Muhammad Ali’s split glove from the iconic 1963 fight versus Henry Cooper will be auctioned off by Chard Auctions on June 18. The auction house expects the glove to fetch a price of around £500,000.
The fight against Copper was notable because it was one of the four times that Ali, boxing under the name Cassius Clay at the time, was knocked down. He was sent to the mat in the fourth round and was visibly shaken. In order to buy Ali some extra time to recover after the end of the round, his trainer, Angelo Dundee, widened the split in his glove and requested a new pair.
Ali would go on to bounce back in the fifth round, severely hurting Cooper and forcing the referee to end the fight and declare him the winner.
According to Chard Auctions, the glove was returned to its manufacturer, Baily’s, after the fight ended, and it remained in the company’s possession until managing director Richard Mayers gifted it to his partner. The family of Mayers’ partner is the one selling the glove and it comes with a handwritten letter from Mayers that confirms its authenticity.
It is important to note that auction house Christie’s sold a pair of gloves, with one featuring the split, from the same fight back in 2001. The gloves sold for £37,600.
“I’m so excited about this sale. When I saw the pictures of the glove and all the evidence of its provenance it blew me away. I’m absolutely thrilled to bits that I’ve been chosen to promote this and to sell it on. I’m very confident it’s the real glove,” said Chard Auctions’ Stuart Bull via Guardian.