IWC Celebrity Fight Night
On March 26th, 2012, former world heavyweight champion and boxing legend Muhammad Ali hosted the 18th annual Celebrity Fight Night event for his Parkinson Center in Louisville, Kentucky. International Watch Co. (IWC) Schaffhausen joined The Greatest in his rumble against Parkinson’s disease by designing a watch, the Big Pilot’s Watch Edition Muhammad Ali, celebrating his sporting and societal successes. The timepiece, carefully crafted in white gold, is part of IWC’s Big Pilot’s collection, and captures the defi ant spirit of The People’s Champion. With red accents in tribute of Ali’s signature red boxing gloves, the watch is both distinctly sporty and brazenly masculine. The IWC donated a version of this limited-edition accessory to the Celebrity Fight Night gala, as well as a tome, GOAT: A Tribute to Muhammad Ali, celebrating the monumental achievements of arguably the greatest boxer of all time with over 3,000 illustrations. The watch was put to auction, with the highest bidder also clinching the book.
Celebrity guests, such as soul-singer Lionel Richie, comedian and actor Billy Crystal and former heavyweight world champion Evander Holyfield stepped into Ali’s corner in support of the cause. As well, actress Halle Berry and tenor Andrea Bocelli awarded the auction’s highest bidder with a dinner hosted by the pair. The winning bid floated like a butterfly and stung like a bee, a $60,000 knockout blow adding to the astounding $80 million the gala has raised over its 18 years in the ring. This impressive figure has been invaluable to the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center, helping countless lives in the battle against the disease. Thanks to Ali, IWC and the generous efforts of glamorous guests, the former champ continues to ‘shake up the world’ – long after his retirement from the arena. www.celebrityfightnight.org
To learn more about IWC, visit www.iwc.com
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