laughedatbytime Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Ferdie Pacheco, a longtime friend and ringside physician for legendary heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, died Thursday at his home in Miami. He was 89. Pacheco's daughter, Tina Louise Pacheco, announced her father's death on Facebook. "It's with a heavy heart that I have to announce to the world the passing of my wonderful Dad, Ferdie Pacheco," Tina Louise Pacheco wrote. "He was a pharmacist, a doctor, a boxing commentator, a painter and a writer. But to me he was just Papa. It's a heartbreak to lose a parent, but I know he'll always be with me." Pacheco, who was born in Ybor City, Fla., near Tampa, was best known as the "Fight Doctor" for his work with Ali. He won two Emmy awards as a ringside boxing analyst for NBC, Showtime and Univision. He graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in pharmacy and received his medical degree from the University of Miami in the 1950s. He set up an office in Miami and, according to TheNew York Times, Dr. Pacheco often treated poor patients for nothing or a small charge. It was in Miami in the '60s that Pacheco met Angelo Dundee, who was training a young fighter named Cassius Clay, and a partnership was formed. "The Fight Doctor" worked with Clay, who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali, for 15 years. Pacheco quit working for Ali after the fighter fought Earnie Shavers in 1977 against Pacheco's advice. Pacheco had sent letters to Ali urging him not to fight anymore, but they went unanswered. "They had told me they never were going to put him in a hard fight again, then they put Shavers in there," Pacheco said. "(Shavers) was about the strongest guy in boxing." In a 2010 interview with USA TODAY, Pacheco called Ali's life a "perfect Novel." "He didn’t deserve this (Parkinson's Disease). I was hoping he would live a nice long life and have all the necessary accolades and plaudits he could hold while he was old," Pacheco said. "Let him enjoy what the nation thinks of him. He has that, but he shouldn’t have had to pay such a price. He paid for it. He chose to pay for it, that’s true. Am I sorry for him? No. He had the greatest life any human being can have. There’s no way — no way — he could have lived better." RIP 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeduck Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 The corner man of the fistic gods! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucas Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Ferdie, Angelo Dundee, Lou Duva - these men were a huge part of boxing history, and helped make it so great .. It's really sad that they are all gone now .. RIP Ferdie 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fordgalaxy Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 I wonder if his parents screwed up his first name like Oprah's did. She was supposed to be Orpah. Maybe he was supposed to be Fredie? At any rate, RIP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babycat Posted November 17, 2017 Share Posted November 17, 2017 Rest in peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughedatbytime Posted November 17, 2017 Author Share Posted November 17, 2017 (edited) I wonder if his parents screwed up his first name like Oprah's did. She was supposed to be Orpah. Maybe he was supposed to be Fredie? At any rate, RIP.My guess is that it's short for Ferdinand.... Oops, according to Wikipedia his given name was Fernando. Edited November 17, 2017 by laughedatbytime Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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