REMEMBERING ANGELO DUNDEE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 29 Aug 2015
The boxing world commemorates the 94th birth anniversary of the famous trainer and cornerman Angelo Dundee. He was born on August 30, 1921 and died at the age of 90 on February 1, 2012.
Dundee was born in Philadelphia of Italian descent and served in World War II as an airplane mechanic. He traveled to New York and later to Miami where he learned the skills of a boxing trainer and cornerman.
He was known in global boxing for his partnership with Muhammad Ali and with 15 other world boxing champions, including Sugar Ray Leonard, Jose Napoles, George Foreman, George Scott, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio, Luis Rodriguez, Willie Pastrano, Ralph Dupas, Pinklon Thomas, Trevor Berbick, Wilfredo Gomez, Michael Nunn and Sugar Ramos.
The first world champion he worked with was Carmen Basilio when he fought and defeated Tony DeMarco for the world welterweight crown and later Sugar Ray Robinson for the world middleweight crown.
Dundee was the cornerman in all Ali's fights except against Tunney Hunsaker in 1960 and Jimmy Ellis in 1971.
Dundee started training Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, especially in his upset win over Archie Moore, who had trained Clay before Dundee, and Sonny Liston, where Clay won the world heavyweight title.
Dundee was with Ali until his leave from boxing and continued the training upon Ali's comeback. He was in Ali's corner in his famous fights with Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, Ken Norton and Leon Spinks.
The prominent trainer and boxer were friends and so intimate that Dundee would always call Ali as "my kid."
Dundee saw "a smaller version of Ali" in Sugar Ray Leonard. Dundee stayed in his corner in many of his biggest fights, including those with Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler.
Dundee trained George Foreman, including his 1991 world heavyweight title fight against Evander Holyfield and his 1994 world heavyweight title win against then undefeated Michael Moorer.
In November 2008, he was hired as a special consultant for Oscar De La Hoya's fight with our very own Manny Pacquiao.
Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.
Dundee died quitely in his sleep at the age of 90 on February 1, 2012, in Tampa, Florida after five years of heart disease. Three weeks before his death, he graced Muhammad Ali's 70th birthday party in Louisville, Kentucky on January 17, 2012.
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