By Scoop Malinowski

He’s the elder statesman of boxing trainers…A living legend Hall of Famer…Angelo Dundee is always one of the most enlightening and enjoyable interviews in the sport. Here’s the exclusive latest word from one of the premier characters in boxing history:

Boxinginsider.com: You were in Australia as technical advisor for Russell Crowe in his upcoming movie “The Cinderella Man” about James J. Braddock. First time there?

Angelo Dundee: “No, I’ve been there before, with Jimmy Ellis-Frazier. I was there before that. I was there choreographing Russell. I have an assistant by the name of Wayne Gordon who does the day-to-day stuff. Wayne Gordon’s a former fighter of mine, so he’s a clone. He’s now the coach of the Olympic team. Russell Crowe is the nicest guy I ever met. The nicest. And he’s an athlete, easy to teach.”

Boxinginsider.com: Interesting that they’re making a movie about Braddock.

Angelo Dundee: “I think it’s wonderful. It’s such a great story line. I can see Russell Crowe having a ball with this one. Jim J. Braddock was a guy that was going nowhere, he was fighting for the food on the table, was on welfare, he used to work on the docks. That kind of guy. And he won the heavyweight championship. And his wife is gonna be played by Renee Zellwegger. Russell Crowe is the kind of guy - I went up to his farm, he’s got a big ranch up there, his mother and father are up there. He’s got an Olympic size pool on the property. He’s got a chapel on the property that he married his wife in. Beautiful place. We flew up there two times. I was there a month - Christmas and I was over at New Years.”

Boxinginsider.com: He must be a big fight fan?

Angelo Dundee: “Yes. He’s very buddy buddy with Kostya Tszyu. And, in fact, I went to Anthony Mundine’s gym there. And I watched. First time I ever saw Kostya Tszyu train. I never saw a guy train like he trains. For two-and-a-half hours he trains…and then he spars. He’s fantastic. He works out at a clip I never saw guys do…bing, bing, bing, bing, bing, bing…jumping rope, hitting the bag…boom, boom, boom, boom. And he has a little kid beside him, hitting the bag too. He’s something. I didn’t realize what a hard worker Kostya Tszyu was. Then the next thing I know was he hurt his shoulder. You know what’s ironic? You know who else hurt his shoulder? Russell Crowe. He did. He missed the punch working out with Wayne Gordon. Wayne slipped (Crowe’s punch)…I said, Next time, stop slipping! He had arthroscopic surgery. Gonna be okay. He’s gonna come to Toronto on the 21st. And I’ll be there on the 21st.”

Boxinginsider.com: How do you see the Jones vs. Tarver rematch turning out?

Angelo Dundee: “Good fight. I think Jones’ll beat him better this time. He went down from heavyweight. Moving up and down in weight takes a lot out of you. Now he’ll be a light heavyweight, where he should be. Jones is a helluva fighter. My gosh, he’s got so many tools.”

Boxinginsider.com: What do you think of Emanuel Steward joining forces with the Klitschko brothers?

Angelo Dundee: “The Klitschko brothers are lucky. Emanuel Steward is a good trainer.”

Boxinginsider.com: Could he be the missing ingredient that takes them all the way? To “world domination?”

Angelo Dundee: “The guy’s been all the way already. He was on the way to become champion against Lennox Lewis. The fight shouldn’t have been stopped. But you know, that’s boxing sometimes. The cut wasn’t in a dangerous place. It wasn’t bleeding into the eye. The younger brother, in my mind, is the better fighter. He’s got so many tools. He throws straighter punches. Especially that left hand. He must be a converted southpaw.”

Boxinginsider.com: Do you think, mentally, he’ll get over that KO loss to Corrie Sanders?

Angelo Dundee: “Oh yeah, he’ll get over that. It was a surprise KO. But don’t forget about that guy Sanders. He’s for real. He’s always been a real good fighter. Tremendous puncher. He’s that kind of a banger. And he’s a southpaw. Southpaws do funny things.”

Boxinginsider.com: Hopkins vs. De La Hoya looks like it’s finally made for September.

Angelo Dundee: “That’s gonna be the fight. They should just on and fight each other next. Because anything can happen. You never think ahead. Something, anything could go wrong. They should just fight each other next.”

Boxinginsider.com: Golota vs. Byrd looks like it could be a very interesting battle. Who do you see winning?

Angelo Dundee: “The style Golota fights is terrible for Byrd. Aggressive. Rough. He’s gonna give Byrd ulcers. He’ll take that trickiness of Byrd away with ruggedness. I don’t think Byrd hits hard enough to hold him off. It’s gonna be like he’s throwing pineapples at Golota. Gonna be interesting. Who’s training Golota now?

Boxinginsider.com: Sam Colonna of the Windy City Gym in Chicago.

Angelo Dundee: “Sam Colonna - I know him a long time. I root for Sam, he’s a good guy. That Golota, he’s a lot of fun. He likes to have fun. He used to train down here in West Palm Beach. I used to run into him.”

Boxinginsider.com: Could be Golota’s last shot at the title. He’s 36.

Angelo Dundee: “I hope he makes it. Then it’s like a dream come true.”

Boxinginsider.com: Last question. Who was a great fighter that you saw in your career, who couldn’t miss, but did miss, for whatever reason. Like, from your memory, who is the best fighter we, the public, never got to see?

Angelo Dundee: “Back in 1948, 49, 50. A kid from Utah or Kansas City was 40-0. I can’t remember his name. Hank Kaplan would. He was a real 40-0. In that era it was different. He was a real 40-0. They brought him to the Garden. And he got knocked out and that was the end of him. Took a beating, got flattened. By Tony Janeiro, I think. Kid couldn’t miss. He was 40-0. He was a rough, tough, good credentials, good lookin’ kid. Rough…and he wasn’t sloppy, he was smooth. And he got flattened. Never fought again. Broke his heart. The guy had never got licked before. Boxing is the toughest profession you can get in. As a fighter, you got to be so careful. It’s like living in a glass house. If they see you walkin’ down the street with a chick, you’re a womanizer. If you have a Coke in a bar, he’s a boozer! Someome said to me, Your fighter was seen coming out of the Eden Rock Hotel in Miami with a girl…I said, By the way, that’s his wife! You think it ain’t tough being Mike Tyson? It must be murder! Everything goes wrong.

Boxinginsider.com: He’s actually been a real gentleman since losing to Lewis. I saw him at the Klitschko fight and in Atlantic City for Hopkins-Joppy and Tyson was a perfect gentleman both nights, taking pictures, shaking hands, time for everybody.

Angelo Dundee: “That loss to Lewis made him a human being. He doesn’t want to fight anymore.”

Scoop Malinowski is almost finished with his book Lewis vs. Tyson Heavyweight Armageddon! The Inside Story of the Biggest Prizefight in Boxing History.”