LAS VEGAS Eddie Futch, an amateur sparring partner for Joe Louis who went on to train 20 world champions as one of boxing's greatest teachers, has died. He was 90. Futch, who retired four years ago yet was still one of the sport's most recognizable figures, died Wednesday morning, according to the Clark County coroner's office.

Futch, who turned 90 on Aug. 9, trained five heavyweight champions - Larry Holmes, Joe Frazier, Riddick Bowe, Michael Spinks and Trevor Berbick.

Other champions Futch worked with during his Hall of Fame career included light-heavyweights Bob Foster and Montell Griffin, junior-middleweight Mike McCallum, lightweight Alexis Arguello and welterweights Don Jordan (his first champion in 1959) and Marlon Starling.

A Golden Gloves lightweight champion who never turned pro, Futch sparred with Louis when both were amateurs working out at the same Detroit gym in the early 1930s.

It was the Thrilla' in Manila, the third fight between Frazier and Muhammad Ali, that brought Futch to the attention of the general public.

After the 14th round of the gruelling fight, Futch told Frazier he was stopping it because Smokin' Joe was hardly able to see.

Although by then Ali had the fight won on the three official scorecards, Futch had no way of knowing that.

"I thought, 'He's a good father and I want him to see his kids grow up,' " Futch recalled.

It was after the fight that Futch gave Angelo Dundee the greatest compliment Ali's trainer said he ever received.

"Eddie said, 'Muhammad Ali looked like he was going to get out of there after the 11th round, and Angelo presumed himself on him not to,' " Dundee recalled this summer.

One of the best examples of Futch's dealing with his fighters came when Starling, a champion from 1987 to '90, was acting balky during a training session.

"Marlon, I've taught you all you know, but I haven't taught you all I know," Futch told Starling.

Futch, who lived in Las Vegas, is survived by his wife Eva. Funeral arrangements were pending.