Rare As F**k Modern (post-1980) Boxing

[Exhibitman]

Let's kick around some rarities from the modern era, besides the 'rainbow' of ultra-modern limited edition cards.

1991 Kayo Signature Series


Kayo boxes and packs advertise autographed cards. TCDB has images of the following:

014 Charles Williams
015 Meldrick Taylor
089 Donovan Ruddick
180 James Toney

It also lists 190 Carlos Palomino but the photo is of a regular card. Jeff Allender's checklist site also lists the Palomino but without a picture. Not sure if the card actually exists. Please post a pic if you have one. I have developed my doubts given that the others were all active at the time.

There is also an unsigned Pernell Whitaker known.

The year before I published my last guide, signed cards of Prince Charles Williams and James Toney both surfaced (at the time, 3 copies of Williams, 2 of Toney). I scooped up 2 of the Williams cards and one of the Toney cards at the time. I've since sold one of the Williams cards but still have a Williams and a Toney. I am not sure whether the Williams that sold on eBay last week is part of the recycled find.



2016 The Greatest Boxing Ringwalk Songs


An interesting UK set icreated as a promotion of a CD compilation of music. The company selling the CDs, Split Records, advertised a free set of cards with online purchases, while supplies last. My guesstimate is that the print run was well south of 200 sets. As far as I can tell, PSA has never graded one. These were gobbled up fast and never seem to surface. Fantastic checklist of fighters at the time and even one of Brad Pitt as Mickey, the Gypsy champion bareknuckles boxer, in the Guy Richie film Snatch. Speaking of Gypsy fighters, the set also has the first card of Tyson Fury.

[sthoemke]

The tcdb.com/Checklist show the 190 Carlos Palomino signature card.

[Exhibitman]

Wonder what i saw?

Any chance you have a checklist on the Ringwalk Songs set?

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Wonder what i saw?

Any chance you have a checklist on the Ringwalk Songs set?

There is no existing checklist for the set?!?

I'd have to type one...

[sthoemke]

FYI, The Ringwalk set was a promotional give-a-way item distributed to 50 media outlets (radio stations, social media, websites, online stores). The outlets held drawings/contests to determine the winners. Most were UK-based businesses. Most were given two CD's, each with the card set, some only one. Traces of press releases of the the promotion can be found on the web or Internet Archive's Wayback Machine.

I personally haven't seen any indication the set was initially available with an online purchase. (I had checked Wingwalk's website and the record label when the CD was first released, but perhaps I missed the offer, if there was one)

[sthoemke]

It is also noteable that the Ringwalk set was produced by Top Trumps, a major game card company in the UK.

Initially, I thought a mass produced (or limited edition) set would probably be produced, which never happened.

[JustinD]

Originally Posted by Exhibitman

Let's kick around some rarities from the modern era, besides the 'rainbow' of ultra-modern limited edition cards.

1991 Kayo Signature Series


Kayo boxes and packs advertise autographed cards. TCDB has images of the following:

014 Charles Williams
015 Meldrick Taylor
089 Donovan Ruddick
180 James Toney

It also lists 190 Carlos Palomino but the photo is of a regular card. Jeff Allender's checklist site also lists the Palomino but without a picture. Not sure if the card actually exists. Please post a pic if you have one. I have developed my doubts given that the others were all active at the time.

I know it was posted above but just to show they are out there, I found a pic of Palomino on the CU boards as well-

[sthoemke]

I came across a print ad for the boxed 1991 Ringlords set.

It shows the fronts (4 are partial images) for 5 of the 7 autograph cards:

- Michael Moore
- Evander Holyfield 150 cards (not serial numbered)
- Tommy Morrison
- Donovan Ruddock
- Virgil Hill

FYI, the numbers on the Holyfield card refer to Bible verse Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all things through him who strengthens me"

900 total autograph cards (900 Signet redemption cards). 300,000 boxed sets produced.

What are the other 2 auto cards?

[magnusmuldoon]

Originally Posted by JustinD

I know it was posted above but just to show they are out there, I found a pic of Palomino on the CU boards as well-

It appears Terry Norris has a Red Border Kayo signed insert as well. That would make a total of six signature cards that have been discovered.

[magnusmuldoon]

I also have the Pernell Whitaker Kayo Red Border signature card that was created but never distributed.

Unsure how many of these actually exist but this was likely a protoype as you'll notice the weight class is missing on the back of the card.

[G1911]

That Norris is awesome, exciting to see a new one. I believe this makes the provable checklist, surely incomplete:

14 Charles Williams
15 Meldrick Taylor
20 Terry Norris
80 Pernell Whitaker (Not actually signed)
89 Donovan Ruddock
180 James Toney
190 Carlos Palomino

Would be great to find some documentation from the publisher about what was going on with these.

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by G1911

That Norris is awesome, exciting to see a new one. I believe this makes the provable checklist, surely incomplete:

14 Charles Williams
15 Meldrick Taylor
20 Terry Norris
80 Pernell Whitaker (Not actually signed)
89 Donovan Ruddock
180 James Toney
190 Carlos Palomino

Would be great to find some documentation from the publisher about what was going on with these.

I have a print ad that says there are 7 cards, so that should be the entire list.