{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"The News Journal","provider_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net","title":"Out and About Kentucky Style: Ali boxing gloves &ndash; The News Journal","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"K37c36vuYs\"><a href=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/out-and-about-kentucky-style-ali-boxing-gloves\/\">Out and About Kentucky Style: Ali boxing gloves<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/out-and-about-kentucky-style-ali-boxing-gloves\/embed\/#?secret=K37c36vuYs\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;Out and About Kentucky Style: Ali boxing gloves&#8221; &#8212; The News Journal\" data-secret=\"K37c36vuYs\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/* <![CDATA[ *\/\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/* ]]> *\/\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/qa.thenewsjournal.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/boxing-gloves.jpg","thumbnail_width":480,"thumbnail_height":358,"description":"A Christmas gift to a six-year-old boy in Louisville in 1963 several years later began to take on a life of its own, especially when it was connected to the late Muhammad Ali. Billy Pfund was surprised that Christmas with two pairs of boxing gloves from his aunt and uncle.\u00a0 But that wasn\u2019t all.\u00a0 One of the gloves had been autographed by Cassius Clay. \u201cMy uncle Cliff worked in the hat department at Levy Brothers department store in downtown Louisville,\u201d Pfund said. \u201cThis was before the boxer became Muhammad Ali and before he became the champ.\u201d Levy Brothers was an upscale department store at Third and Market from 1892 until 1980. The building is now the Spaghetti Factory.\u00a0 As Clay\u2019s professional boxing career began to evolve after his 1960 Olympic gold medal performance, he began to upgrade his wardrobe. \u201cHats, especially Dobbs Hats, were popular for men back then,\u201d Pfund continued.\u00a0 \u201cCassius would come in the store with his dad, and my uncle struck up a friendship with him. He asked him if he brought some boxing gloves to the store would he sign them the next time he came in.\u201d The story has been told over the years how a young Cassius Clay, growing up in the West End of Louisville, having his bicycle stolen, and a city policeman, Joe Martin, channeling the youngsters frustration toward the city\u2019s youth boxing program. The boxer, who became known as \u201cThe Louisville Lip,\u201d was true to his word. The next time he came to the store he signed one of the gloves. He did it and a little bit more. \u201cTo Billy from Cassius Clay, the next heavyweight champion of the world, 1963.\u201d Billy Pfund\u2019s mom and dad sweetened the Christmas gift that year with a Joe Palooka stand-up punching bag. As an only child it was something he could do by himself while at the same time burning off some energy. \u201cWith two pairs some of us in the neighborhood would box in the basement or backyard,\u201d Pfund said. \u201cAnd for the next several years I continued to spar with the autographed gloves.\u201d Even though he was young, Pfund was well aware of the future \u201cgreatest of all time.\u201d \u201cHe was a big deal. Every kid in Louisville knew who he was,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a few years later I realized what I had in my possession.\u201d The story continues. In March 1964, soon after he had defeated Sonny Liston, Cassius Clay became Muhammad Ali. So never again would Louisville\u2019s greatest celebrity sign the name Cassius Clay. For years the boxing gloves hung in Pfund\u2019s room, always there, a keepsake from his childhood never to be gotten rid of. By now they had become a part of his family.\u00a0 For the most part, the boxing gloves were out of sight, out of mind, but as he grew older and married, the gloves stayed with him. \u201cThey became a conversation piece,\u201d he offered.\u00a0 \u201cWhenever anyone came to our house they wanted to see them.\u201d With the gloves, however, something was missing. It was the name Muhammad Ali. By now it was the mid-90s, and since the early 80s, Ali had been diagnosed with Parkinson disease and his public appearances began to decline. Getting another autograph from the most famous athlete in the world would be difficult, if not impossible. By chance Billy and his wife Laura found out that Ali was going to be honored at the Louisville Gardens in downtown Louisville. \u201cIt was the mid-90s and we took the gloves, just hoping we could get him to sign them,\u201d Pfund recalled. \u201cBy chance we sat near Ali\u2019s brother, Rahman. I showed him the gloves and told him the story.\u201d Pfund made it a point to let him know he was not there to make money off of the autograph, but only to add to what he already had. Rahman Ali took the Pfund\u2019s to where his brother was sitting and quickly introduced them while Billy Pfund showed him the boxing gloves he had since 1963. The illness had taken its toll on the champ. Now shaky and walking with a shuffle he graciously signed the other boxing glove, \u201cMuhammad Ali.\u201d Billy Pfund\u2019s Christmas gift from decades ago was now complete.\u00a0 Although the boxing gloves are not for sale, there has been a curiosity of what they might be worth. \u201cMy dad several years ago took the gloves to the Antique Roadshow that came to Louisville one time,\u201d says Pfund. \u201cI was out of town at the time, so he wanted to do it.\u201d The Sportcraft junior size, red and tan, lace-up gloves were one of the items selected to be televised in April 2008. \u201cI don\u2019t remember the exact value they placed on the gloves, but I think it was several thousand dollars,\u201d Pfund said. \u201cBut I do know one thing for certain, they are not for sale.\u201d Over his career the boxer made a habit of predicting his future matches, even to the exact round he would win in. Signing the glove back in 1963 as the \u201cnext heavy weight champion\u201d he did not disappoint. There\u2019s no excuse. Get up, get out, and get going! Gary P. West can be reached at westgarypdeb@gmail.com."}