Remembering Gil Clancy, They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
RCM Historical Boxing
Hall of Fame boxing trainer Gil Clancy is probably best remembered as a CBS, MSG and HBO television boxing commentator, and not as a trainer of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Gerry Cooney, Oscar De La Hoya, Emile Griffith and others. A superb boxing journalist, Clancy died in 2011 at age 88.
Tim Ryan, Gil Clancy and Ray Leonard call the Juan Kid Meza-Jaime Garza CBS Bout
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy64HxDZTEc
Clancy wound up in the middle of controversy on occasion. He was in the corner of Emile Griffith when Benny Kid Paret got knocked unconscious and later died in their welterweight title bout. He was ringside when Roberto Duran said ‘No Mas’ to Sugar Ray Leonard in their welterweight title rematch. Gil Glancy did matchmaking at Madison Square Garden. He trained. He talked about the sport. In his time, Gil was a most respected personality in boxing, a symbol of honesty, integrity and moral values, even if he only talked boxing, because Gil’s personality came across as such.
A World War II veteran, Clancy held a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from New York University. Such education has no direct relevance to boxing, except for the discipline learned in school. Which can be instilled in fighters later on, a key personality trait.
Gil Clancy did not appear to be anything special, which is what made him special. What you saw was essentially what you got. Gil Clancy was real, and they don’t make ‘em like they used to. With the passing of Clancy, Emanuel Steward, Don Dunphy, and Howard Cosell, quite simply put, they don’t make boxing commentators like they used to.
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