By Alex P. Vidal
I was a kid when I first saw Dundee on black and white TV
during the “Thrilla in Manila” on October 1, 1975 where he embraced the charismatic
world heavyweight champion after referee Carlos Padilla Jr. declared Ali the
winner by technical knockout (TKO) after Joe Frazer refused to answer the bell
in the 14th round.
I finally met Dundee personally on December 4, 2008, two
days before the world welterweight “Dream Match” duel between Oscar De La Hoya
and Manny Pacquiao on December 6 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
In my brief interview with the legendary trainer from Philadelphia, he insisted
that “Ali is the greatest fighter of all time.” While he admired the skills and
power of Manny Pacquiao, Dundee said sports scribes should not compare Pacquiao
to Ali (56 wins, 5 losses, 37 knockouts, 19 decisions) because Ali was a light
heavyweight gold medalist in the 1960 Rome Olympics prior to becoming the world
heavyweight champion on Feb. 25, 1964 in Miami, Florida when he upset Sonny Liston
as “Cassius Clay.”
YOUNGEST
When Clay beat Liston, he was the youngest boxer (age 22)
ever to take the title from a reigning heavyweight champion, a mark that stood
until Mike Tyson won the title (age 20) from Trevor Berbick on November 22,
1986. At the time, Floyd Patterson (dethroned by Liston) had been the youngest
heavyweight champ ever (age 21), but he won the title during an elimination
tournament following Rocky Marciano's retirement by defeating Archie Moore, the
light-heavyweight champion at the time.
Dundee met Ali on February 19, 1957 when the latter was
in Louisville the day before a fight with light heavyweight champ Willie
Pastrano.
The teenaged Golden Gloves winner traveled downtown to
the fighter's hotel, called Dundee from the house phone, and was asked up to
their room. He took advantage of the opportunity to query Dundee (who had
worked with champions Sugar Ramos and Carmen Basilio) about what his fighters
ate, how long they slept, how much roadwork (jogging) they did, and how long
they sparred.
MEET
“When I met Ali, he was Cassius Clay and he talked too
much the reason why he was called ‘The Louisville Lip’ and he was a gentleman,”
recalled Dundee.
He admitted he was “disturbed a lot” when Ali was arrested
and found guilty on draft evasion charges; he was stripped of his boxing title,
and his boxing license was suspended. He was not imprisoned, but did not fight
again for nearly four years while his appeal worked its way up to the U.S.
Supreme Court, where it was eventually successful.
Ali would go on to become the first and only three-time
lineal World Heavyweight Champion.
Nicknamed "The Greatest," Ali was involved in
several historic boxing matches. Notable among these were three with rival Joe
Frazier, which are considered among the greatest in boxing history, and one
with George Foreman, where he finally regained his stripped titles seven years
later. Ali was well known for his unorthodox fighting style, which he described
as "float(ing) like a butterfly, sting(ing) like a bee", and
employing techniques such as the Ali Shuffle and the rope-a-dope.
BEAUTY AND GRACE
Dundee said Ali had brought beauty and grace to the most
uncompromising of sports and through the wonderful excesses of skill and
character; he had become the most famous athlete in the world. He was also
known for his pre-match hype, where he would "trash talk" opponents,
often with rhymes.
Dundee said he liked the Filipinos because “they treated
us like celebrities” during the “Thrilla in Manila” and remembered the historic
Manila Hotel in Intramuros where they stayed.
I met Dundee once more during the Pacquiao versus Shane
Mosley fight on May 7, 2011 at the MGM Grand. With his death last February 1, he
will be missed when Pacquiao squares off versus Timothy Ray Bradley Jr. on June
9, 2012.
Here’s how Dundee became a legend in boxing circles
1921: August 30 - Born Angelo Mirena in Philadelphia.
1955: Helps Carmen Basilio win the world welterweight
title against Tony DeMarco.
1960: Begins training one-fight novice Muhammad Ali, then
still using his birth name Cassius Clay.
1964: Plays a crucial role in Ali avoiding defeat to
Henry Cooper in London, illegally helping his fighter to the corner and using
smelling salts after he was knocked down by a left hook. Allegedly tears a hole
in one of Ali's gloves to buy more time for his fighter to recover.
1965: Ali defeats Sonny Liston to become world
heavyweight champion.
1971: Ali, back from boxing exile, loses for the first
time to Joe Frazier at New York's Madison Square Garden.
1974: January 28 - Helps Ali avenge Frazier defeat,
winning points decision in rematch.
October 30 - Ali shocks George Foreman in the Rumble in
the Jungle, playing 'rope a dope' before stopping the heavy-hitting younger man
in the eighth.
1975: Ali beats Frazier in the 'Thrilla in Manila' with
an epic 14th-round stoppage victory.
1977: 'Sugar' Ray Leonard turns professional with Dundee
in his corner.
1979: Leonard wins WBC welterweight title by beating
Wilfred Benitez.
1980: Leonard loses to Roberto Duran.
1981: Leonard beats great rival Thomas Hearns in 'fight
of the year', stopping the Detroit man in the 14th round. Dundee famously
rallies his charge, warning him 'You're blowing it, son!' before Leonard scores
the knockout. Ali retires following ignominious defeat by Trevor Berbick.
1987: Leonard returns to the ring to beat Marvin Hagler
for the WBC middleweight belt.
1988: Dundee and Leonard split for the fighter's latest
comeback, against Donnie Lalonde.
1992: Inducted into prestigious International Boxing Hall
of Fame.
1994: Works Foreman's corner as the veteran knocks out
Michael Moorer to regain the world heavyweight title.
2012: January - Attends Ali's 70th birthday celebrations
in Louisville, Kentucky.
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