Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay is quickly putting together one of the most impressive Muhammad Ali collections on the planet.
Late Saturday night, Irsay purchased Muhammad Ali’s WBC championship belt, which he won in his 1974 victory over George Foreman. The heavyweight bout, which was dubbed the “Rumble in the Jungle” was held in what was then known as Zaire, but today known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Although the fight took place in 1974, the WBC didn’t start awarding belts until 1976, meaning the belt was awarded retroactively. That being said, Ali managed to defend the title 9 consecutive times before finally relinquishing it in 1978.
The price tag for such a unique piece of boxing history? A cool $6.18M via Heritage Auctions in a bidding war that lasted until the wee hours of Sunday morning. The belt is one of only two known WBC belts which have been authenticated as being owned by Ali. Another version is currently in a private museum collection, and is unlikely to ever be put up for sale.
The $6.18M figure is quite the jump from the $120K paid to acquire the same belt back in 2017. However Irsay clearly couldn’t resist adding a crown jewel to his already impressive Ali related collection.
In addition to the recently purchased WBC belt, Irsay also owns the walkout robe Ali wore in his 1965 rematch with Sonny Liston, and the shoes he wore in his infamous “Thrilla in Manila” victory over Joe Frazier in 1975.
The robe holds particular importance because it was the first time Ali fought under his new namesake after changing his name from Cassius Clay.
After final fees were incorporated into the sale, the WBC belt stands as the 3rd most expensive piece of sports memorabilia ever sold at auction.
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