How Terry Hollimon destroyed autographed boxing gloves from Muhammad Ali

Taken from The Barbershop’s Terry Hollimon on KIRO Radio’s “Tom and Curley” Show Tuesday.

When I was 9 or 10 years old, Muhammad Ali came to Canada, which is where I was living at the time. The legendary champion was there for a charity boxing match: to fight a hockey player.

The guy was Dave Semenko, a notorious goon who was known as Wayne Gretzky’s bodyguard when they played together in Edmonton. My dad played professional football up there at the time and was a celebrity in his own right. So my brothers and I got the opportunity to hang out with Ali for the afternoon — in Ali’s presidential suite. It was the first time I’d been in a hotel that had two floors, chandeliers, a kitchen and a grand piano.

Related: The Groz: The day I met ‘The Greatest,’ Muhammad Ali

This was June of 1983. And “The Greatest” actually jumped into the ring and fought this guy. And, even though Ali was a little long in the tooth at the time, he was still good. He was boxing for real and Semenko couldn’t put a solid hit on him.

I was aware of who Ali was at the time since my dad had hyped him up to me. But if  you see the picture, I’m wearing these red parachute pants because I’d planned to go to a breakdance competition that day. In the pictures I look really disgusted that I have to be there.

But once I got there, it was fun. Ali cracked jokes. His voice was very low – he talked real quietly. He was very funny, and it’s something I will cherish to the end of my days.

Ali also gave me some boxing gloves — autographed with a personalized message.

Those would probably be worth something to somebody — but my brother and I chose to use them to box one another. There was only one pair, so I would have the right glove and my brother would get the left. And we’d just pummel each other until the stuffing came out of these gloves.

They’re gone now. So please don’t remind me how much they might be worth on Ebay.

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