BoxRec

Dr. Ferdie Pacheco has come up with a new book titled "Tales of the Fifth Street Gym," which is an anthology in which a number of journalists -Tom Archdeacon, Edwin Pope and myself contributed.

I have two chapters -one on Luis Sarria and another on Chris Dundee and I think most boxing fans -with the exception of the pathologically obsessed anti-Ali- will really enjoy this work.

enrique wrote:Dr. Ferdie Pacheco has come up with a new book titled "Tales of the Fifth Street Gym," which is an anthology in which a number of journalists -Tom Archdeacon, Edwin Pope and myself contributed.

I have two chapters -one on Luis Sarria and another on Chris Dundee and I think most boxing fans -with the exception of the pathologically obsessed anti-Ali- will really enjoy this work.

Sarria was Ali's masseuse. Is he still alive?

Pope writes for the Miami Herald. He has known the GOAT since his Overown days. I remember asking him what he thought of the movie "Ali". He said seeing it wasn't so important to him as he lived it.

Sarria died a few years ago. Since he did not know English he was the least interviewed of the Ali Circus and he was in fact the man who always got Ali in shape. He had a pro career and part of his record is in boxrec.

Probably the greatest Cuban trainer of all time he worked with Kid Tunero, Luis Rodriguez, Julio Mederos, Frankie Otero and dozens of other good fighters.

enrique wrote:Sarria died a few years ago. Since he did not know English he was the least interviewed of the Ali Circus and he was in fact the man who always got Ali in shape. He had a pro career and part of his record is in boxrec.

Probably the greatest Cuban trainer of all time he worked with Kid Tunero, Luis Rodriguez, Julio Mederos, Frankie Otero and dozens of other good fighters.

If you watch the entire film footage of The Rumble In The Jungle Sarria is one of the last people to greet Ali in his dressinmg room after the fight.

What years does it cover? I had a few friends who trained there in the late 1950's, early 60's.

ThatOne wrote:

enrique wrote:Sarria died a few years ago. Since he did not know English he was the least interviewed of the Ali Circus and he was in fact the man who always got Ali in shape. He had a pro career and part of his record is in boxrec.

Probably the greatest Cuban trainer of all time he worked with Kid Tunero, Luis Rodriguez, Julio Mederos, Frankie Otero and dozens of other good fighters.

If you watch the entire film footage of The Rumble In The Jungle Sarria is one of the last people to greet Ali in his dressinmg room after the fight.

Shame they tore it down. It could have been a museum. Ali trained there. Pastrano trained there.

Pastrano, Basilio, Napoles, Rodriguez, Sugar Ramos, Ali and hundreds of knowns and unknowns trained there. Errol Flynn and Hemingway and The Beatles went there. I have a brick. Pacheco has the massage table (now termite treated).

It was a great place to hang out.

enrique wrote:Pastrano, Basilio, Napoles, Rodriguez, Sugar Ramos, Ali and hundreds of knowns and unknowns trained there. Errol Flynn and Hemingway and The Beatles went there. I have a brick. Pacheco has the massage table (now termite treated).

It was a great place to hang out.

I used to spend a lot of time in Miami and went by the gym frequently.

When did they tear it down?

Tore it down 92 or 93.

The Fifth Street Gym in 1971.
(with some interesting shots of the neighborhood)

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=69316

Who were the last fighters(that we would have heard of)they were still training there before they tore it down?
The building use to be a Chinese restuerant in the early 1950's

They closed it down, then eventually tore it down. Not too long ago they erected a plaque on a small monument where it once stood to immortalize it.
That's all that's left. I read somewhere that it was a large event that Angelo Dundee and Ferdie Pacheco attended. I never saw the plaque but heard it is nice. 5th street gym,like so many others, gone way of the wreckers ball. Stillmans Gym, Gleason's (original-in Bronx), etc etc.

Maybe it was Lee Canalito who was being trained by Angelo Dundee who may have been the last boxer whose name we would recognize?
Although I do not know for how long Angelo Dundee was his trainer.
I would guess 1977-1979.
I doubt if Angelo Dundee was still training him when Sylvester Stallone became Canalito's manager around 1982.