Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali's Coach, Dies at 90

By Daniel Distant , Christian Post Reporter

February 2, 2012|11:10 am

Angelo Dundee, the legendary trainer and cornerman for Muhammad Ali, has died at 90, but not before he got to celebrate the boxer's 70th birthday with him.

Angelo Dundee- whose name invokes boxing greats like Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and George Foreman- died Wednesday, surrounded by his family. Just last month, the Italian trainer got one of his last wishes: to reminisce with Ali one more time about the good old days, when the two were an inseparable team.

"It was the way he wanted to go," his son told The Associated Press. "He did everything he wanted to do."

While Ali will be remembered for being one of the greatest boxers of all time, the fierce fighter shares many of his victories with the master motivator who never left his corner, Dundee.

Dundee was with Ali through many of his greatest fights.

In Ali's iconic battle against Joe Frazier, famously named the "Thrilla in Manilla," he motivated a beleaguered Ali to victory after the 14th round.

He also propelled Ali to a championship fight win against Foreman in "The Rumble in the Jungle."

Though Dundee was with Ali through all of his professional career fights but two, throughout it all, the cornerman remained humble.

"I just put the reflexes in the proper direction," he told AP in a 2005 interview.

While Dundee was renowned as a one of the best trainers and cornermen in the business, his attitude and approach to other people was what made him a standout in the sport.

"He was the greatest ambassador for boxing, the greatest goodwill ambassador in a sport where there's so much animosity and enemies," Bruce Trampler, a well-known fight matchmaker told AP. "The guy didn't have an enemy in the world."

Dundee was once quoted as saying, "It doesn't cost anything more to be nice."

Angelo Dundee died February 1, 2012. Jimmy Dundee, his son, said that his father had been in the hospital for blood clots just last week, and that he had previously reported breathing problems.

"My wife was with him at the time, thank God, and called and said he can't breathe. We all got over there. All the grandkids were there. He didn't want to go slowly," said Jimmy.