Southampton (England), Jan 14: Police were on the lookout for a pair of shorts signed by boxing legend Muhammad Ali after they were apparently nicked to order from a Southampton gallery. The owner of the Autograph Gallery in the southern English city discovered the theft of the shorts and four accompanying photographs when he arrived at his premises on Monday.
It appeared that burglars had broken through a concrete wall at the weekend to snatch the shorts and the framed photos, including one that showed "the greatest" autographing the garment.
"It is possible that these were stolen to order and certainly may be offered for sale in sporting memorabilia circles or even on the Internet," Hampshire Constabulary said in a statement.
The shorts -- described as black with a white logo on the waistband -- were, together with the photos, valued at 2,035 dollars.
Ali, who turns 61 in February, was heavyweight champion of the world three times before he retired from the ring in 1981. Now suffering from Parkinson's disease, the American remains one of the great sports figures of all time. Bureau Report