Lot description
ALI (2001) - Muhammad Ali's (Will Smith) Sparring Headgear - Muhammad Ali's (Will Smith) sparring helmet from Michael Mann's biographical sports drama Ali. Ali, the one-time heavyweight champion of the world, wore his personal head protector while training to reclaim his title from the fearsome George Foreman (Charles Shufford) in the all-important "Rumble in the Jungle." Later described as the "greatest sporting event of the 20th century," the match represented Ali's return to grace. To prepare for his role as the legendary athlete and activist, Will Smith trained for two years and gained 35 pounds. His performance, styled in exacting detail to match Ali's distinctive physicality and movement in the ring, culminated in an Academy Award® nomination for Best Actor. This black-and-yellow leather Everlast helmet features an open-faced design with cheek protection, an Everlast patch on front, and an adjustable buckle style chin strap, as well as a lace-up back. It is intentionally distressed by production to appear well-used in training. Additional Provenance: Columbia Pictures Certificate of Authenticity and Propmasters Certificate of Authenticity. Estimate: £2,000 - 4,000 † Bidding for this lot will end on Saturday, December 6th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM GMT (7:00AM PST) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Friday, December 5th or Sunday, December 7th.