Donald’s new taskmaster was Theodore Dobias, a no-nonsense combat veteran who had served in World War II and had seen Mussolini’s dead body hanging from a rope.
Dobias, who died recently, would smack his cadets with an open hand if they ignored him, students recalled. He set up a boxing ring and forced students with poor grades and disciplinary problems to fight each other.
Donald loved boxing so much that he became a big-time boxing promoter and was inducted into the National Boxing Assocation Hall of Fame.
Donald was a fighter from the streets of Queens, a boxer at the NY Military Academy NY and turned to promoting heavyweight boxing as an adult.
It was Ali’s famous fight against Joe Frazier in March 1971 that Mr. Trump credits for spawning his interest in boxing as a young man, an event Mr. Trump recounted over the years and again on Saturday.
“It was the greatest sporting event that I’ve ever seen,” Mr. Trump said, recalling that “people had a heart attack” while witnessing the 15-round bout won by Mr. Frazier at Madison Square Garden.”
Mr. Trump was heavily involved in the boxing world for a number of years, often hosting fights at his casinos. In 1988, he threw a birthday party for Ali with 500 guests in Atlantic City.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/05/us/politics/donald-trump-muhammad-ali.html?_r=0
Two great links. Thank you.