Ten rounds with a legend: Q&A with Angelo Dundee

by David Hebert

He can spot a poor wrap job at 1,000 paces. He misses Dick Schaap and Howard Cosell. He has filmed Pizza Hut commercials with Muhammad Ali, but their other collaborations are far more well known.

Angelo Dundee, trainer of more than 15 world champion boxers, including Ali, George Foreman and Sugar Ray Leonard, sat down with The Daily Advertiser to talk about the state of boxing.

Does the popularity of mixed martial arts hurt boxing?

"You've got to give the public what they want. I don't know how they would want to compete with boxing. Boxing is a completely different kind of sport all together. The young generation likes that. I don't have anything against (MMA). God bless them. I wish them well."

Who's the best fighter going right now?

"Kelly Pavlik. He's good. The people like him. The other kid, Floyd Mayweather, is a very talented fighter. There's others. I mean, Oscar De La Hoya is always an attraction. We got some great fights coming up. See, what the promoters are doing is giving the public SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 2008
names they recognize. If fighters fight and the public doesn't know them, we're in trouble. If the fight guys don't know them, we're in trouble."

What is the state of boxing right now, namely the heavyweight division?

"Well you always have highs and lows. Right now, if you don't speak Russian, you're in trouble. What can you do? That happens. For me, it's always an evolution. There's no rhyme or reason. I thought the next great fighters would come out of Africa, because where you have quantity, you get quality. It's not happening. It'll come back."

How do you think boxing can be restored to its former prominence?

"You've got to stop diluting the public. The public has got to know who the heck the fighters are. You got to get to where a guy like you wants to write about boxing. Muhammad gave you plenty to write. Ray Leonard did too, that's why I'm grateful to Ray for picking it up when Muhammad stopped. But, you guys have to have something to write, or you're not going to write anything. That's what we need. We need guys that are interesting. This thing here (Ragin Cajun Boxing Club) is going to be a big help, because this is where kids are. From the kids come professionals.
You've got to have a good amateur program. We've got a good amateur scene already. You've got to want it to be a fighter. You have to be special to be a fighter. Not everybody can be a fighter."

How did the name Dundee come about?

I was a kid in Philadelphia. I had a brother, Joe, who was a fighter. That's where the name. My family is from Italy. When he used to fight, he would use the name Dundee so my father wouldn't know he was fighting. Joe figured he would kick the heck out of him. That's where the name
Dundee came from. It didn't come from Johhny Dundee or Joe Dundee or Vince dundee - it was just a name that was picked up. I was known as Little Dundee where I was born.

How difficult is it to put on a good fight?

"Well, you've got to have promoters. You see De La Hoya, he's gotten very successful as a promoter. As long as you've got promoters, you're gonna have fights. You've got to have promoters. You've got to have managers. You've got to have trainers, but you've got to have talent... Like I understand you've got a good girl boxer here (Kasha Chamblin), but you've got to have competition. There's not a lot of girl boxers here. I have that problem with male boxers right now. If you've got good competition, the fans will go for it."

Why don't boxers box anymore? What happened to trading blows as opposed to running around the ring?

"Well, because you've got be pretty talented to do that. Muhammad didn't want to get hit. That's crazy. Nobody wants to get hit. The art is the hit and don't get hit. But he made it interesting with his flashy style. Muhammad was the first heavyweight who moved. People like that. They want to see more of that. I think the age of the big muscled up heavyweight is on the way out. I think pocket sized heavyweight will come back. It takes time. I've got to be patient. I don't know if i'll see it in my generation, but it'll happen."

What made you such a good trainer?

"A trainer has to be able to get along with the fighter. In other words, you're the guy that's gotta be there if needed. That's all. Training is an art form in its own right - You've got to show your guy what to do and what
not to do. You've got to tell your guy how to fight, and how not to fight.
It's a profession that I enjoy. I've been doing it since 1948, and I was trained by the greatest trainers in the world in NYC. Across the street was Madison Square Garden. Across the street was The Ring magazine. Three blocks down the street was the gym. I was like a little kid. I could watch all these great trainers train. I would work fights every night to make my living working corners. I had the luxury of learning."

Where do you find good fighters?

They used to say no good fighters could come out of England. I said that's crazy. Sure good fighters will come out. We have good fighters from England. Lennox Lewis was a champ. He was a great champion. So, you never know where your next fighter is going to come from. I hope when they come up, they say, 'Hey Angelo! I need someone to work with.' Because you're only as young as the guy you work with.

Is there a fighter you wish you would have had a chance to see?

"I think I've been plenty spoiled by everything. I think one guy I would've liked to work with was Willie Pep. He thrilled me. Such a great boxer. But I never try to put myself in situations... Who could do better than Muhammad? Who could do better than Ray Leonard? Who could do better?"

What's your relationship with the media like?

"I've been around the best writers. I've been around the best TV guy - Howard Cosell. My best friend. I made the marriage with him and Muhammad. You know I watched him do a whole show. Baseball: Hits... errors... the catchers, the pitchers, the injuries - No script! No monitor.
The guy had it all (in his head) He knew sports. When he came on TV, he told me, 'If I have a son and he wants to fight, the only guy I'll have handle him would be Angelo Dundee because he knows fighters. He knows what to do with fighters.' That was a great compliment from a great man. It makes me feel good."