Laguna Niguel, Calif. (July 30, 2012) – SCP
Auctions is proud to announce The Angelo Dundee Estate Collection of boxing
memorabilia for its November 2012 online auction. In a Hall of Fame career in
professional boxing that began in 1952, Angelo Dundee gained acclaim as a
brilliant cornerman, whether healing cuts, inspiring his fighters to battle on
when they seemed to be reeling, or adjusting strategy between rounds to counter
an opponent’s style. The renowned trainer was a guiding force to the two
most celebrated fighters of his era, Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard, and 15
other world champions.
The collection features hundreds of items spanning the
breadth of Dundee’s extraordinary career and includes some of the most
historically important Muhammad Ali memorabilia ever offered to the public.
Among the collection highlights are several significant pairs of Muhammad Ali
fight-worn gloves including Ali’s (then Cassius Clay) gloves from his
February 25, 1964 bout against Sonny Liston and his gloves from his March 8,
1971 bout against Joe Frazier (Ali-Frazier I). These two pairs of gloves
represent Ali’s two most legendary fights and have been dubbed by SCP
Auctions officials as “the most valuable and historically significant
boxing artifacts in the world.”
“These gloves represent boxing’s crown
jewels,” said Dan Imler, SCP Auctions managing director, “and rank
among the most significant sports memorabilia artifacts ever offered publicly.
Muhammad Ali is a cultural icon beloved throughout the world. These are the
ultimate tools of Ali’s trade from his most legendary bouts, used by him
to forge his undisputed status as ‘The Greatest of All
Time’.”
Clay’s 1964 bout with Liston was among the most
anticipated, watched and controversial fights in sports history. The brash
22-year-old Clay entered the fight as a seven-to-one underdog against the
seemingly unstoppable Liston. Clay’s improbable sixth-round TKO brought
him his first heavyweight title. His jubilant and defiant celebration whereby
Clay repeatedly taunts ringside detractors with his famous proclamations
"I am the greatest!" and "I shook up the world!" has been
rebroadcast countless times during the ensuing decades.
Seven years later, Muhammad Ali met Joe Frazier in the first
of a trilogy of battles that may be the best series of contests between two
combatants in the history of boxing. Ali, then 31-0, had been stripped of his
heavyweight titles when, as Cassius Clay, he refused to be inducted into the
military after being drafted for the Vietnam War. Frazier, at 26-0, had
captured the title of undisputed heavyweight champion in 1970 with a technical
knockout of Jimmy Ellis. Billed as “The Fight of The Century,” it
was a brutal 15-round battle that ended with a decision in favor of Frazier.
The epic struggle is considered by many as the greatest boxing match of all
time. It was a practice of Dundee’s to mark Ali’s fight gloves with
identifying notations on the interior either just prior to or after each fight
to record their provenance. His period notations and signature appear inside
each glove.
Jim Dundee, the late Angelo’s son, plans to donate a
portion of the proceeds from the November 2012 sale to the Muhammad Ali
Foundation.
“Through the sale of this collection, I look forward
to fulfilling my father’s wish that necessary medical care be provided
and funded for my sister, who suffers from Multiple Sclerosis,” said
Dundee.
Other significant artifacts from The Angelo Dundee Estate
Collection of Boxing Memorabilia include the following:
•
Cassius Clay’s fight-worn gloves from 1962 bout vs. Johnny Logan
•
Muhammad Ali’s fight-worn gloves from 1966 bout vs. George Chuvalo
•
Muhammad Ali’s fight-worn gloves from 1970 bout vs. Oscar Bonavena
•
Muhammad Ali’s fight-worn gloves from 1972 bout vs. Floyd Patterson
•
Muhammad Ali’s c.1964 5th Street Gym training-worn robe
•
Muhammad Ali’s Everlast white satin fight-worn robe
•
Angelo Dundee’s 1958 boxing trainer's license
•
Muhammad Ali’s 1963 boxing license
•
Muhammad Ali’s mouthpiece molds and fight-worn mouthpiece from last fight
vs. Trevor Berbick
•
Sugar Ray Leonard’s fight-worn gloves from 1980 Leonard vs. Roberto Durán
II (no más) bout
For more information on how to participate in November’s
auction, visit www.scpauctions.com or
call (949) 831-3700.
