1960 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) Handwritten Signed Letter....

Description

1960 Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) Handwritten Signed Letter. One of a kind correspondence was consigned to Heritage by the recipient of the letter, a close friend of the talented young boxer from Louisville a half century ago. Still years from his conversion to Islam and corresponding name change, the eighteen-year old fighting phenom was training for his upcoming Gold Medal performance in the 1960 Rome Olympics at the time he penned this note to his buddy. The content is dazzling:

"Hello Mel, I hope this letter finds you and your family well, I am here at Fort Dix getting ready for Rome, I am in the best of shape, I hope to soon be home with the world Championship soon, I am still hitting hard, Say look at here, We leave here on the 14 of august, so try to write me before then and send me Connie address will you, and try to get a picture of here, I stil dig her, so find here and let here know that I am still talking about here, get that picture man, 'please' I will send her and you a card from Rome Itly, Stay in training and you can't miss, tell all of the boys that I said hello, don't let me down about Connie, Your Fighting Friend, Cassius Clay, U.S. Champ."

The single trimmed sheet of lined notebook paper exhibits original mailing folds but no other flaws worthy of mention. Also included is the original mailing envelope, featuring the return address "Cassius M. Clay, c/o Special Service, U.S. Olympic Boxing team, Building 5434 Fort Dix, N.J." A signed letter of provenance from the recipient (whose name is blurred in catalog imagery but not in actual documents) is included.

Clay's Gold Medal performance in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1960 Rome Olympics is typically considered the opening salvo in one of the most storied careers in American sports. It would be the last great victory of Clay's amateur career, setting the stage for increasingly more lucrative bouts leading up to his historic 1964 first meeting with Sonny Liston, from whom he would claim the Heavyweight Championship belt. Full LOA from PSA/DNA. Full LOA from James Spence Authentication.

More information about Muhammad Ali Sports Player.