(AP) - Muhammad Ali's trainer Angelo Dundee died at home last night at the age of 90.The genial trainer Dundee, died in his apartment in Tampa, Florida, on Wednesday night at the age of 90, and with him a part of boxing died, too.He was surrounded by his family, said his son, Jimmy, who said the visit with Ali in Louisville, Kentucky, meant everything to his Dad.Jimmy Dundee said his father was hospitalized for a blood clot last week and was briefly in a rehabilitation facility before returning to his apartment."He was coming along good yesterday and then he started to have 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," the son said.Dundee was the brilliant motivator who worked the corner for Ali in his greatest fights, willed Sugar Ray Leonard to victory in his biggest bout, and coached hundreds of young men in the art of a left jab and an overhand right.More than that, he was a figure of integrity in a sport that often lacked it."To me, he was the greatest ambassador for boxing, the greatest goodwill ambassador in a sport where there's so much animosity and enemies," said Bruce Trampler, the longtime matchmaker, who first went to work for Dundee in 1971."The guy didn't have an enemy in the world."How could he, when his favorite line was, "It doesn't cost anything more to be nice."Dundee was best known for being in Ali's corner for almost his entire career, urging him on in his first fight against Sonny Liston through the legendary fights with Joe Frazier and beyond.He was a cornerman, but he was much more, serving as a motivator for fighters not so great and for The Greatest.
The story of sport is replete with remarkable coaches and captains, possessing an almost unquantifiable combination of technical knowledge, tactical nous and psychological insight to make them outstanding leaders and master motivators. Manchester United has had Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson; Liverpool had Bill Shankly. There have been the likes of Red Auerbach of the Boston Celtics, Phil Jackson of the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers, and Pat Riley of the Lakers. And in this little corner of the world, the West Indies has produced two of the most globally acclaimed cricket captains of all time, the legendary Sir Frank Worrell and our own Clive Lloyd.
Ali’s Legendary Trainer Angelo Dundee Dies At 90
Cassius Clay (Ali's given name) won a gold medal at the Rome Olympics in 1960. He wanted more: a professional heavyweight championship. He arrived in Miami in October to work with legendary trainer Angelo Dundee. Dundee, who died in 2012, recalled the first day Clay showed up. 2ff7e9595c
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