7. Muhammad Ali’s 1965 Boxing Gloves – Sold for: $956,000
Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston fought each other in Maine on 25th May 1965, and Ali knocked him out in the first round. Many referred to it as the “phantom punch”.
The fight was iconic for many reasons. It was just after Muhammad Ali had changed his name after converting to Islam, it was also a controversial rematch predated by a great deal of baiting and press attention.
Auctioned in Dallas, both pairs of gloves were bought in 2015 for just under $1m, and have been referred to by the auctioneer as “among the most important pieces of memorabilia to ever come to market”. They’re certainly two of the most expensive signed merchandise pieces in boxing.
