Carmen Basilio was the first World Champion for whom Angelo Dundee acted as a cornerman, when Basilio defeated Tony DeMarco for the world welterweight crown in 1955, and Sugar Ray Robinson for the World Middleweight Crown in 1957.
19 Facts About Angelo Dundee
2.
Angelo Dundee traveled around the world with Ali, and he was the cornerman in all but two of Ali's fights.
3.
Angelo Dundee trained the young Cassius Clay, as Ali was then known, in most of his early bouts, including those with Archie Moore and Sonny Liston, where Clay won the heavyweight title.
4.
Angelo Dundee continued to train Ali in all of his fights until Ali's exile from boxing, and upon Ali's return to the sport Angelo Dundee trained him in almost all of his fights, including Ali's famed bouts with fighters such as Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson, George Foreman, Ken Norton and, later, Leon Spinks.
5.
One exception was in Ali's 1971 fight with Jimmy Ellis, where Angelo Dundee was in Ellis's corner.
6.
Angelo Dundee was accused by Foreman of loosening the ring ropes before his 1974 The Rumble in the Jungle fight with Ali to help Ali win the fight by using the rope-a-dope technique.
7.
In 1998, after decades, Angelo Dundee reunited with Muhammad Ali and appeared alongside him in a sentimental Super Bowl commercial.
8.
Angelo Dundee saw a future emerging star in Sugar Ray Leonard, whom he called "a smaller version of Ali".
9.
Angelo Dundee acted as cornerman for Leonard in many of his biggest fights, including those with Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, and Marvin Hagler.
10.
Angelo Dundee frequently went to other matches during his career to scout other boxers.
11.
Later in the bout, Angelo Dundee was overheard pleading for the fight to be stopped as Frazier was repeatedly knocked down.
12.
Angelo Dundee later teamed up with George Foreman, including his 1991 Heavyweight title fight against Evander Holyfield and his 1994 Heavyweight title win against then-undefeated Michael Moorer.
13.
In 2005, Dundee was hired to train Russell Crowe for Crowe's characterization of James J Braddock in Cinderella Man.
14.
Angelo Dundee died peacefully in his sleep at his senior resident apartment at the age of 90 on February 1,2012, in Tampa, Florida.
15.
Angelo Dundee's body was buried in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park cemetery in Clearwater, Florida.
16.
Angelo Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1992.
17.
Angelo Dundee was played by Ernest Borgnine in The Greatest, by Ron Silver in Ali and by Michael Imperioli in One Night in Miami.
18.
Angelo Dundee is portrayed by James Madio in the Epix series "Godfather of Harlem".
19.
Angelo Dundee appeared as himself in a 1997 Pizza Hut commercial with Muhammad Ali and actor David Bortolucci who portrayed a young boxer surprised to learn that his trainer had trained Ali.