Tuesday (August 30th) marked the 90th birthday of legendary boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.  His contributions to the sport have been widespread and range over several decades.

In the video below, you will see footage of Dundee with his most prized pupil, Muhammad Ali, at the 5th Street Gym in Miami, Florida.

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You may also enjoy the footage below where Dundee can be seen working the corner of Sugar Ray Leonard in his epic bout with Thomas Hearns.  Dundee helped turn the fight around after the 12th round as he urged Leonard to come on strong.

Following Leonard’s dramatic victory, many were quick to praise Dundee for his assistance that night.  Angelo Dundee was not one to steal the spotlight however.  His humble response was as follows:

Thanks, but Ray did the fighting… The fighter is the hero. He’s the guy.  We [trainers] are secondary guys.  We’re not I, I, I.  You can’t be an ‘I’ guy.  I’m not an ‘I’ guy.

Many trainers in today’s era could learn from Dundee’s humble approach. He didn’t jump in front of the camera to promote himself and take the spotlight from his fighters. Instead, he focused solely on the task at hand. He prepared his fighters to the best of his ability. It wasn’t his claims or self-praise that made him a household name. Dundee is recognized for results. He didn’t need to tell everyone about his success or about how great he was as a trainer. He stayed busy working and let others speak for him.

As for what it takes to become a successful fighter, Dundee offers the following advice:

The most important ingredient is desire. The desire to win and the desire to be the best there is.

Happy Birthday to Angelo Dundee

The hurricane knocked out our power last night. I just wanted to post a quick update through the phone. I will get back to all emails as soon as I can. I’m hoping that power is restored soon, although I’ve been told that it could be several days.

I will continue with new entries as soon as power is back. I apologize for any inconvenience.

Ross

Below are two boxing videos that I came across today while waiting out Hurricane Irene.  I was one of the few people in my area who did not lose power during the hurricane.

Both videos come from the same Youtube channel (here).  I don’t recall seeing this channel before but it didn’t take long to notice several excellent videos within.  If you are a fan or participant of the sweet science, you’ll likely enjoy many of the videos.  I spent over an hour watching clips from the channel today.

The two videos that follow are dedicated to warriors who never backed down and continued to fight no matter what.  If these videos don’t get the blood pumping, you’d better check to see if you still have a heart beat.

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It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat. – Theodore Roosevelt

Below is a new video tutorial where I demonstrate an easy and inexpensive way to create doorway pull-up handles for use when traveling.  A brief demonstration of the handles is included at 3:29 within the video.

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For more homemade equipment ideas, please refer to the link below:

Homemade Exercise Equipment Archives

It has been over a year since I mentioned Jack Denness and his quest to finish a 12th Badwater Ultramarathon.  Entering the event, Jack already held the record as the oldest person to ever complete the race.  He previously set the record at age 70. Last year, he set out to break his own record by finishing the race at age 75.  The three videos below document his struggles to finish the race.

Watching a 75 year old man finish a 135 mile course in temperatures over 120 °F is truly incredible.  It is even more incredible considering that Jack didn’t begin running until he quit smoking at age 45.  All of his recent accomplishments came in the second half of his life after abusing his body for many years.  He completely changed his life and has earned over £100,000 for charity.

Hats off to Jack for the inspiration.

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People of mediocre ability sometimes achieve outstanding success because they don’t know when to quit. Most men succeed because they are determined to. – George Allen

The following trailer is to a new boxing documentary that is set to open on August 19th.

A description of the film can be found below:

Born and Bred is a feature-length documentary film chronicling the lives of a new generation of young boxers fighting for their place in the American boxing capital of Los Angeles, where Latino immigration is surging to a historical breaking point. At the heart of the film is the story of 15-year-old twin brothers in their last two years in the tough ranks of amateur boxing where boys are made into men and Olympic dreams are won and lost.

Shot over the course of four years, the film offers an inside look at the gritty boxing culture of East Los Angeles where there are more boxers than anywhere else in the country. The documentary is driven by the story of twin brothers Oscar and Javier Molina and their intense relationship with lifelong trainer, Robert Luna. The movie documents their last years fighting as kids and their entry in the men’s division of the sport as they clash with seasoned boxers.

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In addition to the trailer, you will find loads of footage available at the film creator’s Youtube page.  Please refer to the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/user/bornandbredmovie#g/u

Within the uploads, you will find interviews from those such as Mike Tyson, Teddy Atlas, Emanuel Steward, and more.  The clips are well worth a look to any boxing fan or participant.

Baxter Humby’s right hand was amputated below the elbow after it became entangled with the umbilical cord at birth.  He’s lived his entire life with one hand.  You would never guess that he’s disabled though after reading through his athletic accomplishments.  Baxter has defied the odds and then some.

Baxter’s athletic career began as a youngster.  He started running at age 11 and eventually ran for the Canadian National Track Team in Barcelona in 1992 and again in Berlin in 1994.  Baxter also began martial arts training at age 17.  He became the Canadian Super Welterweight Kickboxing Champion in 1996.  Shortly after, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue a professional fighting career.

In the time since, Baxter has notched up over 80 professional fights in various disciplines.  He’s won multiple world championships.  A few of titles include the IMTC World Super Welterweight Champion, the IMTC World Middleweight Champion, the IKKC USA Kickboxing Champion and the IKBA International Kickboxing Champion.

Baxter continues to fight and also works as a trainer.  Below you will find a brief video of him in action.  The fight doesn’t last long.

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In summary, Baxter Humby has accomplished much more than anyone could have guessed when he was born.  It is safe to assume that he had his share of doubters telling him that he couldn’t compete in the sport he loved.  Fortunately, Baxter did not allow a hater or critic to dictate his future.  He was not satisfied listening to what someone else thought he could accomplish.  He had to find out for himself.

There is a lesson to be learned from Baxter’s inspiring example.  No one lives inside your skin but you.  What someone else believes you can accomplish is nothing more than an opinion.  Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but that doesn’t mean you need to listen.  Personally, I’m like Baxter in that I need to find out for myself.  You’ll never know until you try with everything that you have.  It’s your life so don’t let someone else live it for you.

At age 75, Walter Perfahl can perform feats that few at any age will ever replicate. He can be seen below demonstrating some of his moves for a group of onlookers in Germany.

At first glance, you may assume that Walter is a former gymnast or circus performer, but neither is true. He’s actually a former miner. He’s always been physically active however and regularly preaches the importance of fitness while performing his informal shows.

A brief article about Walter can be found at the link below. It is written in German but can be converted through the Google Translator.

Walter Perfahl

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We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. – George Bernard Shaw

Many scouts thought Ray Lewis was too small to play linebacker in the NFL when he entered the draft in 1996.  Four linebackers had already been picked when the Baltimore Ravens selected Lewis as the 26th overall pick.

Those who passed up on him because of his size are surely kicking themselves now.  Ray Lewis is about to enter his 16th season in the NFL.  He is without question one of the best defensive players in the history of the sport.

His greatness is not the byproduct of a high-tech routine or facility however.  Ray Lewis has always thrived on the basics.  His routine has never been fancy, but he’s known around the league as one of the hardest workers on and off the field.  He pushes himself to the limit and then some.

Below is a brief video where he speaks about using a deck of cards as one of his original training routines.  As has been discussed before, a standard deck of cards can be used to create an endless list of always changing workouts (see here).

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The next video shows Ray Lewis on the field.  As you will see, there is no denying his intensity.

In a previous entry, I mentioned how Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice conditioned himself by running hills throughout his career.  Rice certainly was not the first or last football great that took to the hills to prepare himself.

Walter Payton is yet another NFL legend who thrived on this simplistic form of conditioning.  Like Rice, Payton is one of the greatest players to ever play the game and also one of the best conditioned.

Despite his premature passing in 1999, Payton’s off-season workouts are still spoken of regularly.   Those who played with him were amazed at his work ethic off the field.  He literally ran everyone (including himself) into the ground.

Below is a brief video where Payton can be heard speaking about his legendary hill workouts.