We all love the super stars of the fight game, whether that be today’s champions or the legends from the past, they all make an impact on our lives. We are inspired for how they make the sport what it is and the excitement for our own entertainment. However, when fighters reach the top level of the sport, they want to cash in any way possible. To be fair, it is totally understandable as their careers can be short lived and they need to think about their future.

In a fighters career they try to get paid as much as possible for their fights, get commission on ticket sales or pay-per-views, sponsorship deals and some even go to the extent of producing their own line of merchandise and personal branded boxing gloves.

The likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and even Amir Khan in the past have produced their own lines of boxing equipment, but are their boxing equipment really big sellers, or does it just damage their own credibility if their equipment doesn’t live up to expectations. Fighters personal brands are a great way for fans to get merchandise of their favourite fighters. However, another option for the fans is you can buy signed memorabilia boxing gloves which have been used by your favourite fighter.

What is the difference between personal brand boxing gloves and signed boxing gloves?

Personal branded boxing gloves are for retail and signed gloves are more for collectables. Personal branded boxing gloves is when someone produces a line of boxing gloves in their own name, so the brand name is their real name. Signed boxing gloves is when a fighters puts their signature in marker on a pair of boxing gloves generally they used in a fight.

So, is it worth buying a fighters personal brand boxing gloves or it is not quite the same as getting signed boxing gloves, knowing they were actually used by the fighter themselves? 

Let’s be honest, if you had the choice of either Anthony Joshua personal branded boxing gloves or Muhammad Ali’s signed boxing gloves, surely it would be the Muhammad Ali gloves all day long. Not only will they be worth more, but they will have the history behind them too.

So, if you are looking to buy some boxing gloves that associate to your favourite fighter, we will guide you through the pros and the cons of them both.

Signed vs Personal branded boxing gloves

The main thing to consider when buying signed boxing gloves is they are usually kept in a glass case. This is because they are generally purchased to be a collectors item and it is best not to use them in the gym. If you are wanting to use the gloves in training yourself, the personal branded boxing gloves would be the better choice. However, it is always good to check the reviews on the boxing gloves, as the personal branded gloves may not always be the highest of quality and might not be suitable for certain types of training.

The famous fighters may know a good pair of quality boxing gloves when they see them, but producing a pair themselves is a different story. They launch their own line of boxing gloves for sale purposes only and may not actually use the gloves themselves. They might have a gloves sponsor and have to use a specific fight glove which is approved by a governing body, so they only promote their own gloves by photos and video demos, rather than fully endorsing the product.

The fighter will set up their brand by sourcing manufactures to produce their own gloves for them and the quality may be targeted to a particular fan base to make it more cost effective. For instance, Anthony Joshua has millions of fans and many of them may not box themselves and would just like to have a pair of his gloves as a keepsake. If you are taking your training seriously, personal branded gloves may not be of a suitable quality and it could best to buy from a leading brand of boxing equipment.

Cost

The signed boxing gloves will cost much more than personal branded gloves. This is because as they may of been used in a particular fight, there will only be one or two pairs ever available and that fight might go down in history, which makes them more of a collectors item or for an investment. Personal branded gloves are generally mass produced so they are much more affordable. As not everyone has hundreds of pounds or even thousands for a pair of boxing gloves, which could make the branded gloves a more suitable option.

If you compare Anthony Joshua’s personal brand of boxing gloves to his signed memorabilia, his own boxing gloves retail at £60, whereas his signed boxing gloves start at £195 and his signed boxing shorts when he fought Klitschko are £499. Some memorabilia can fetch in to the thousands, as a pair of Muhammad Ali signed gloves are available to buy online for a whopping £3,499.99.

What are the most expensive signed boxing gloves ever?

According to SCP auctions, two pairs of boxing gloves which were worn in Muhammad Ali’s historic fights each sold for $385,848 in auction. In 2001, Christie’s also sold a pair of boxing gloves worn by Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) when he fought against Henry Cooper which sold for $57,770

Boxing gloves worn by Ali during his 1963 fight against Henry Cooper which sold for $57,770 (equivalent to £40,000)

Mantle piece

It is always great to own distinctive items like signed boxing gloves and when friends and family come round to visit, having a signed pair of boxing gloves of a famous fighter on the mantle piece will always make good chat.

Investment

if you looking to buy a pair of gloves for an investment, then hands down the signed boxing gloves is the way to go. To buy a pair of signed memorabilia boxing gloves, they may initially cost a lot of money, but as long as you keep them in the same condition you got them, they more than likely only go up in value. The personal branded boxing gloves generally will only have a life expectancy as a sell-able item, this is because as soon as the top level fighter retires or even drops in ranks, their products won’t be as much of a demand to the fans.

Final thoughts

Buying any keepsake of your favourite fighters is always nice to have. If you want to train in a pair of boxing gloves owned by your favourite fighter, then treat yourself to their own personal brand of boxing gloves. Just be sure it is of a decent enough quality. However, if you have the extra cash, it would always be better to invest in the memorabilia signed boxing gloves, as they are to keep forever and they will always hold there money.

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