Former President Barack Obama donates Muhammad Ali boxing gloves to library

Former President Barack Obama will be donating his pair of autographed Muhammad Ali boxing gloves to his presidential library. 

The Obama Foundation announced the donation in a statement Wednesday. 

“Ali’s story has been an inspiration for President Obama, who kept this gift of red Everlast boxing gloves inscribed by Ali 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 operated campus is being built on public parkland. (Fox 32 Chicago)

“They were a reminder of a quality the President admired most 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 match 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.

Obama’s Presidential Center has been the subject of controversy since its 2015 announcement. The challenges have included lawsuits over public land use, concerns regarding gentrification and community displacement on the South Side of Chicago and recent criticism of its architectural design and illegible text on a 225-foot museum tower. 

A recent Fox News Digital investigation found taxpayers are footing the bill for surging public infrastructure costs required to support the project, and no government agency can provide an accounting of the total public cost despite months of queries and FOIA requests. 

The Obama Foundation, which is funding the center’s construction, defended the project in a statement to Fox News Digital.

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An aerial view shows construction underway at The Barack Obama Presidential Center Aug. 20, 2025, in Chicago. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

“The Obama Foundation is investing $850 million in private funding to build the Obama Presidential Center and give back to the community that made the Obamas’ story possible,” said Emily Bittner, a spokesperson for the foundation. 

“After decades of underinvestment on the South Side of Chicago, the OPC is catalyzing investment, from both public and private sources, to build economic opportunity for residents through jobs, housing and public spaces and amenities.”

Fox News’ Michael Dorgan contributed to this report.

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