Angelo Mirena (born August 30, 1921 in Philadelphia, PA), better known in the boxing world as Angelo Dundee, is a boxing cornerman who has worked with 15 world boxing champions, including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Jose Napoles, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, Carmen Basilio and Luis Rodriguez.
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Professional Career
Dundee learned many of the strategies used to act as a cornerman for boxers as a pupil of Lou Stillman. A native of Philadelphia, he went to New York and later to Miami, where his brother Chris Dundee opened the Fifth Street Gym. Basilio was the first world champion for whom Dundee acted as a cornerman, when Basilio defeated Tony De Marco for the world welterweight crown.
Career with Ali
Dundee travelled around the world with Ali, and he was the cornerman in all of Ali's fights, which also included Ali's bouts with Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton and, later, Leon Spinks. 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 Ali's Rope-a-dope technique. In 1997, after decades Dundee reunited with Muhammad Ali and appeared alongside him in a sentimental Super Bowl commercial.
Career with Leonard
After Ali's retirement, Dundee saw a future, emerging star in Sugar Ray Leonard, whom he has called "a smaller version of Ali". Dundee acted as cornerman for Leonard in many of his biggest fights, including those with Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran and Thomas Hearns. In Leonard's first bout with Hearns, Dundee, thinking that his protege was behind on the scorecards, quipped the now famous words "You're blowing it, son! You're blowing it!" before the start of round 13. Leonard went on to score a fourteenth round win when the referee stopped the fight, causing longtime boxing blow by blow commentator Don Dunphy to exclaim, "They're stopping the fight. I don't believe it. Hearns is ahead on points."
Other Work
Angelo 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. In addition, Angelo also trained such world champions as:
And other boxers such as:
- Bill Bossio
- David Estrada
- Douglas Vaillant
- Jimmy Lange
Most recently, Angelo Dundee was hired to train Russell Crowe for Crowe's characterization of James J. Braddock in Cinderella Man. To that end, Dundee traveled to Australia to work with the Oscar winning actor and actually appeared in the film as "Angelo" the corner man.
Honors
Dundee was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994.
