Who was the BEST Coach/Trainer?

Trainers and Boxers are like locks and keys. While one man may be able to open up a Fighter's talent and potential, another won't be able to get the lad's gloves on. It is very much an art rather than a science.
The very few, really special ones, will find a way to get through to Fighters with different styles and wildly varying personalities.
Ray Arcel is, rightly, seen as the Father of modern trainers. He started with Benny Leonard and finished with Roberto Duran. Among those who learned from him was Angelo Dundee.
Eddie Futch was a boyhood friend and amateur sparring partner with Joe Louis in Detroit. He worked with Frazier and Holmes and was still a go to in the eighties. Emanuel Steward was his star pupil.
The essential read on this is Ronald K Fried's "Cornermen".

 

I really like your analogy of fighters and trainers.

 

Tell us about that encounter please

 

I would love to claim it Richard M but I got it from my old trainer, Frank O'Sullivan. Among others, Frank also trained Robert McCracken who has carried Frank's philosophy of Boxing throughout his career as a Boxer and Trainer.

 

Futch, Nacho, and Arcel would be my top 3.

 

My brother and I attended the Sugar Ray Leonard vs Daniel Gonzalez fight on March 24 1979. It was to be televised on ABC's Wide World Of Sports, Howard Cosell was the commentator. After the very short victory for Ray, I went to the concession stand to go buy a beer. As I was approaching the stand, Carlos Monzon was approaching in the opposite direction. We both nodded our heads up at each other, I said Carlos Monzon, he gave me a big smile. He was tall, thin and dark complected I told everyone afterwards that I saw Carlos, I will never forget that moment. I was wondering before the fight if I would see him in person. Poor Howard was trying to hide, as one of the disgruntled fans were trying to pull off his hairpiece. Cosell said that he would never return, because we were a bunch of savages. But he returned a year later to be the commentator of both the Alexis Arguello vs Ruben Castillo title bout, which I attended with my dad. Howard was also the commentator of the Salvador Sanchez vs Ruben Castillo title bout 4 months later.

 

Awsome..thanku

 

You are very welcome my friend.

 

What a great moment !! If you engaged him speaking spanish I am sure he would have chatted it up with you ... He didn't speak english great if at all from what I understand ... so that is probably why you just got the head nod and thats it ,,. still really cool

 

I read, write and speak Spanish, I was happy and awed. I followed his career since he won the title from Nino Benvenuti in 1970.

 

Thats awesome ... so why not engage him in Spanish ?? or did you ?? or was it like just a friendly hey and he wanted to get his beer ?? just curious if you thought he would engage a little more ... but i do get if you were a little star struck ... lol

 

I sure was star struck, again I was wondering the day before if I was going to see him in person, I wished today if maybe we could have chatted and got an autograph.

 

I forgot these men from home city of Philadelphia I'm embarrassed to say. Al Fenell Wesley Mouzon and Quenzel McCall who owned the famous Champs Camp gym

 

Freddie Brown.