By T.K. Stewart
Legendary hall of fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee, who once trained Muhammad Ali, and is helping to advise Oscar De La Hoya for Saturday night's fight against Manny Pacquiao in Las Vegas, says that he sees many similarities between De La Hoya and Ali.
"Oscar is like Muhammad in the fact that he gives you one hundred percent and that's what I like about the kid," said Dundee Thursday morning from Las Vegas. "And it's not just in training that he gives his all. Oscar takes the time to talk to all of you guys (reporters) and he comes out here to Vegas and doesn't hide in his hotel room."
Dundee, 87, has spent his lifetime in boxing and has seen it all in the sport. He has trained over 20-world champions from Carmen Basilio to Willie Pastrano to 'Sugar' Ray Leonard so he knows of what he speaks when he describes what he sees in De La Hoya.
"Oscar, the kid is a class act," says Dundee who still works with a host of different amateur and professional fighters. Thirteen years from age 100, Dundee doesn't show many signs of slowing down and says he probably won't stop anytime soon. "Don't worry about me not working, I'll always have a job," he chuckled.
Dundee has a wonderful enthusiasm for the sport of boxing and his positive attitude and high energy is absolutely contagious.
"I love fighting and I love what I do," he beams. "When Oscar called me up and asked me to join him I was thrilled. This is the fight of the year and it's good for the sport. It's a big, big fight and it's going to be even bigger than what people realize. It's a fight that people can feel excited about because they know who these two guys are."
And the way Dundee figures it, De La Hoya is a gift that keeps on giving when it comes to the sport.
"Like Muhammad, Oscar is going to bring the kids and the young people into the sport of boxing. We need a guy like that, just like Muhammad brought all the kids in, Oscar can do the same thing and I'm all for him."
Dundee said he was somewhat surprised with De La Hoya's happy-go lucky approach to training and said that reminds him of Ali, too.
"This kid trains like he's on his way to a birthday party, he just loves the gym and loves to train. Muhammad was like that, too. He went to the gym because he liked it," said Dundee.
And of course, the Golden Boy couldn't have that nickname if he didn't have the Midas touch of being able to put butts into the seats. Like Ali during his heyday, De La Hoya is the biggest draw in all of boxing.
"Oh yeah, he reminds me of Muhammad in that way, too. I mean the crowd out here is incredible, it's fantastic!" says a wide-eyed Dundee.
And just one final piece of wisdom from a man who lived through the Great Depression, World War II and the turbulent decade of the 1960's. Dundee has seen first hand the best and the worst the world, the economy and the sport of boxing has to offer. While some say that boxing is on a rapid decline into oblivion, the ever optimistic Dundee feels the future will be bright for the sport he loves - and for the economy.
"It's all evolution," explains Dundee. "It's just like everything else - you have good times and you have bad times. You just gotta' keep hustlin'. Period."
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