Players stress importance of unity and describe how war affects their preparations for the tournament
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The critical role a trainer plays in any fighter’s success
JOHN WIGHT writes about Eddie Futch, the US boxing trainer who coached four of the five men who defeated Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali after his victory over British Heavyweight champion Henry Cooper at Wembley, in 1963
“SIT down, son. It’s all over. No one will forget what you did here today.”
The aforementioned words, spoken by trainer Eddie Futch to Joe Frazier at the end of the 14th round of arguably the most punishing heavyweight fight ever fought, when he faced Muhammad Ali in Manila on October 1 1975, have justifiably gone down in boxing folklore as the best and most humane example of a trainer saving a fighter from himself.
The sheer courage displayed by Futch in pulling his fighter out of the fight at such at late stage was only matched by the courage displayed by Frazier in the final bout of the trilogy he fought against Ali — his nemesis without whom he himself would never have reached the heights he did in the sport.
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