Tributes flood in for best motivator in boxing history

Arum said he had been planning to bring Dundee to Las Vegas for a charity gala on 18 February headlined by Ali.

He called Dundee a legend in the sport, someone who worked the corner for some of the greatest fights of the times.

“He was wonderful, he was the whole package,” Arum said. “Angelo was the greatest motivator of all time. No matter how bad things were, Angelo always put a positive spin on them. That’s what Ali loved so much about him

“To motivate (a fighter) takes a special skill and there aren’t many people that can do it. In the (more than 45 years) I’ve been in boxing, he is the greatest cornerman by far of anyone that I’ve ever witnessed.”

Dundee was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1994, cementing his legacy as an invaluable asset to some of the most decorated boxers of all time.

“Ali was this unbelievable figure, and a guy who symbolised an entire era of American culture and was idolised around the world,” Arum added. “And through all those times, the person at his side was Dundee. For that, he will always be remembered.”

Freddie Roach, currently boxing’s most respected coach who includes Manny Pacquiao and Bolton’s Amir Khan in his stable, also paid tribute to Dundee. “Angelo Dundee was one of my idols,” Roach said. “I always used to say I wanted to be like him because he doesn’t talk badly about anybody, but I’m not quite there yet. A great man and great loss to our sport. We’ll miss him deeply.”

Britain’s former heavy and cruiserweight world champion David Haye used Twitter to hail Dundee’s credentials as boxing’s finest trainer.

“R.I.P. Angelo Dundee. The Greatest Coach ever,” said Haye. “I had the pleasure of spending time with him in Miami last year.

“What a true gentleman.”