35 Years later: Remembering Cus D’Amato

A once-in-a-generation, revolutionary boxing icon tragically passed away 35 years ago today. Constantine D’Amato dedicated over 50 years of his life to the sport and its fans, giving us three boxing hall-of-famers. His last apprentice defined his career as D’Amato trained him to become the youngest heavyweight champion in history.

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His relationship with Iron Mike went beyond the realms of a professional dynamic, which was the case with most of the boys trained by D’Amato who housed them in his partner’s 14-room Victorian mansion. The Bronx-born was a father figure Tyson needed though which the adoption papers will tell you, and he laid the foundations for the lost New York youth to become one of the most entertaining heavyweights the sport has ever seen.

Although Tyson solidified his adopted father as an all-time great in the coaching category, it was Floyd Patterson’s career through the 50’s that started bringing attention to Cus D’Amato and his abilities as a trainer.

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Through the Italian American’s very own manufactured Peek-A-boo style, Patterson won an Olympic Gold medal and the Heavyweight world title in under five years. This style is the distinction of D’Amato’s training, with a guard lower than the norm it requires footwork to close the distance to an opponent as well as lateral head movement to set up shots from various angles.

In the end of his coaching tenure that lasted over half a century, the Catskill Gym Founder passed the torch of greatness to boxer-turned-trainer Teddy Atlas who went on to guide a plethora of pugilists to world titles. D’Amato also appointed fellow student Kevin Rooney to manage Tyson until he was fired by the heavyweight under the controversial influence of Don King.

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D’Amato is a gift to boxing that keeps giving, having produced many incredible moments in the sport like Tyson’s KO win over world champ Trevor Berbick at 20 years of age. His presence lives on in the Catskill gym, now a New York boxing monument that is still producing fighters in the hope of the next Iron Mike.

D’Amato’s influence on boxing was otherworldly, since his passing 35 years ago we are still yet to see a trainer like him, and I believe that line will be reiterated for decades to come.

There is only one Cus D’Amato.