Boxing Hall of Famer and Trainer of Champs, Angelo Dundee has passed away. The cornerman for Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and George Foreman, was credited with persuading Ali to get back in the fight and continue during the late rounds of "The Thrilla in Manila" and some say without Dundee's chiding, Ali may have thrown the towel.
I had a chance to meet Dundee and speak with him in the Summer of 1987. I was a lowly Summer Law Clerk at a big firm in Philly. My boss was involved in litigation stemming from the death of an up-and-coming boxer. The kid had basically run his motorcycle under a truck and Dundee's expertise was used to evaluate the kid's potential and future earnings in the ring. Dundee was gracious, polite, knowledgeable and self deprecating.
Dundee's training and counsel from the Corner was legendary and he will be missed by many.
Thought you might have something on this.
ReplyDelete"gracious, polite, knowledgeable and self deprecating"
Seems to have been the near universal sentiment. Losing him is one more strand snapped in the cable that connects boxing today to boxing's golden era.
There was recently a fantastic piece on Bernard Hopkins here. They also carried this on Angelo. Hope you enjoy.