Muhammad Ali Memorabilia Certified by CGC and CAG in Heritage Sale

Muhammad Ali won his first boxing match at the age of 12, and he never looked back. During the next 25 years, Ali would dominate the world of boxing, earning the nickname “The Greatest” and redefining what it meant to be a heavyweight champion. His larger-than-life persona in and out of the ring led Sports Illustrated to name him the Sportsman of the Century in 1999.

Certified Guaranty Company® (CGC®) and Collectibles Authentication Guaranty® (CAG®) were honored to have authenticated and attributed several Ali artifacts that are featured in the Summer Sports Catalog Auction being held by Heritage Auctions from July 21 through July 23, 2022.

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One of the top Ali items available in the auction is a 1957 Louisville Golden Gloves Program that lists Ali, who had yet to change his name from Cassius Clay, among the boxers on the ticket. Ali, who was 15 at the time, fought William F. May in the 158-pound division and defeated him by unanimous decision. The program is the earliest known that includes Ali. Graded CGC 4.5, the opening bid on the program is $1,500. Heritage estimates its value to be at least $6,000.

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The On-site Program from the 1975 fight between Ali and Joe Frazier is another high-value piece of memorabilia offered in the sale. Known as the “Thrilla in Manilla,” the fight marked the third time that Ali and Frazier met in the ring. Temperatures in the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Philippines, reportedly were near 100-degrees Fahrenheit, making the fight extremely challenging for both boxers. Ali, who won the fight by a TKO after 14 rounds, later said the fight marked “the closest thing to dying that I know.” Graded CGC 6.0, this is the finest known example of the program.

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A third fight program included in the auction dates from February 25, 1964, when Ali won his first world heavyweight title fighting against Sonny Liston at the Miami Beach Convention Center. The oversized program, which cost fight attendees $1, tax included, is estimated by Heritage to be worth at least $4,000. It was authenticated and encapsulated by CAG, with a label designating it as part of the Troy Kinunen collection.

The auction also includes a number of magazines certified by CGC and featuring Ali, including issues of Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Time and Jet. Other CAG-certified items include handbills from a variety of Ali fights and four copies of a 1978 DC comic book entitled “Superman vs. Cassius Clay.” The comic book is offered in Italian, Turkish, German and Spanish.