Remembering Angelo Dundee in Manila
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 07 Feb 2012
?He is the only man in boxing to whom I would entrust my own son.?
This tribute, coming from the late journalist Howard Cosell, was one of the highest and touching accolades made on boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.
Dundee, who joined his Creator Wednesday last week at age 90, a trainer par excellence, was a visitor in our country 37 years and four months ago during the Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier world heavyweight championship fight aptly titled ?Thrilla In Manila.?
Like the principal performers Ali, the title defender, and challenger Frazier and the latter?s trainer Eddie Futch, Dundee readily earned the love and respect of the sports-loving Filipino the moment he set his foot at the Manila International Airport(MIA)two weeks before the historic fight.
Not only because of his decent behaviour but also due to the way he spoke about the host country and its people.
Arriving with Ali?s party on September 14, 1975, Dundee immediately earned his hosts? attention by saying ?Smokin Joe? had already lost the fight right at the MIA.?, a statement that actually fired off the heated exchange of barbs between the two camps.?
?The fantastic welcome you accorded us seals Frazier?s doom,? he said expressing satisfaction the organizers gave Ali?s group. ?It?s really, juiced up my guy. We?ve never expected that things will go this well, right in our day of arrival.?
Of course, Frazier and his team also said the same observation, but nevertheless, Dundee?s words more than made the organizers, led by no less than President Marcos himself, First Lady Imelda Romualdez-Marcos and Games and Amusement Board chair Luis Tabuena, to exert the best to make the event, not only successful but remembered and talked about until the present day.
In their visit to the fight, the Araneta Coliseum, which was re-named the Philippine Coliseum for the bout, Dundee and Futch both expressed delight with the set-up, especially of the square Arena inside the then 30,000-seat Big Dome.
Dundee, for his part, mince no words in praising the set-up, saying: ?I think the set-up here is admirable. You are very ahead of time having things ready. You can take all the bugs out now and it will be that much easier come fight time.?
In one of the conversations this writer had with the trainer, Dundee, by way of answering a query, said: I train Ali so differently compare to the other boxers under me. I don?t have to push him. Ali?s like a jet propulsion. I just touch him and he starts working. ?
He was not that lax though during fights when he really showed who the boss is, especially when his boxer was ready to quit. He showed that in the ?Thrilla? before the eyes of thousands inside the coliseum, including the first Couple, and millions more all over the world glued on their TV sets.
In between the 10th and 11th rounds after absorbing severe punishment from Frazier, Ali appeared spent, showing he?s also human and ready to quit, which he, in fact, imparted to his corner.
Dundee, had he been a lesser trainer, could have thrown in towel and gave Frazier the win and the heavyweight title. But no, he propped Ali up shouting within hearing distance of media men, ?Man, you?re the champion here. Show the people here who you are. ?
To the credit of Ali, he stood up, gave all that remained in his arsenal and stopped the challenger via a 14th round technical knockout to keep his title and his reputation intact.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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