Top trainers who never boxed

[revpickles]

Good trainers are life teachers, we believe in them because we respect them, fighters without someone to believe in might as well have a blow up sheep in his corner because he obviously isn't listening to anybody, deaf ears only get you so far in boxing!

Does a good trainer have to be a boxer ? I don't think so at all, and if we reverse the question I can think of a handful of great fighters that couldn't teach a dog to roll over!


Good topic though...

[Duran1970]

Arcel said he had about 8 bouts.

Nothing documented

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Did nazzim richardson ever box?
Dan birmingham?

[goose 5]

Brother Nazzim boxed as an amateur.

[mjaco]

But can a man who has never boxed teach someone how to box ?

I wouldn’t have thought so but the evidence appears to suggest otherwise. I‘m sure, for example, Enzo didn’t box. Dundee, a top trainer, had a few amateur fights. He must have gained his skills outside the ropes.

Dundee, as far as I know, never had any amateur fights. He got started helping to corner boxers while he was in the army and I believe he always maintained he never boxed. But I think Teddy Atlas did have some amateur fights. So while the list of elite trainers who never boxed is a short one, they do exist.

It's probably extremely difficult to coach someone in a sport you never did yourself, but not completely impossible. An example from another sport would be Edward Clark Gallagher, one of the greatest wrestling coaches in history, who supposedly never wrestled himself.

[goose 5]

in the book "I Only Talk Winning" Dundee wrote that he won a few fights at welterweight while on the boxing squad in the service(page 44).

[ezcharles]

One of the greatest trainers who ever lived never boxed, Ray Arcel, Arcel trained the two greatest lightweights in boxing history, and he did it over a time spanning many decades. Benny Leonard and Roberto Duran. Arcel also trained the greatest light heavyweight who ever lived, Ezzard Charles. Arcel trained other greats like Tony Zale and Barney Ross and Kid Gavilan. He trained many other world champions and top boxers like heavyweight world champion James Braddock and over 40 years later he trained world heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes. You do not have to be a boxer to be a great boxing trainer.

The best trainer (IMO) in the history of boxing was a boxer, Jack Blackburn. So was the best trainer in the last 50 years of boxing (IMO), Eddie Futch. However, Arcel proves that you do not need to have boxed in order to be a great boxing trainer.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

I wouldn’t have thought so but the evidence appears to suggest otherwise. I‘m sure, for example, Enzo didn’t box. Dundee, a top trainer, had a few amateur fights. He must have gained his skills outside the ropes.

Dundee, as far as I know, never had any amateur fights. He got started helping to corner boxers while he was in the army and I believe he always maintained he never boxed. But I think Teddy Atlas did have some amateur fights. So while the list of elite trainers who never boxed is a short one, they do exist.

It's probably extremely difficult to coach someone in a sport you never did yourself, but not completely impossible. An example from another sport would be Edward Clark Gallagher, one of the greatest wrestling coaches in history, who supposedly never wrestled himself.

Another example is old purdue basketball coach gene keady.

[Duran1970]

One of the greatest trainers who ever lived never boxed, Ray Arcel, Arcel trained the two greatest lightweights in boxing history, and he did it over a time spanning many decades. Benny Leonard and Roberto Duran. Arcel also trained the greatest light heavyweight who ever lived, Ezzard Charles. Arcel trained other greats like Tony Zale and Barney Ross and Kid Gavilan. He trained many other world champions and top boxers like heavyweight world champion James Braddock and over 40 years later he trained world heavyweight champion, Larry Holmes. You do not have to be a boxer to be a great boxing trainer.

The best trainer (IMO) in the history of boxing was a boxer, Jack Blackburn. So was the best trainer in the last 50 years of boxing (IMO), Eddie Futch. However, Arcel proves that you do not need to have boxed in order to be a great boxing trainer.

Already mentioned

[margaret thatcher]

Ya, but he provided a lot more detail than the previous posts and topped them easily

If it's any consolation, here, have a thumbs up for mentioning Arcel first, if the thread was a race you woulda won

[Duran1970]

I think the knowledgeable fans on here were aware of who arcel trained...

[margaret thatcher]

It's a forum, perfect place to elaborate, and for the fans who didn't follow boxing from ages and ages ago as closely. But hey, if it makes you feel better that you posted his name first, all the power to you bruh

[Duran1970]

Thanks

[Duran1970]

Numerous times I've dropped a name that was already mentioned on a topic and was made aware by other members..I've said sorry and I'd read all posts etc etc..I do it once and you get your panties in a knot...ezcharles I apologize I wasn't trying to be some know it all or a race? or anything like that...to thatch,...grow a pair

[margaret thatcher]

[goose 5]

Did Panama Lewis ever box ? A lot of fighters said he was a great trainer.

[Delta Jay]

Enjoy Calzaghe gotta be the number one here. He didn’t even have any kind of sporting background, wasn’t he a singer in a band?

He more or less learned as he went at about the same time as Joe, and they ended up No. 1 in 2 divisions

[saad1000]

Abel Sanchez? I don't think he boxed. Maybe as an amateur.

[goose 5]

Abel boxed pro.

[saad1000]

Abel boxed pro.

Really? I had thought he worked construction and maybe had some amateur boxing background. This article says he had some amateur kick boxing experience. He got started training under Ben Lira, not a bad place to learn.
https://hannibalboxing.com/a-career-bui ... hez-story/

[oogiebe]

Abel boxed pro.

Really? I had thought he worked construction and maybe had some amateur boxing background. This article says he had some amateur kick boxing experience. He got started training under Ben Lira, not a bad place to learn.
https://hannibalboxing.com/a-career-bui ... hez-story/

No record of him on BoxRec.

[goose 5]

Good catch ! Great article on Sanchez.

[goose 5]

I found an interview with Panama Lewis in which he said he boxed in the late 60's and was knocked out by Diego Alcala as a pro. Lewis claimed to have won 16 straight before the loss. He also said he served in Vietnam for a year with the U.S. Army.

[oogiebe]

I found an interview with Panama Lewis in which he said he boxed in the late 60's and was knocked out by Diego Alcala as a pro. Lewis claimed to have won 16 straight before the loss. He also said he served in Vietnam for a year with the U.S. Army.

If Lewis said the sky was blue, I wouldn't believe it.

[margaret thatcher]

Panama's real name is Carlos Lewis. There is a Carlos Lewis whose only fight on BoxRec was a KO loss to Alcala, no 16 wins of course

https://boxrec.com/en/proboxer/272009