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Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay added boxing gold to his impressive collection on Sunday.
Irsay bought Muhammad Ali’s WBC heavyweight championship belt when the boxing legend defeated George Foreman in the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle bout in Zaire.
“BREAKING—-Muhammad Ali’s championship belt from 1974’s ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ has just been added to @IrsayCollection,” Irsay tweeted. “Just in time for the August 2nd show at Chicago’s Navy Pier (and September 9th in Indy). Proud to be the steward.”
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay speaks to fans during the induction of Dwight Freeney into the Indianapolis Colts ring of honor at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 10, 2019 in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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According to Heritage Auctions, Irsay bought the belt for more than $6.1 million.
“Two Muhammad Ali WBC belts are known to exist, one in a private museum collection that will likely never see the hobby’s auction block. The only other known surviving Muhammad Ali heavyweight championship belt on earth is presented here,” said Heritage Auction in its description.
George Foreman, left, and Muhammad Ali boxing at the Zaire Stade du 20 Mai, “The Rumble in the Jungle,” October 30, 1974. (Ken Regan / Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“But the historical significance of this piece, arguably the most important box prize ever publicly auctioned, is simply immeasurable. Far more than just a trophy for athletic excellence, this belt serves as a silent witness to Muhammad Ali’s dauntless pursuit of justice itself and as a symbol of the myriad complexities of race, religion, and patriotism that challenge us all to this day. It is a truly priceless artifact of the American experience and of an American life as momentous as any lived before.
Irsay has amassed a vast collection of memorabilia. He bought Ali’s shoes from “Thrilla in Manila” in 1975 and Ali’s robe from him when he fought Sonny Liston in 1965, the first fight after changing his name from Cassius Clay.
Muhammad Ali (right) delivers a punch to George Foreman in the heavyweight championship bout on October 30, 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaire. Ali won and reclaimed his title. (Focus Sport/Getty Images/Getty Images)
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Aside from the Ali relics, Irsay also has Ringo Starr’s eardrums from one of the Beatles’ appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1974, George Harrison’s Gibson SG, which was played on some of the Beatles’ most famous records, and historical pieces like that Recommendation for the first Thanksgiving in the USA from 1777.