Luis Sarria
Prior to working with Ali, Sarria had worked with several prominent boxers including Luis Manuel Rodríguez, Florentino Fernández, Angel Robinson Garcia, and almost all boxers trained by Angelo Dundee up till then.[1][2] Ferdie Pacheco called Sarria "the dean of masseurs", and a "guru of fitness.[6] In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Angelo Dundee expressed his appreciation for Sarria's professional competence which, according to Dundee, resulted in enhancing Ali's physical fitness and "added years to Ali's boxing life."[3] According to Gary Smith, it was widely believed that Sarria's fingers were able to dissolve fat on Ali's body.He gave me a down payment for my house and paid me a good salary, but many people around him were leeches.