Just finished the book this morning. I quite enjoyed it. It is a full retelling of his career as a trainer, in his own words, with a lot of entertaining stories and observations along the way. Naturally, it is also a full retelling of Ali’s career, but from Dundee’s point of view. It also goes through in detail his time with Ray Leonard and George Foreman. Enjoyable, fun, interesting, and seemingly honest (he flat out admits to ripping Ali’s glove to buy him time to recover after Cooper decked him, admits to a variety of shens he pulled for other fighters as well, is pretty hard on Ali for being lazy at points in his post-exile career, makes Foreman out to be someone who wouldn’t listen to anyone, etc). Highly recommended.
I’d be curious to see what credit he takes for training fighters… he definitely leaned into being Ali’s trainer hard despite Ali flat out saying he doesn’t train him to fight.
I also don't know that being honest about stuff like the glove story would mean he'd be honest on the rest. The glove story allows Dundee to take credit for Ali's victory. And it gives him a little air of rule-breaking that fits with the persona of a gritty, winning, slightly roguish corner man who's seen it all.
He got his start wrapping Basilio's hands... he "trained" Luis Rodriquez who was already a developed fighter that came from the same Cuban wave as Napoles to his credit he said Ali, Luis and Leonard all had great jabs by the time he got them. All three were developed fighters with years and years of training and education two guys had already gone to the Olympics they just needed time in the pros, Dundee used his connections through his brother Chris to bring Luis along nothing more, doubt they could even communicate much seeing as Luis's first language was likely Spanish and I also doubt he could've taught Leonard, Luis or Ali much if at all about fighting and hearing him say "my guy" as if he built them, taught them how to hold there hands... has a spot reserved under my skin... maybe it's more that the "fans" call him one of the great trainers that irks me? Cus BUILT fighters, Bill Miller built fighters and Griffith was Clancy's "guy" (day 1) Ali was closer to Chuck Bodak's "guy" then Angie boy who can kick rocks for all I care he didn't "build" one champion and never should've been held in his lifetime as a "great trainer"
Back in the day when I was playing around in the boxing film biz I had the opportunity to speak at length with Angelo ... I'll never forget it ... he really,ly was a very nice, terrific guy.
