The greatest! Muhammad Ali’s red robe from 1971 MSG battle with Joe Frazier available at auction
On the evening of March 8, 1971, inside a celebrity-packed Madison Square Garden, Muhammad Ali entered the ring wrapped in a red robe with white trim for his “Fight of the Century” with Joe Frazier.
After Ali’s loss in a 15-round decision, the robe disappeared from his wardrobe — permanently. It’s back 51 years later, perhaps the rarest offering in a Heritage Auctions event featuring more than 1,600 Ali items from his early career as Cassius Clay through his metamorphosis into “The Greatest.”
“The robe is really iconic when you realize he lost the fight,” said collection owner Troy Kinunen, whose first buy was a vintage Ali fight poster in 1988 before amassing the unprecedented array of memorabilia available at the July 21-23 auction.
Muhammad Ali in red trunks, and Joe Frazier in green trunks, during round 5 or 6 of their bout at Madison Square Garden on March 8, 1971. (John Lindsay/)
“Guys can get dejected,” he continued. “The robe represents the story of Ali’s comeback, his motivation to fight Frazier two more times and defeat George Foreman and regain the world championship.”
Other highlights of the unparalleled collection assembled across 30 years include the signed mouthpiece Ali wore during that 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” victory over Foreman, an embroidered prayer cap gifted to the fighter before the “Thrilla in Manila” rematch with Frazier, and posters from all but one of Ali’s 61 professional fights.
The first Ali-Frazier match endures more than a half-century later as a cultural touchstone transcending the event itself : Frank Sinatra took his place as a ringside photographer and the credentialed media included Norman Mailer. Among the crowd of 20,455 were Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Woody Allen and Diana Ross.
The prayer cap presented to Ali before his "Thrilla in Manila" rematch with Joe Frazier in 1975.
Ali, after his 1967 refusal to serve in the Vietnam War, was stripped of his title before returning to the ring three years later as both hero and anti-hero. The Frazier fight lived up to the hype, with the champion scoring a unanimous decision over Ali in a 15-round slugfest.
But Kinunen maintains Ali made a statement even in defeat.
“Anything to do with social justice, that was Muhammad Ali’s calling,” said Kinunen. “Other athletes had the same convictions as Ali, but none quit their jobs. None gave up their paychecks.”
Ali, after the loss, suggested his choice of the red robe with his name in white lettering had something to do with his defeat and returned to his standard black and white outfit. The rare piece of ring attire was later autographed by Ali, who never wore it again.
“It’s the crown jewel of the collection,” said Kinunen. “It’s just very special.”
A poster from the Ali, then Cassius Clay's first fight with Sonny Liston on Feb. 27, 1964, in Miami.
As are many of the lots from collection launched with Kinunen’s acquisition 34 years ago of a poster from Ali’s Nov. 14, 1966, fight with Cleveland Williams at the Astrodome.
“I had a sense of who Muhammad Ali was,” said Kinunen, 52, who was just a kid during Ali’s heyday. “I started researching and reading biographies on him. I had some VHS tapes and became introduced to him. And the more I learned, the more fascinated I became with his story.”
He was soon meeting with the boxer’s friends and acquaintances in Ali’s hometown of Louisville, collecting various pieces of the fighter’s past along with some good stories.
His hunt eventually led to the Hall of Fame boxer’s longtime cornerman Drew “Bundini” Brown, who saved an assortment gloves, robes and trunks worn by the fighter in the ring.
And the red robe, too.
Kinunan recalled snapping up whatever he could when Bundini’s cache of Ali memorabilia was auctioned off, but now says it’s time for him to sell.
“I have so much respect for the man and his legacy, but I’m not the proper caretaker,” he said. “I’m really happy with discussing this. I love sharing this. Let the other fans have their chance.”
