Muhammad Ali's 'phantom punch' gloves sell for $1m

Muhammad Ali's boxing gloves in front of Sonny Liston's. Photo / AP

The boxing gloves Muhammad Ali wore when he struck the controversial "phantom punch" that knocked out Sonny Liston, along with those of his opponent, have fetched close to USD $1m (NZD $1.3m) at auction in New York.

Ali (then Cassius Clay) struck down his opponent after two minutes of the first round in a rematch in 1965 in Maine with a punch so quick that many questioned whether it had landed at all, and there were some suggestions of a fix. Ali appears in iconic photographs standing over Liston and demanding he get up and fight.

The gloves were bought by an anonymous bidder for $956,000.

- The Independent