Hall-of-fame trainer Amilcar Brusa passes away at age 89

Legendary trainer Amilcar Brusa, the man who developed Carlos Monzon into a all-time great middleweight champ, passed away in his native Argentina yesterday of natural causes. He was 89.

Brusa, who operated the La Brea Boxing Academy in Los Angeles for many years, trained 14 world titleholders, including Miguel Angel Cuello, Francisco Quiroz, Rafael Pineda, Sugar Baby Rojas, Francisco Tejedor, Tomas Molinares, Luis Mendoza, Miguel “Happy” Lora, Antonio Esparragoza, Juan Diego Cordoba, Jorge Barrios, Carlos “Famoso” Hernandez and Carlos Baldomir.

However, Brusa is best known for his work with Monzon, the former long-reigning middleweight champ he developed from a skinny teenage street tough to an all-time great pro boxer.

Born on October 23, 1922 in Santa Fe, Argentina, Brusa began training boxers in 1950 and is regarded as the foremost boxing trainer in South America. Renowned for his ability to build champions from scratch, as he did with Monzon, and his knack for resurrecting the careers of fighters who were thought to be finished, such as Hernandez and Baldomir, as well as his keen insight into the nuances of training, nutrition and techniaue, Brusa was named “Trainer of the Year” in 1989.

In 2007, Brusa was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

“Amilcar Brusa was an outstanding trainer,” said Hall of Fame Executive Director Edward Brophy. “His incredible resume, including 14 world champions, speaks for itself. We join the entire boxing world in remembering his life.”