On December 27, 1960 at the Auditorium in Miami Beach a young Cassius
Clay fought his second professional fight against Herb Siler. Clay
completely outclassed his opponent before stopping him in the fourth
round. Offered here is a pair of boxing gloves used in training by
Cassius Clay for this fight which he has signed. These are red
leather boxing gloves. On each wrist there is a white manufacturer’s
label for Spartan Sporting Goods Manufacturing Company. The gloves
include the original white laces. On the inside backhand of each
glove in ink are printed the initials C.C. (for Cassius Clay). On the
left glove on the exterior backhand Cassius Clay has signed in ink,
From Cassius Marcellus Clay Dec. 19-60. On the exterior backhand of
the right hand glove is printed in white paint, CASSIUS CLAY USED IN
TRAINING HERB SILER 1960. The gloves show heavy use, but remain in
overall excellent condition. These training gloves were once part of
the Columbia Street Gym Collection in Louisville, Kentucky. This gym
was run by Joe Martin, the policeman who discovered Cassius Clay and
introduced him to boxing after Clay had his bicycle stolen as a
youth. When the gym closed in the 1960’s these gloves were given to
an associate of the gym by Joe Martin. These were sold to long time
Ali collector Pete Morkovin. These gloves come with an LOA from Pete
Morkovin and an LOA from Craig Hamilton of JO Sports, Inc. These are among the earliest gloves attributed to Cassius Clay and are rarer still having a vintage Cassius Clay signature on them.