By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
I was first aware of Dick Sadler back in the early sixties when he was trainer and manager of Sonny Liston. I didn’t know him personally back then, but knew about him.
Later, in my tenure with the World Boxing Hall Fame, we became friends. I found him very delightful and a kind, funny man.
Dick was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1915. He moved to Hayward, California, and at the age of 24, he began his professional career. It was unremarkable, with ten bouts to his credit, winning only two.
He would go on to study religiously the sport of boxing with a great passion, to becoming a top trainer. Along with Liston, he trained Archie Moore during the last ten years of Moore’s lengthy career. He also trained Charley Shipes, Joey Lopes, Freddie Little and took George Foreman from an amateur to winning the heavyweight title in 1973 by knocking out Joe Frazier.
I remember that Dick talked about all the greats and asked me “Mr. David Martinez, in the early stages of Forman’s career, what fighter do you think we stayed away from?” … I had to think for a minute and then came up with my initial answer. to be “Was it Oscar Bonavena?”, I asked. Dick promptly replied “Nope, incorrect, my boy” He then quickly elaborated by saying “It was Jerry Quarry”. I had never heard that; and when I tell others about this personal conversation with George Foreman’s manager and trainer, Dick Sadler, (who would certainly know better than anybody), I have actually been accused of making it up!
That was right about the time Quarry was defeating the likes of Buster Mathis, Mac Foster, Ron Lyle, and Earnie Shavers, so Dick saw something in Quarry that concerned him.
I love Foreman, but I still feel that he struggled in the first fight with Gregorio Peralta, and Quarry was a very well seasoned fighter at that time.
In 1970, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Sadler with the Al Buck Memorial Award, for “Manager of the Year”.
In 2007, the World Boxing Hall of Fame inducted Sadler in the Posthumous Category.
Dick Sadler certainly lived the love of his life – boxing. He passed away peacefully on June 3, 2003.