REMEMBERING ANGELO DUNDEE
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 10 Feb 2012
Angelo Dundee, the man behind the success of Muhammad Ali died in Tampa, Florida at the age of 90. The amiable trainer worked on Ali?s corner in almost all his fights. Before he died, he was able to attend Ali?s 70th birthday celebration in Louisville, Kentucky last month.
Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994 after six decades of training 15 world champions including Sugar Ray Leonard, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Luis Rodriguez, Willie Pastrano, Carmen Basilio and Jose Napoles. He was considered as an ambassador of the sport.
But Dundee will always be remembered in boxing history as the man behind the success of Ali, making him the first heavyweight boxer to win the title three times. Most notable of these fights were ?The Rumble in the Jungle? against George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire and ?The Thrilla in Manila? at the Araneta Coliseum.
Dundee accepted as Ali?s trainer after he won his first professional fight. Ali won the title for the first time when Sonny Liston could no longer continue fighting the underdog challenger during their championship fight in Miami Beach.
It was a rare boxer-trainer relationship that lasted through the test of times. Dundee never left Ali even during the time when he joined the Black Muslims and was suspended for more than three years of his boxing career at his prime for failing to join the draft for the Vietnam War.
In making bold predictions against his opponents and in giving insults to some foes, Dundee never silenced Ali that is why the champion?s love for his trainer never faded. He just left Ali as he wanted himself to be.
When Ali was at the brink of retirement, he joined the corner of an upcoming superstar named Sugar Ray Leonard who he called ?a smaller Ali.? Dundee was at Leonard?s side during his memorable fights with Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns. Leonard later became one of the most colorful welterweight champions in boxing history.
Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion at the age 45 with Dundee in his corner when he beat Michael Moorer. His last effort to let a very popular fighter win a huge match, was when he helped train Oscar de la Hoya in his fight against Manny Pacquiao. The 35-year-old de la Hoya succumbed to the younger Pacman in a fight dubbed as ?The Dream Match.?
Dundee was born Angelo Mirena on Aug. 30, 1921, in south Philadelphia and his boxing career as a trainer was given a boost by his promoter-brother Chris. Another brother Joe changed his surname to Dundee, whom Angelo and Chris followed, so their parents would not know that they made a living in boxing.
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