Bids hit £500,000 in auction for glove Muhammad Ali 'deliberately tore'

The boxing glove that Muhammad Ali reportedly deliberately tore in his 'most controversial fight' is up for auction - approximately worth up to £6million

The boxing glove that Muhammad Ali reportedly deliberately tore in his 'most controversial fight' is up for auction - with estimates that it's worth up to £6million. Auctioneer Stuart Bull is selling what he claims is the left-handed glove worn by the boxing legend during his infamous 1963 fight against Henry Cooper.

The glove sparked controversy because Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee is said to have widened a rip in it to buy the boxer time to recover after he was knocked down by Cooper. Bids are already at £500,000 with weeks to go and Stuart believes it could fetch between £4million and £6million.

Christie's sold a pair of gloves featuring a split, said to be from the fight when the star was still known as Cassius Clay, in 2001 for £37,600. However Stuart, of Stuart Bull Auctions in Chard, Somerset, believes he has the real deal, even creating a 64-page dossier detailing the item's legitimacy after eight months of extensive research.

With the auction's end date set for October 31st, 54-year-old Stuart hopes to convince people he has the genuine article and wants the world to see it. Stuart, from Barwick, Somerset, said: "I'm absolutely thrilled to be auctioning it. The thing is getting everybody to believe that we've got the real glove - we know we've got the real glove.

"The torn glove is the most controversial boxing glove in the history of boxing, it's been the talking point for 60 years, it's the most controversial fight ever. We're hoping it will sell for £4-6million because we believe it's the most important glove that Cassius Clay ever wore.

"If not for that fight, we may never have heard of Muhammad Ali. It was a make or break moment in his career. It's the most important last fight that he ever had before he had changed his name to Muhammad Ali.

"Because there are two gloves in contention, trying to get the world to sit up and listen is hard because I'm not a huge auction house I don't have the reach. I think it will be quite emotional when it's sold, it's been a real rollercoaster."

Stuart claims the competition glove was sent to its manufacturer, Bailey's, after the fight and was signed by Henry Cooper in the 1980s. The late managing director Richard Mayers then gifted the glove to his partner, who kept it in a shoebox for 31 years before her son decided to sell it.

The starstruck auctioneer revealed he came into possession of the glove on November 9th and has worked tirelessly to produce evidence of its authenticity. The 64-page report includes a signed statement from Richard Mayers and images of the glove's tear.

Forensic analysis apparently found the glove had been torn and also cut with a sharp object, which is consistent with Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee's statements in a recorded interview. Stuart said: "It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be trusted with something like this.

"I got a phone call from a chap telling me he'd got the genuine glove. I said 'hang on a minute, you can't have it because it was sold in London in 2001'. He said 'no, you've got to see this'. I went to see the family, they showed me the glove and told me the story.

"From that moment there's never been a shred of doubt in my mind that I was holding the genuine article. When I took consignment of the glove I had enough provenance that would be suitable for any auction house.

"I had a letter from the managing director of Baily's explaining that it was the genuine glove from that fight and I had the deeds from the factory. I got all this information that would normally be enough.

"We left no stone unturned, every stone we looked under was positive. Every time we asked a question to the relevant people, the answer was positive. Our glove is made from the right leather skin, it's the right colour and it's got the right lace in it. It's consistent with only four rounds of boxing, so it's not worn at all.

"Ours ticks every box. The gloves that Henry Cooper wore for that fight and the gloves Cassius Clay wore were both made on the same day in the same factory by the same people using the same materials. They were identical." Currently being held in a maximum-security underground vault in a secret location, Stuart hopes the glove will be sold before October 31st to be put on show for the world to see.

Stuart said: "It's a shame it's been hidden away for so many years. It will be amazing for someone to have this piece of history. We're hoping that it will find its rightful place in a museum somewhere or on show in some very important boxing arena. It's just so important, it needs to be aired." A Christie's spokesman said: "We are unable to provide comment on pieces that are not consigned to Christie's."