Muhammad Ali’s boxing trunks from the “The Thrilla in Manila” are up for auction now for up to $6 million.
The boxing shorts, from the classic 1975 fight against Joe Frazier known as “The Thrilla in Manila,” are up for auction until Friday, April 12, and are expected to sell anywhere between $4 to $6 million. Many experts say if the shorts make it to $5 million, they will be one of the top ten most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia of all time.
“The Thrilla in Manila,” touted as one of the biggest boxing matches in history, collided the Louisville legend against Frazier for the third time, with one win apiece between the two heavyweights. Ali eventually prevailed not through a knockout as per usual, but exhaustion from Frazier’s camp, who inevitably decided to throw in the towel, giving Ali the edge over his bitter rival.
As of Monday, April 8, the auction currently has a bid of $3.8 million, with five total bids made for the boxing shorts being sold by the London-based Sothebys. Currently, the shorts are being held at the New York Gantry Point Warehouse.
The shorts have exchanged hands several times since the death of Ali’s trainer, Drew “Bundini” Brown, ending up in the hands of a private collector back in 2012.
This article appears in Literary LEO.
