As a boxing writer, keeping up to date on all the latest boxing news and opinion pieces floating out there in cyberspace, writing at least one featured article per week I hope is actually worth someone’s time reading, and interfacing with fighters, fans and other members of the media as much as possible to stay current on all the latest and greatest from the most fascinating sports community in the entire world. It can take a lot out of me.
It takes even more when you have to balance a family life, other interests, and all the other necessary stuff one must do in order to live a good and healthy life. Oh and then there’s that “other” career I have going for me. You know, the one I need to have to actually be the kind of boxing writer I want to be–the kind that is totally and completely independent from boxing promoters, managers, etc. so as to remain unfettered, unfiltered and completely unbiased.
That’s what media is supposed to be, isn’t it?
So that’s exactly what we here at The Boxing Tribune strive to be. We want to be the boxing news source you can trust. We don’t run press releases as news. We don’t sell our opinions and rankings to the highest bidders. We don’t stir up rumors and gossip for page views.
We write what we believe to be true and nothing more.
Simply put, we wholeheartedly attempt to be what a boxing writer should be, and I am proud to be a part of that. I wouldn’t trade it for ringside seats with airfare and accommodations to all major shows on the planet or anything else you could think of that’d be a boxing fan’s dream.
But it’s not a perfect arrangement. To be honest, we are often tasked to write about a fighter or a fight that just doesn’t quite do it for us. Sure, we get to pick and choose for the most part, but let’s face it: some weeks are just plain boring. And some fights, no matter how much they fail to excite us, just have to be covered.
It’s our job.
All in all, though, being a boxing writer for The Boxing Tribune is just about as good as it gets. Our relationship with Fox Sports gives us visibility all over the world. We get interviews with some of the biggest names in the sport on a regular basis, and we cover fights live as much as time and travel allow.
Personally, 2011 was my best yet. While I’ve covered the sport in earnest since 2007, this particular year was far more rewarding than any. A tiny blog post I made over at The Boxing Stop got picked up by Fox Sports. After that, everything is a blur…I met Paul here at The Boxing Tribune…I covered the Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. vs. Peter Manfredo, Jr. fight live from ringside…I interviewed Riddick Bowe…it’s the end of the year.
What a year!
And that’s where you, our readers, come in. Being a boxing writer is probably the greatest thing in the world, but it means nothing without having anyone to write for, and for that I sincerely thank you. Writing for such an excellent site is a dream come true for me and it simply cannot happen without you, our awesome readers.
Taking everything into account, the absolute best thing about being a boxing writer is simply playing a part, however small it may be, in the larger boxing community as a whole. I love it, and look forward to continuing to do that in the year to come.
I do not know what 2012 will bring.
Like most, I’m hoping for bigger and better things personally, professionally and in this great sport we all love. I’m hoping for Kelsey McCarson 2.0, Pacquiao vs. Mayweather and the next great U.S.heavyweight. I’m hoping for an end to the message board mentality of some boxing media outlets, less bogus title belts out there for all of us to have to sort through and for Steve Kim from Maxboxing to unblock me on twitter so I can give him a big cyber-hug.
Most of all, I’m hoping for another fantastic year of writing about the sport I love. Thank you for making it possible.
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
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