Truly one-of-a kind, this is the actual belt presented to Stanley Ketchel for regaining the Middleweight Championship of the World over Billy Papke on November 26, 1908, in San Francisco. One of the truly unique pieces in boxing or any sports memorabilia for that matter in that this early presentation piece has airtight photo documentation and provenance; the unique cloth patterns are an absolute perfect match. Silk and velvet belt has metal snatches, the front “buckle” is an all-silk 20-star American flag with each star individually sewn on. It is about 30” in length to accommodate the narrow waist of the man who knocked down superman Jack Johnson although the heavyweight outweighed him by 50 pounds! The belt itself is brilliantly sewn stripes of red, white and blue representing the most patriotic of ideals. It is beautifully backed with luxurious green velvet, which is magnificently preserved. A couple of the stars are missing, and there is some cloth loss to some others. No restoration is evident and the quality is overall magnificent as is the creative deign and overall look. We previously sold this belt in 2004 and it retains its rock-solid provenance; it started with Ketchel’s grandmother who presented it after his death to Ketchel’s best friend, neighbor and sparring partner John R. Wirth. Just before his death at the age of 91 in 1976, Wirth gave the belt to his dear friend and former boxer Wesley Ramey, Sr. who gave it to his son Wesley Ramey, Jr., who sold the belt in 1991. Amazing piece of boxing history and Americana rolled into one.