Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali Signed Gloves

Appraised on: July 28, 2007

Appraised in: Louisville, Kentucky

Appraised by: Mike Gutierrez

Category: Sports Memorabilia

Episode Info: Louisville, Hour 2 (#1214)

Originally Aired: April 28, 2008

IMAGE: 1 of 2  

Appraisal Video: (2:41)

GUEST: A relative of mine worked at a department store in Louisville, Kentucky, and it was in 1964. He worked in a hat department. And Cassius Clay, at the time, had just won the Olympics, and he had signed a pro contract to box professionally. When he come in to purchase a hat, there was a sporting shop in the same department store, and he ran over and grabbed these gloves and asked Cassius if he would sign them. And he says, "Who do you want me to make them out to?" And he says, "Make them out to Billy," which is my son.

APPRAISER: Okay, tell me something about how you got this glove signed.

GUEST: About four years ago, they're building a museum in Louisville for Muhammad, and they had a luncheon for him downtown. He was guest of honor. And my son attended the luncheon and he had brought the gloves with him, hoping to get him to autograph the other glove. And he seen Muhammad's brother and he showed them to Muhammad's brother, and he says, "Muhammad would really love to see those gloves." So he brought my son up to meet Muhammad, and Muhammad hugged him and he autographed the other glove.

APPRAISER: Well, let's take a look at this glove first, with the earlier signature, the one that reads, "To Billy, from Cassius Clay, next champ. Good luck. 1963." It shows a really nice, free-flowing signature. And he has the foresight, let's say, or the confidence, to write, "Next champ, 1963." And who would know that he was within a year away of fighting Sonny Liston for the title and becoming the heavyweight champion.

GUEST: That's correct.

APPRAISER: This later signature here on this glove, you're going to see how his signature has become shaky.

GUEST: Correct.

APPRAISER: Now, a regular-sized glove that you see at a convention show or from a private signing that are usually offered to the public with this kind of signature, I usually appraise for right around $600. But we have an unusual circumstance here. We have the newer, modern signature and we have one with a very unusual, vintage signature with that great inscription on it that really puts this into another phase. I believe at auction that these gloves would bring $2,000 to $3,000.

GUEST: Great. Fantastic. My son will be very happy to hear that.