Muhammad Ali is considered by many as the greatest boxer ever. He built his boxing legacy thanks to iconic moments such as the one he starred in 1965 when he defeated Sonny Liston on their rematch. Now, anybody can be the owner of a part of the tale against Liston: Ali's walkout robe is going to be part of an auction in February. The only requirement is to be ready to possibly spend a massive amount on the clothing.
Before his second clash against Liston, the Greatest introduced himself as Cassius Clay. He held 19 fights with that name until he announced his conversion to Muslimism. One of the consequences of that decision was to change his name to Muhammad Ali: "Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I don't want it." stated the Kentucky native. The whole world was shocked because of this.
So, the rematch fight against Sonny Liston on February 25, 1965, was the first time that Muhammad Ali used that name on a ring. Probably, the clash did not fulfill the expectations it created, as Ali knocked out his opponent in the first round. But it turned into one of the most iconic moments of boxing history. Even, it was immortalized with the world-known photograph of Ali standing in front of the fallen Liston.
The price that could fetch Muhammad Ali's 1965 robe at auction
The terry cloth piece worn by Ali in 1965 is going to be auctioned off on February 5. Even though it has a reserve of $150,000, thanks to its historical value, the white robe with the "Muhammad Ali" on red letters on its back could reach a massive price at the very end.
According to experts consulted by TMZ, Muhammad Ali's first robe ever to be emblazoned with his Muslim name to be auctioned off by Goldin Auctions may have a final price of almost 500,000 dollars. The piece has a notarized letter of provenance which certifies its authenticity, and also has been photo matched by WBC Authentification. This is on the report to Goldin Auctions website.
Muhammad Ali ended his career in 1981 after being defeated by Trevor Berbick. His professional record was 56-5-0 (37 KO's), he held 25 title fights, and currently is the only boxer that has been a three-time lineal World Heavyweight Champion in history.
