Angelo Dundee Net Worth

What was Angelo Dundee’s Net Worth?

Angelo Dundee was an American boxing manager, trainer, promoter, and cornerman who had a net worth of $1 million at the time of his death in 2012. Angelo Dundee was most renowned for his work training world heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali from 1960 to 1981. Dundee worked with several other world champion boxers, as well, including Sugar Ray Leonard, George Scott, George Foreman, Jimmy Ellis, and Willie Pastrano.

Early Life and Military Service

Angelo Dundee was born Angelo Mirena on August 30, 1921 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Italian immigrant parents Filomena Cianelli and Angelo Merenda, the latter of whom had his name erroneously transcribed as Mirena when he immigrated. Dundee was one of seven children. He adopted his surname in the early 1940s in homage to champion boxer Johnny Dundee. During World War II, he served as an aircraft mechanic in the US Air Force and was deployed to England. It was during this time that Dundee had his first experiences as a boxing cornerman, a role he performed in Air Force boxing tournaments.

Career Beginnings

After the end of World War II and his departure from the Air Force, Dundee moved to New York City and did an apprenticeship as a boxing trainer at Stillman’s Gym. Upon completing his apprenticeship, he moved to Miami Beach, Florida to work at the 5th Street Gym with his brother Chris, who was its founder and owner. There, Dundee helped develop and manage the gym’s stable of boxers. Among them was Carmen Basilio, whom he served as the cornerman for when Basilio won the world welterweight title in 1955. Two years later, Dundee was the cornerman for Sugar Ray Robinson when he won the world middleweight crown.

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Muhammad Ali’s Trainer

In late 1960, Cassius Clay began training at the 5th Street Gym. Dundee became his trainer, and helped Clay emerge as the boxing legend known as Muhammad Ali. He trained Ali for almost all of his career fights between 1960 and 1981, including his heavyweight victory over Sonny Liston in 1964. Dundee later trained Ali in famed matches against Jerry Quarry, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and Floyd Patterson, among other fighters. In the legendary “Rumble in the Jungle” bout in 1974, Foreman accused Dundee of loosening the ropes to help Ali win via the rope-a-dope technique. Dundee persistently denied this. After Ali retired from boxing in late 1981, Dundee remained close friends with the fighter. The two reunited professionally in 1998 for a sentimental commercial during the Super Bowl.

Work with Other Boxers

Beyond Ali, Dundee worked frequently with Sugar Ray Leonard, whom he dubbed a “smaller version of Ali.” Dundee served as Leonard’s cornerman in famed fights against such boxers as Roberto Durán, Wilfred Benítez, and Thomas Hearns. He also trained several other world champions, including Willie Pastrano, Luis Rodríguez, Pinklon Thomas, Jimmy Ellis, and Michael Nunn. In the 1990s, Dundee worked with George Foreman during his record-setting heavyweight title victory. Other boxers he worked with included David Estrada, Jimmy Lange, Pat O’Connor, and Sean Mannion.

Post-retirement

After retiring from professional boxing around 2005, Dundee was hired to train actor Russell Crowe for the biographical boxing film “Cinderella Man,” in which Crowe was portraying world heavyweight champion James J. Braddock. In addition to training the actor, Dundee appeared in the film as a cornerman. Later, in 2008, Dundee briefly returned to professional boxing to serve as a special consultant for a fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.

Personal Life and Death

With his wife Helen, Dundee had two children. Helen passed away in late 2010 after over 50 years of marriage.

On February 1, 2012, Dundee died in his apartment in Tampa, Florida at the age of 90. His funeral, held in Clearwater on February 10, was attended by hundreds, including Ali. Dundee was interred in Sylvan Abbey Memorial Park.