Willie Pastrano, Sugar Ramos, Jose Napoles, Carmen Basilio, Billy Kilgore, Esteban De Jesus, Michael Nunn, Sugar Ray Leonard, and of course……..Muhammad Ali.
The above listed greats are some of the boxing giants Angelo Dundee worked with during his incredible 50-plus year career as a trainer and corner-man. It was ten years ago today when Angelo – “Angie” to his friends; these including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, and so many more – passed away. A gifted powerhouse of knowledge that was not hindered by an ego, Dundee was happy to let his fighters take the stage, to take the full share of the credit – to bask in the ring in victory.
But Dundee put the work in in the gym, he carved out the game-plan. He studied. Without Dundee, Ali would never have beaten Henry Cooper. Or Sonny Liston. Or Earnie Shavers. And that covers a long spell in the career of “The Greatest.” But it is undeniable how Dundee helped so much to make Ali great. And what did Angie do for Ray Leonard; in the Thomas Hearns fight of 1981 in particular? “You’re blowing it, son – you’re blowing it,” perhaps being the most famous sound-bite in modern day boxing history.
And on and on the list of Dundee’s brilliance goes.
Born in Philly, Dundee served in WW2 and then he worked as a bucket-man at Stillman’s Gym in New York. Here Dundee learnt his trade, soaking up knowledge like a sponge. When he was ready, Dundee moved to Miami, where he opened the soon to be globally famous 5th Street Gym; literally a fighter’s heaven. Angelo’s first world champion was the teak-tough “Onion Farmer,” Basilio.
Some critics say Dundee was lucky; in as much as he never had anything other than great fighters to work with. These greats, the uneducated suggest, would have achieved greatness without Dundee. Think again.
There are too many stories of how Angie saved his fighter’s behind; in so doing allowing his “guy” to take in the glory. And there was Angelo, happily taking a backseat as his guy soaked in the applause. That was Dundee’s way. There are next to no boxing trainers like Angelo today.
Just ask Sugar Ray Leonard, Michael Nunn, and any other surviving fighters who had the aid of Dundee. Angie was one of a kind.
Some of the other fighters Dundee helped along the way:
Pinklon Thomas
Trevor Berbick
Wilfredo Gomez
Oscar De La Hoya
Slobodan Kacar
Jimmy Ellis
Luis Manuel Rodriguez
James “Quick” Tillis
