Obama Presidential Center to Add Boxing Gloves Autographed by Muhammad Ali
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Former President Barack Obama will donate his pair of boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali to his presidential library.
The Obama Foundation announced the donation in a statement Wednesday.
“Ali’s story has been an inspiration to President Obama, who kept this gift of red Everlast boxing gloves with Ali’s inscription on display in the White House throughout his presidency,” the organization said.
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An aerial view shows the Obama Presidential Center under construction in Chicago’s Jackson Park, where the privately run campus is being built in a public park. (News 32 Chicago)
“They were a reminder of a quality the president most admired in Ali: ‘his unique ability to summon extraordinary strength and courage in the face of adversity, to navigate the storm and never lose his way.'”
American boxer Muhammad Ali, left, and British boxer Joe Bugner during a fight in 1975. (GETTY)
After Ali’s death in 2016, Obama honored him as a man who “fought for what was right” and helped shape modern America. However, Obama did not attend Ali’s funeral due to a scheduling conflict.
The Obama Presidential Center has been the subject of controversy since its announcement in 2015. Challenges have included lawsuits over the use of public lands, concerns about gentrification and community displacement on Chicago’s South Side, and recent criticism of its architectural design and illegible text on a 225-foot museum tower.
A recent News Digital investigation found that taxpayers are footing the bill for the rising public infrastructure costs needed to support the project, and no government agency is able to provide an accounting of the full public cost despite months of inquiries and FOIA requests.
The Obama Foundation, which is funding the center’s construction, defended the project in a statement to News Digital.
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An aerial view shows construction underway at the Barack Obama Presidential Center on August 20, 2025 in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)
“The Obama Foundation is investing $850 million in private funds to build the Obama Presidential Center and give back to the community that made the Obamas’ story possible,” said foundation spokeswoman Emily Bittner.
“After decades of underinvestment on Chicago’s South Side, OPC is catalyzing investments, from both public and private sources, to create economic opportunities for residents through jobs, housing, and public spaces and services.”
News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to Title IX enforcement and in mainstream media outlets such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The News and ESPN.com.