5th Street Gym

The 5th Street Gym (also known as World Famous 5th St. Gym) is a boxing gym in Miami Beach, Florida and the site of a historic run of championship fighters who trained there from the early 1950s until today. The original building was torn down in 1993 where it remained closed until 2010.[1] Chris Dundee was the original owner of the gym and his brother Angelo was the trainer. Many fighters made their names here, including Muhammad Ali,[2][3] known then as Cassius Clay. He trained here in the sixties and gave the gym worldwide recognition where people came to visit. Just about every celebrity from Jackie Gleason, Frank Sinatra, Burt Lancaster and the Beatles would stop by the gym. Suzanne Dundee Bonner would later take over in Chris Dundee's later years.

History

The gym opened in 1950 on Washington Avenue in Miami Beach by Chris Dundee. With the support of his brother, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee Angelo Dundee, the two turned the 5th Street Gym from an old building to a boxing centre for professional training.

Legacy & Today

The "5th St Gym" re-opened in 2010 in the original location on 5th Street. However on September 18, 2013 the Licensing agreement was pulled for mismanagement...Angelo's son Jim Dundee stated: "My father alongside his head trainer and protege Matt Baiamonte dreamed of re-opening the 5th Street Gym which created countless boxing champions to include Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard and many others. With great sorrow I felt it best to move in a different direction as I felt that the gym was being managed in the manner my father wouldn't deem fit. After much soul-searching I sent a cease and desist letter to all parties involved, and effectively terminated the agreement on May 1st of this year." Jim Dundee also stated: "I want to make clear that the 'World Famous 5th Street Gym' that is being opened by Tom Tsatas and Dino Spencer on Miami Beach is in no way affiliated with my father Angelo Dundee, the Dundee family, nor with my father's protege Matt Baiamonte."

The 5th St. Gym is still located at 1019 5th St. in the alley still on 5th Street. People, fans, fighters, members, celebrities and champions come from all over the world to train here. Notables such as David Haye, Roy Jones Jr. Paulie Malinaggi, Bernard Hopkins, George Groves, James DeGale, Dave Chapelle, Adriana Lima and so many more come and train here or call it their second home. The gym currently houses over 10 fighters who are either World Champions or in the top 20 in the world.


The name was changed by owners Dino Spencer and Tom Tsatas, removing "Angelo Dundee", after Angelo's passing.

References
  1. Alvarado, Francisco (August 15, 2013). "Sorry WSVN, But That Wasn't the Original 5th Street Gym That Got Jacked". Miami New Times. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  2. Pacheco, Ferdie (2010). Tales from the 5th St. Gym: Ali, the Dundees, and Miami's Golden Age of Boxing. University Press of Florida. ISBN 978-0-8130-3436-2.
  3. "Boxing: Second coming of Miami's legendary 5th Street Gym". The Independent. 2011-04-28. Retrieved 2020-08-17.

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