Reports: Muhammad Ali signs deal with Under Armour
On Wednesday, Under Armour announced a new deal with legendary boxer Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali has inked a deal with Under Armour. The legendary heavyweight boxing champion will be part of a new marketing campaign that will feature the icon’s image and name across the brand’s multiple lines of sporting apparel. ESPN’s Darren Rovell reports that the line be available starting in November.
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“The Greatest”” has not fought in more than three decades.
However, his legacy among boxing fans and pundits alike remains as prevalent as ever.
One of the sports world’s first great icons, Ali remains in most discussions when talking about the greatest heavyweights in history.
His thrilling trilogy with rival Joe Frazier, which produced the fabled “Fight of the Century” and “Thrilla in Manila,” as well as 1974’s “Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman are still revered today as some of greatest match-ups of all time.
Under Armour will announce today it has signed Muhammad Ali https://t.co/HTG2fDd4Is
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 18, 2015
Glenn Silbert, Under Armour’s vice president of men’s, outdoors and team sports believes the decision to associate the brand with such a legendary American figure is a no-brainer.
“He’s an iconic hero from the past and a true innovator. We wondered what Ali would have been like if he had a brand like ours when he was getting started and how great it could have been. That has been the mentality of our design team throughout this process.”
This decision to bring aboard Ali onto the UA brand is not all that unprecedented, however. The company had previously used the likeness of Mike Tyson, and even Bruce Lee in past lines of products.
“We spoke to our partners outside the building who we do business with and asked them how they’d respond to Ali products and the immediate response was, ‘Do it, let’s go,'” said Silbert.
Ali, 73, unfortunately has been suffering from Parkinson’s disease since 1984. The condition has made it nearly impossible to go out on behalf of the company to promote the new partnership.
The future lineup of retail apparel is made possible by Under Armour’s partnership with Athletic Brands Group, which currently owns the rights to Ali’s licensing and estate.
H/T Bleacher Report
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