'Antiques Roadshow' guest brings Muhammad Ali's shoes but gets disappointing news from the expert
A pair of shoes isn't very valuable, but it becomes expensive when it's associated with a brand, while a legend's touch can turn it into gold. That was proven to be right when boots that once belonged to boxing icon Muhammad Ali, turned up on “Antiques Roadshow.” The expert was more than intrigued, but the only problem with the boots was the fact that they had no documentation.
The provenance of an item can't simply be established by word of mouth, and there needs to be some form of authentic documentation that gives the appraiser an insight into the history of the item. Ali’s shoes are certainly items that require to be verified using such documents.
The guest, unfortunately, did not have them but claimed that the pair that he had was the one that the legendary boxer wore in the iconic event called "Thrilla in Manila." Ali fought and won against Joe Frazier III in the event, further establishing himself as one of the greatest boxers ever. The guest claimed that after the event was over, the boxer used that pair as training boots until a part of it got damaged.
Ali’s coach, Angelo Dundee, had then given the boots to the guest who later had them signed. The "Thrilla in Manila" event was in 1975, and the guest claimed to have received these boots in 1980. The guest knew Dundee thanks to his job, since at the time, he was the executive sports editor of the Philadelphia Enquirer, which helped him build contacts with a lot of sporting personalities.
The guest claimed that Dundee had given him the pair of shoes along with one of Ali’s robes. He also sent a note confirming that it was indeed the same pair of shoes that he wore in his iconic Manila event. The only problem with his story, as the expert revealed, was that there was already one more pair of shoes that was certified to have been worn by the boxer in the historic event.
“In my research that I did, I have found another pair that was from the 'Thrilla in Manila,' actually certified authentic as Ali’s shoes that were worn in the 'Thrilla in Manila,'” the expert Grant Zahajko revealed. This came as a surprise to the guest. “You’re kidding,” he said. Zahajko also said that the pair of boots the guest had might have just been training shoes that Ali used.
Zahajko said that the pair, which the guest had brought to the show, would be able to bring in $15,000 to $20,000 at auction. However, with the right provenance and authentication, Ali’s shoes that he wore in his big fights have been able to bring in six figures.
