Connect with us

Boxing

Gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali will be displayed at the Obama Presidential Center

Published

2 months ago

on

For years, a pair of red Everlast boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali sat quietly in a private office just outside the Oval Office.

The gloves, with the uncomplicated inscription “For Barack,” were more than just a memento of then-President Barack Obama. They reminded us of resilience.

Soon the audience will have the opportunity to see them up close.

Obama is loaning the gloves to the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, where they will be on display starting in June.

The announcement comes on the anniversary of one of the most iconic nights in sports history: February 25, 1964. Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, defeated Sonny Liston to become heavyweight champion at the age of 22. The upset marked the emergence of a fighter who would change not only boxing, but also the cultural and political landscape surrounding it.

More than sixty years later, Ali’s gloves are a actual reminder of his influence.

For Michael Strautmanis, director of corporate affairs at the Obama Foundation, the gloves carry both personal and historical significance.

“Muhammad Ali is a personal person to everyone,” Strautmanis told ESPN. “I knew what this relationship symbolized was very personal to President Obama. So he kept it close to him.”

Ali’s victory in 1964 was just the beginning. He became known as “The Greatest” not only for his speed and precision, but also for risking the title and enduring public backlash for his beliefs.

“Muhammad Ali’s activism and his skills in the ring complement each other,” Strautmanis said. “He was willing to take punishment in and out of the ring for what he believed in.”

In a 2010 essay and again in a statement after Ali’s death in 2016, Obama reflected on this legacy.

“Muhammad Ali was the Greatest. Period,” Obama wrote. “…Of course, he wasn’t perfect. For all his magic in the ring, he could be reckless with his words, and as his faith evolved, he was full of contradictions. But his wonderful, contagious, even innocent spirit ultimately won him more fans than enemies – perhaps because we hoped to see something of ourselves in him.”

Although the gloves are not associated with a specific fight, Strautmanis describes them as deeply symbolic. For Obama, this example was essential at a time when, as he once joked, he had to “fight it out here in Washington.”

“There were times when I got beat up a little bit,” Obama joked while showing off his gloves in a video posted to Facebook on June 9, 2016, a few days after Ali’s death.

During his presidency, the gloves were displayed in a private room near the Oval Office, beneath an iconic photo of Ali towering over Liston – a photo taken during their May 25, 1965 rematch in Lewiston, Maine. Since Obama left the White House, they have remained in his Washington office, where Strautmanis has seen more of them in recent years.

“I never get tired of it,” he said. “I always stopped and stopped and thought, wow. I’m glad the world will have a chance to experience the same thing.”

Their fresh home at the Obama Presidential Center hints at the role sports will play on the museum campus. The center will feature a full-size NBA-compliant basketball court, as well as other sports-related exhibits and artifacts.

“If one person walks through this museum, sees these gloves and decides they want to be part of something bigger than themselves,” Strautmanis said, “then we have more than done our job.”

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

Adam Smith reveals Ben Whittaker’s summer fight plan

Published

48 minutes ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

Image: Adam Smith reveals Ben Whittaker summer fight plan

Ben Whittaker’s next few months are already taking shape following his quick knockout victory in Liverpool, and Adam Smith outlines a busy summer schedule that should finally see the delicate heavyweight fighter face stronger tests

Smith said Whittaker is expected to return to the United States in overdue June on the Jaron “Boots” Ennis card, then return to the UK in the summer for a major date in his hometown of Birmingham.


Whittaker stopped Brian Suarez in two rounds last weekend and performed brilliantly throughout, adding another early finish to the stretch that helped rebuild attention around him after his first fight with Liam Cameron ended in a draw.

Smith said the June outing would support expose Whittaker to a wider audience ahead of a bigger national night later in the year.

“He will fight at the end of June in America at the Boots Ennis gala. That’s good. Show him to a global audience. Then he will come back here in overdue summer, maybe early September and fight in Birmingham in a huge fight,” Adam Smith said in an interview with Sport Boxing.

Smith also named British opponents who could be next, naming Lyndon Arthur, Brad Rea and Craig Richards as possible options once Whittaker returns home.

Smith believes that in the long term, bigger domestic fights with Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yard should come within the next year if Whittaker continues to win.

“Buatsis and Yards need to be delivered within the next 6-12 months.”

Whittaker has had a lot of notoriety since turning pro, but the activity and matchmaking are looking more grave now. The next two fights should tell more than the first ten.

Click here to sign up for our FREE newsletter

Related boxing news:

Categories Latest

Last updated: 24/04/2026 at 17:38

Continue Reading

Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya admits that he would consider returning on one condition

Published

3 hours ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

Oscar De La Hoya admits he would consider comeback under one condition

Six-division world champion and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya hasn’t fought since 2008, but revealed he would be willing to return for one fighter.

De La Hoya is a newfangled pound-for-pound legend, being one of only two six-division champions in the history of the sport – joined by Filipino fan favorite Manny Pacquiao, who has reached eighth in this ultra-elite club.

While De La Hoya has moved on to promote the sport, “Pac Man” recently returned to the pro ranks, challenging Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title last July in an attempt to break his own record as boxing’s oldest 147-pound ruler.

Pacquiao could only get a draw in that fight, but now he’s ready for an even bigger fight – at least financially – after signing a contract for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who defeated him in 2015 in the “Fight of the Century.”

Time will tell whether this fight will have an impact on Mayweather’s renowned 50-0 record or not. “TBE” apparently wants to change his contract to an exhibition fight despite signing a contract for sanctioned competition.

If that fight takes place in September, Mayweather will come out on top again, De La Hoya said Fighting the noise that he would also be willing to have a rematch with Mayweather.

“I am a fighter. I will always be a fighter. If Mayweather beats Pacquiao, Floyd, you owe me a rematch! Let’s go!”

Mayweather defeated De La Hoya by split decision to win the WBC super lightweight title in 2007, and De La Hoya still maintains he deserved to win the fight.

Continue Reading

Boxing

The Day Wilder vs. Joshua fight died after eight years of failure

Published

4 hours ago

on

April 24, 2026

By

Wilder vs Joshua WBN

Today is April 24, 2026, and after eight arduous years of trying, the Deontay Wilder vs. Anthony Joshua fight is off the table for good, ending one of boxing’s longest-running failed negotiations.

The last window closes

Both sides had one good opportunity to get the job done and promoter Eddie Hearn now closed it down tough. The Matchroom boss has outlined the level of opponent Joshua’s next fight will be aimed at, and it won’t be thrilling for those still hoping for Wilder.

Hearn initially branded Wilder a ‘warm-up’ for Joshua after the ‘Bronze Bomber’ sent Derek Chisora ​​to the points. However, less than a few weeks later, that position appears to have evaporated.

Instead, Joshua will now likely face lower-level opponents outside the top 15 to shake off the ring rust. It is unclear whether these instructions are coming directly from Saudi Arabia or not, but the former two-time heavyweight champion is not expected to enter a potential fight with Tyson Fury this fall after beating the YouTuber over the course of five one-sided rounds.

The Path of Fury takes priority

Joshua, who recorded wins over the likes of Otto Wallin and Jermaine Franklin before suffering a devastating stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois, is currently in advanced talks with Fury following his performance on Saturday after “The Gypsy King” defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Once negotiations are finalized and the fight is secured, British fans can look forward to the most crucial heavyweight battle in the British Isles since Frank Bruno vs. Lennox Lewis.

To achieve that, Joshua needs to fight a transition fight, and that means he won’t take any chances against Wilder, despite the American’s dwindling strength.

Wilder will now be forced to leave, and given his current form, he may struggle to maintain his current position until any Fury series ends.

Joshua vs. Fury could stretch into two or even three fights, while Wilder will turn 41 in October, which puts him firmly on the wrong side of the age divide.

Heavenly sports

How it all started

The attention for the former WBC ruler could instead turn to Andy Ruiz Jr., who – as WBN reported exclusively in 2020 – was once lined up for a massive pay-per-view clash with Wilder after the Fury trilogy.

It never materialized, but it remains one of the few remaining realistic options that still holds real intrigue.

The plan began with Shelly Finkel’s phone call to WBN in June 2018. It will end in a whimper as Joshua and Hearn choose their next move ahead of the Fury fight.

How it ended

Eight years later, it has only come close to reaching significance once, in 2023, and even then the Day of Reckoning plan fell through.

About the author

Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending