Boxing’s Heavyweights of the 1970s: Muhammad Ali

He was born Cassius Clay, later became known to the world as Muhammad Ali and represents yet another great fighter from the 1970s about whom much has been said and written.Few people discuss where Ali acquired his fighting acumen. It is fairly well-known that while Angelo Dundee was one of the game’s greatest cornermen, he was an average technical trainer. As such, one would be hard-pressed to find a fighter Dundee built from the ground up. The two men for whom Dundee was best known were Willie Pastrano and Ralph Dupas. Both were built by New Orleans-based trainer Ernest “Whitey” Ensault, who churned out a number of champions from the French Quarter, including Bernard and Maxie Docusen, Freddie Little and Tony Licata. Ensault and Dundee became friends at amateur events in the Southeast, with “Whitey” sending his fighters to Dundee in Miami due its close proximity to New Orleans. That brings us to Ali and the true history of his boxing education, which includes key figures about whom you may not have heard. It begins with Fred Stoner, a trainer at the Grace Community Center in Louisville, Kentucky. He was Ali’s first instructor and honed his skills to a point where he won Golden Gloves state titles, two Golden Gloves national championships and an American Athletic Union national championship. At some point in the late 1950s, Ali crossed paths with the first of many legendary boxing figures: cutman Vasil “Chuck” Bodak. The refinements he made took Ali to an Olympic gold medal. Still, Ali never forgot Stoner, as he brought him in to work his corner after turning pro and often credited him with his success. “He taught me all I know,” Ali said. In reviewing some of Ali’s amateur bouts, it connected a few dots about his fighting style that I had once questioned. He was known for evasive footwork but had a distinct ability to stand his ground and throw sharp straight punches. That was primarily how he fought as an amateur, and it seems Stone and Bodak focused on increasing his toughness and getting him comfortable enough to trade with opponents when necessary. Finesse was refined later, specifically at Dundee’s gym. Ali had interactions with another legend in Archie Moore. They were not together for long, as Ali had an aversion to being made to do chores and Moore was akin to a military drill sergeant. One of Moore’s protégés now serves as a trainer at my gym, and he compared his experiences with the former light heavyweight champion to boot camp. That …

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