Legendary trainer Angelo Dundee played a key role in the career of Muhammad Ali, but once revealed the moment he realised the health of ‘The Greatest’ was on the decline.
After his success at the 1960 Summer Olympic Games in Rome, which he walked away from with a light-heavyweight gold medal, Ali entered the paid ranks and would establish himself as a serious contender in a matter of months.
Ali linked up with Angelo Dundee from the beginning of his professional career and their partnership would last for over 20 years, up until ‘The Greatest’ announced his retirement in 1981.
The Kentucky-native became the world heavyweight champion on three occasions along the way, defeating the likes of Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier and George Foreman during his prime years.
In the final few years of Ali’s career, it reportedly became common knowledge that the health of the boxing icon had began to deteriorate rapidly, although he was allowed to fight on.
In a resurfaced interview, Dundee shared details of Ali’s 1981 showdown with former WBC heavyweight champion Trevor Berbick, which he says was ‘unforgivable’ and had a lasting impact on the health of ‘The Greatest’.
“Every fighter has the God-given right to decide when to quit, but towards the end of his second reign he started to get hit with shots he shouldn’t have. Shots he would have avoided when he was younger. His reflexes had gone.
“That fight in Nassau [against Trevor Berbick, December 1981] was unforgivable. But who created it? Muhammad. He ran into a guy on the street from the Bahamas who asked Muhammad why he had never been to their country.
“Muhammad got it in his head he wanted to go there, and people bulls*****d him into to fighting there. I went with him because I wanted to make sure nothing would go wrong.”
Ali suffered a unanimous decision defeat to Berbick after a bruising ten round non-title bout in the Bahamas, in what would prove to be the 61st and final bout of his glittering career.
