Ali’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ trunks set to sell for $A9m

[Pelican Press 0]

Ali’s ‘Thrilla in Manila’ trunks set to sell for $A9m

Muhammad Ali’s white satin boxing trunks from his epic “Thrilla in Manila” bout against Joe Frazier are expected to sell for more than $US6 million ($A9 million) at auction.

Auction house Sotheby’s said on Thursday (Friday AEDT) the trunks from the October 1975 bout in the Philippines, which was won by Ali and marked a brutal finish to perhaps the greatest trilogy in boxing history, will be up for auction until April 12.

The trunks, which feature a ****** trim at the waistband and ****** piping running down the side of each leg, are inscribed by Ali’s assistant trainer and corner man Drew “Bundini” Brown and signed by Ali in ****** Sharpie.

Sotheby’s said the trunks were auctioned in 1988 from Bundini’s storage locker after his ****** for about $US1000 ($A1520) and have since made their way through the auction market. They were last auctioned in 2012 for just over $US150,000 ($A227,800).

In the sweltering heat of a Philippine afternoon, the world of boxing witnessed a brutal spectacle as Ali and Frazier fought each other for the third and final time in a clash of wills that etched itself into the annals of sporting history.

In what proved to be a frightfully punishing encounter, Ali retained the heavyweight crown when Frazier’s trainer would not allow his fighter to answer the bell for the 15th round.

After the most trying ****** of his storied career, Ali said it was the closest he had ever felt to ******.

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In the first of three bouts between the two boxers, Frazier broke Ali’s unbeaten record when he knocked him down with a left ***** in the 15th round en route to winning by unanimous decision in March 1971.

Ali got revenge when he outpunched Frazier for a unanimous 12-round decision in January 1974, setting the stage for the “Thrilla in Manila” nearly two years later.

Ali, whose record-setting boxing career, unprecedented flair for showmanship and controversial stands made him one of the best-known figures of the 20th century, ***** in June 2016 aged 74 of septic shock due to unspecified natural causes.

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