Description:

Ali Muhammad

Muhammad Ali signed 1978 Heavyweight Championship fight contract re: Ali vs. Norton

4pp photocopy of a typed document dated December 14, 1977 outlining terms of a proposed Heavyweight Championship fight between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton, signed by Muhammad Ali as “Muhammed Ali” and also signed by fight promotor Top Rank, Inc. representative Robert Arum as “Mr. Robert Arum” in blue ball point pen on fourth page. The stapled 8.5” x 11” pages were photocopies of the original, which had already been signed by Ali’s Manager, Herbert Muhammad (1929-2008). On page two, Robert Arum (born 1931) has initialed addenda to clauses four and five to include “and Muhammad Ali”. The letter grades excellent, and exhibits standard compacting folds and edge faults which do not disturb its text or the splendid Ali signature. Ali’s signature is grade 9 and Arum’s is grade 8.

Top Rank, Inc., the New York-based agency promoting the proposed Ali-Norton fight, approached Ali in December 1977 to see if he was interested in holding “the Bout” against his old rival Ken Norton the next year. The contract explains mutually agreed upon terms and conditions of the fight, including the more than $12,500,000 in compensation that would be paid to Ali and his team after the fight occurred sometime between September 1, 1978 and October 15, 1978. This agreement summarizing details of a blockbuster fight that never happened is a significant piece of boxing history.

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) had defended his Heavyweight Championship title against Ken Norton (1943-2013) in September 1976, but this turned out to be the last time the two faced off. Ali, viewed as the championship favorite, was unexpectedly defeated by Leon Spinks in February 1978. Ali regained the title from Spinks in September 1978 but then announced his retirement on June 28, 1979. Interestingly, the Ali-Spinks fight is stipulated in clause six as being one of only two additional heavyweight championship fights that Ali could hold before his Norton match-up in the fall of 1978. The terms of the contract turned out to be void.

Provenance: The letter was obtained from Muhammad Ali’s financial advisor and then through auction.

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