Training for the Last Bell: Muhammad Ali’s MacGregor Trunks From the Camp for His Final Fight

On December 11, 1981, Muhammad Ali stepped into a ring for the last time. Billed as “Drama in Bahama,” the ten-round bout against Trevor Berbick took place at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre in Nassau, and Berbick won by unanimous decision. Ali was 39, a full 12 years older than his opponent, and he weighed 236 pounds, a long way from the fighter who danced through the 1960s. The fight came after Ali had returned in October 1980 only to be stopped in the 10th round by Larry Holmes, and Ali hoped this bout would earn him another title shot. Instead, Ali himself said afterward that he thought he was too old, and Berbick went down in history as the last boxer to face him.

These white MacGregor trunks with black trim were worn by Ali in training for that fight, taken from the collection of Wali Muhammad, his longtime trainer, and accompanied by expert LOAs. MacGregor was a classic American sporting goods name, and gear like this was part of the daily grind of Ali’s last comeback camp, which makes it a different kind of artifact than fight-night wear. Instead of the spotlight, it captures the work behind the final chapter: a legend in his late thirties chasing one more night in the ring. For a fighter who went on to become one of the most beloved figures in the world, the trunks are a rare, authenticated link to the moment the greatest career in boxing came to a close.