Buildup aside, this one feels big (Las Vegas Sun)
Tue, Nov 18, 2008 (2 a.m.)
Big Bear Lake, Calif. — His latest view from the corner suits Angelo Dundee just fine.
A hall of fame trainer who has worked with Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Sugar Ray Leonard, Dundee surveyed the scene at Oscar De La Hoya’s training camp last week, and he liked what he saw.
Across the gym at the Summit High Altitude Training Center, De La Hoya was holding court before a phalanx of TV news cameras, breaking down various aspects of his Dec. 6 showdown with Manny Pacquiao.
“I haven’t seen this kind of excitement since Muhammad,” Dundee said. “I’m getting a kick out of watching all the excitement from the background here. The fans are excited, and it seems like all of boxing is excited.
“If that doesn’t happen with these big fights, we’re dead.”
The welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena matches two of the most prominent names in the sport, a six-division champion in De La Hoya against the reigning pound-for-pound boss in Pacquiao.
Dundee, whose presence underscores the magnitude of the fight, accepted an offer to work as a special adviser to De La Hoya in the role of aide-de-camp to trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain….Full Story
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