The 5th Street Gym wasn’t just any boxing gym. Founded by Chris Dundee in 1951, it quickly became known as the “University of Boxing.”
This legendary gym was located at 5th Street and Washington Avenue in Miami Beach. It was where legends trained, where careers were forged, and where a young fighter named Cassius Clay would transform into Muhammad Ali.
The facility created an environment that produced countless world champions. Fighters like Carmen Basilio, Willie Pastrano, and Muhammad Ali all trained under the Dundee brothers. The gym became a magnet for celebrities—Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jackie Gleason, Malcolm X, The Beatles, Sean Connery, Frank Sinatra, and Sylvester Stallone all visited this hallowed space.
To learn more about the golden age of boxing and the legendary trainers who shaped champions, visit the International Boxing Hall of Fame https://www.ibhof.com
and explore the rich history of Muhammad Ali’s career at the official Muhammad Ali Center
https://alicenter.org
For detailed information about Miami Beach’s boxing heritage, check out HistoryMiami Museum
https://www.historymiami.org
The gym was overseen by Chris Dundee, nicknamed the “Wizard of Oz,” and his brother Angelo Dundee, the “Prince of Oz.” Together, they created an environment that produced countless world champions, including Carmen Basilio, Willie Pastrano, and of course, Muhammad Ali. The gym became a magnet for celebrities—Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Jackie Gleason, Malcolm X, The Beatles, Sean Connery, Frank Sinatra, and Sylvester Stallone all visited this hallowed space.
What made the 5th Street Gym special wasn’t its appearance—by all accounts, it was shabby and unkempt, located in a decayed area of Miami Beach after the money had moved north to the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels. But the magic of the place was undeniable. As the gym’s trainer Sully Emmett managed the door, he would charge 25 cents to enter the gym, 50 cents when Ali trained, and $1 during major Ali pre-fight workouts. People gladly paid to witness greatness in the making.
