Ali gives up ‘Thrilla in Manila’ trunks

Ruvo, a persuasive guy, talked Ali out of his boxing trunks this time.

Ruvo, with an assistant of Ali’s manager Bernie Yuman, flew to Scottsdale, Ariz., last week to get the trunks that Ali wore during the week of the “Thrilla in Manila,” the third and final match between Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975.

Ali, who won the fight, signed the trunks during a three-hour visit at his home.

“We took Matt Goss with us,” Ruvo said. “He was our photographer.”

The boxing gloves were from Ali’s 1965 heavyweight title defense against Floyd Patterson.

Station Casinos and and Ultimate Fighting Championship co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta had the winning bid after a spirited duel with Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.

Celine Dion will join this year’s honoree, Andrea Bocelli, for a recreation of their epic duet of “The Prayer” at New York City’s Central Park. That took place in 2011 at Bocelli’s “Concerto: One Night in Central Park.”

Others performing include Gloria Estefan, Martina McBride and Robin Thicke.

Estefan and her husband, Emilio, were the honorees last year.

The dinner will be prepared under the supervision of Giada De Laurentiis.

KERKORIAN TURNS 98

As a history nut who grew up near the Custer Battlefield in Montana, toured the Gettysburg battlefield and twice walked the D-Day invasion beaches, there’s one living legend I wish I had interviewed about June 6, 1944.

My first question to Kirk Kerkorian, who turned 98 Saturday, would have been, “How did you spend your 27th birthday?”

He was likely flying over the Atlantic on D-Day. According to his biography, he was ferrying Canadian-built four-engine Mosquitos from Montreal to Scotland. They were used to support the British army during the Normandy invasion and beyond.

One in four Mosquitos made it to Scotland on those long flights. The two-man crew had no heat in the cockpit and flew at a low level in the event they had to ditch, a safer option.

That chapter of Kerkorian’s remarkable life started in 1939 when he met a friend who was taking flying lessons. Kerkorian went along for the ride and fell in love with flying.

With the war raging in Europe, his instincts told him it was a matter of time before the United States would get involved. He preferred flying to being in the infantry.

So, the story goes, he learned to fly at the Happy Bottom Riding Club near what is now Edwards Air Force Base in California. He didn’t have the money to pay for it, so he made a deal with the airfield owner, Pancho Barnes, one of the most famous fliers of her time.

Kerkorian agreed to milk her cows and look after her cattle in exchange for the flying lessons.

After World War II ended, Kerkorian took the money he made from making 33 of those $1,000-a-flight wave-hopping runs and bought a Cessna for $5,000.

That led to a small charter service which he used to fly gamblers from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

That was the beginning of his long and remarkable association with Las Vegas. In 1969 he built The International, now the Westgate. It was the largest hotel in the world and put Kerkorian on a path to becoming the father of Las Vegas megaresorts.

What a movie his life would make.

THE SCENE AND HEARd

Among the Las Vegans who witnessed American Pharoah’s final leg of the Triple Crown on Saturday at the Belmont Stakes: Henderson resident Jerry Izenberg and longtime local public relations executive Laura Herlovich. Izenberg covered it for the Newark Star-Ledger as columnist emeritus. He covered all nine races that previously produced the only Triple Crown winners since 1948 — Secretariat, Seattle Slew and Affirmed. My only chance to see a Triple Crown winner was in 1989, when I covered the Belmont for the Rocky Mountain News. Sunday Silence went to Belmont Park needing a third win over Easy Goer to make history. But Easy Goer, ridden by Pat Day, got revenge with an eight-length victory that was the second fastest time at Belmont Park, behind the great Secretariat. …

Five-star chef Alex Stratta, who opened his first nonhotel restaurant last month at Tivoli Village, is heading for Spain in August to pick up tips from a paella master. Stratta and his girlfriend, Eva Littman, are heading for Valencia, the home of paella. He opened Tapas by Stratta because of the appeal of small plates. “Small tastes of many flavors and textures. The focus is on conviviality and spending time with friends, not so much a big long and heavy meal,” he said. He’s seen many of his regulars from Renoir, which won five-star prominence in 2000 at The Mirage, and Alex, the much-starred fine dining spot at Wynn Las Vegas.

SIGHTINGS

Actor Kevin Dillon, celebrating the opening of the “Entourage” movie with friends at Rehab (Hard Rock Hotel) on Saturday … Comedian-actor Anthony Anderson, taking lessons Saturday at the Taylormade Golf Experience from Tiger Woods’ former swing coach, Hank Haney. Woods, you probably heard, shot his worst round as a professional with an 85 in The Memorial. … Star chef Mario Batali, mingling with fans at the Carnival of Cuisine held Friday at the Palazzo pool.

THE PUNCH LINE

“A petition is circulating to revoke Caitlyn Jenner’s 1976 Olympic gold medal. It was started by the guy who got the silver medal.” — Conan O’Brien

Norm Clarke’s column appears Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. He can be reached at 702-383-0244 or email him at norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com. Follow Norm on Twitter: @Norm_Clarke