Bids soar to £500,000 in auction for glove Muhammad Ali ‘deliberately tore’
An auction has generated bids of up to £500,000 for the boxing glove that Muhammad Ali allegedly deliberately tore during one of his most controversial fights. The auction for this iconic piece, estimated to be worth a staggering £6 million, is causing a stir among boxing enthusiasts and collectors alike.
Stuart Bull, the auctioneer overseeing the sale, claims that the left-handed glove on offer was worn by Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, during his infamous 1963 bout against Henry Cooper. The glove gained notoriety as Ali’s trainer, Angelo Dundee, is believed to have widened a rip in it to provide Ali with a strategic advantage after being knocked down by Cooper.
With the bidding already reaching £500,000 and several weeks left before the auction’s conclusion, Bull anticipates the final price to range between £4 million and £6 million. In comparison, a pair of gloves featuring a split from the same fight, when Ali was still known as Cassius Clay, sold for £37,600 at Christie’s in 2001.
Bull, who heads Stuart Bull Auctions in Chard, Somerset, meticulously researched the glove’s authenticity over eight months before presenting a detailed 64-page dossier confirming its legitimacy. Expressing his excitement about the auction, Bull stated, “I’m absolutely thrilled to be auctioning it. The torn glove is the most controversial boxing glove in the history of boxing.”
According to Bull, the competing glove was sent to Bailey’s, the manufacturer, post-fight and was later autographed by Henry Cooper in the 1980s. After being stored in a shoebox for over three decades by the late managing director’s partner, the glove finally made its way to Bull for auction.
The detailed provenance includes a signed statement from the managing director, Richard Mayers, and forensic analysis confirming the glove’s tear was deliberate – consistent with Dundee’s actions as recounted in an interview. Bull asserts, “Our glove ticks every box. The gloves that Henry Cooper and Cassius Clay wore were made on the same day in the same factory with identical materials.”
Currently safeguarded in a maximum-security underground vault at a secret location, the glove is set to be unveiled to the public before the auction’s closing date of October 31st. Bull envisions the glove finding a place of honour, possibly in a museum or boxing arena, for enthusiasts to appreciate its historical significance.
As the auction continues to generate interest and speculation, the boxing world eagerly awaits the final hammer price for this iconic piece of sporting memorabilia.