: "The world has lost a great champion. I will always remember Joe with respect and admiration.
"My sympathy goes out to his family and loved ones."
The description of the item reads: "A perfect match to photography and video of the bout, the red velvet garment announces "Muhammad Ali" in white tackle twill on verso, underscored by a bold black sharpie autograph."
Adding: "Belt, collar and trim appears in sleek white satin.
"The robe has no maker's label, a custom creation. This most recognisable Ali robe available to the collecting community presents without any condition problems to report, a gorgeous showpiece from the most heralded bout of the twentieth century."
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