this question of mine got lost in the general forum, i should have posted here.. i'd love to know more about this legendary trainer, but very little online...was watching the post fight interview with ron lyle after ali with him...also i was reading recently where he was ali's trainer for one fight, jimmy ellis i think it was... .
Chickie Ferrara worked Floyd Patterson's corner for his first fight with Ali. Patterson developed terrific back problems in that fight and I remember scenes of Chickie lifting Floyd up and down between rounds to try to fix the problem.
Angelo Dundee credits Ferrara as a critical mentor in his early training career and will admit to this day that Chickie taught him everything he knows. Ferrara was one of the big names at Stillman's, no less, and he trained Tommy Bell. Dundee remembered his graciousness later and hired him to work some of Clay's early bouts with him in the east. Ferrara was in the corner when Clay went down against Cooper.
From an interview: "I learned from the best," Angelo Dundee said. "Chickie Ferrara was my teacher from Day One."
With Angelo Dundee too? That's funny because he referred to Charlie Goldman as the best trainer he knew.
Here is a list of some of the fighters that were trained by Chickie Ferrara during his career. Trained World Champion Dick Tiger Other Fighters Trained or Seconded Rocky Marciano Floyd Patterson Muhammad Ali Jimmy Ellis Oscar Bonavena Jerry Quarry Ron Lyle Duane Bobick Boone Kirkman Thad Spencer Bobby Cassidy Eddie Mustafa Muhammad Tommy Bell Johnny Busso Ismael Laguna Vilomar Fernandez Joe Alexander Jorge Jose Fernandez Rubin Carter Nino Benvenuti Carlos Morocho Hernandez Gregorio Peralta Joey Giambra Eduardo Lausse
my 1st thought upon entering this thread was about this fine gentleman : This content is protected n archcriminal . was there a school in Sicilia where it was taught or did it pass "by word of mouth" from father 2 son ? it reminds me when i was a child and told 1 of my grandmothers that i was trying 2 learn Italian and she told me that if i'd ever go there then they will steal my suitcases .
i remember asking chickie why dick tiger kept his mouth full of water when he hit the speed bag. Chickie said, " to make sure he keeps his mouth closed and breaths thru his nose. Keeping the mouth open and getting hit with a punch can cause you to break your jaw". Typical little things the old time trainers picked up on. He also worked with Carlos Monzon. Chickie lived his entire life on the lower east side of manhattan ny. a really nice guy.
