In 1964, Cassius Clay entered the ring to face Sonny Liston, a menacing bruiser and heavy favorite to defend his heavyweight crown. But it was the young challenger – four years removed from his gold medal in Rome – who shocked the world to win his first heavyweight title. Then came the undefeated and overpowering George Foreman in the famous "Rumble in the Jungle” ten years later. Seemingly overmatched, Muhammad Ali did it again, elevating his legend to new heights. Finally, on September 15, 1978, with his best years clearly behind him, Ali defeated Leon Spinks in a rematch from his 15-round loss seven months earlier to win the World Heavyweight Championship an unprecedented third time.
Featured here is one of the most sought-after Muhammad Ali collectibles in the market, an extraordinarily rare piece of jewelry commissioned exclusively by The GOAT himself to commemorate his third ascent to the mountain top. Only Ali, his trainers/cornermen, and a few select VIP’s were fortunate enough to receive this blingy 14-karat gold ring. This one was gifted by Ali to arguably the most important member of his inner circle, his longtime head trainer Angelo Dundee. Nobody made a greater impact on Ali’s iconic boxing career than Dundee, who trained Ali for all but two fights from 1960 to ’81 and became like a father-figure. His nurturing mentorship and dogged loyalty – staying with The Champ through his conversion to Islam, refusal to enter the Vietnam draft and subsequent exile from the sport – certainly earned Angelo this special, 14-karat gold gift from his outspoken pupil he lovingly called “my kid.”
The striking face features a large diamond set atop a red stone with three smaller round-cut diamonds representing each heavyweight crown won by The Greatest of All Time. Surrounding the perimeter is "M. Ali - World Champ - Three Times." The left shank identifies the recipient “DUNDEE” with “Trainer of Muhammad Ali 60-79” inscribed on a boxing glove. The right shank has "MUHAMMAD ALI” and “64 - '74 - ‘78” with a boxing glove inscribed with his three opponents, “S. Liston - G. Foreman - L. Spinks.” The interior band is stamped "Jostens 14K.” Incredibly well-preserved with very light wear, the ring comes in size 10 and weighs 42 grams.
Angelo Dundee went on to train fifteen other world champions in boxing, most notably Sugar Ray Leonard for his biggest fights against Duran, Hearns and Hagler. He worked passionately into his mid-80s, overseeing Russell Crowe’s form in the James J. Braddock biopic, Cinderella Man, and advising Oscar De La Hoya when he fought Pacquiao in 2008. Back in 2011 we presented the prestigious Angelo Dundee Collection – one of the most prestigious boxing auctions to date – where much of Ali’s most historically significant fight-worn gloves and trunks resided for decades. Dundee passed away a year later at the age of 90. His son, Jim, inherited Angelo’s ring and now it is being offered for the very first time. The only other example of this same version ring ever offered was that of Drew “Bundini” Brown, Ali’s friend and assistant trainer. A letter of provenance signed by the late Angelo Dundee (verified by Beckett) and his son is included.