If you would’ve asked me a couple weeks ago, I would’ve said that I was more OUT of boxing writing than IN boxing writing. Three of my five writing gigs had dried up (two sites closed down, one suddenly stopped paying) and I was just tired of swimming upstream with all of this. But, then, I responded like I usually do to adversity-- with stubborn-dumb anger and defiance, … [Read more...]
RIP Ted Sares: All Bull, No Bullshit
The first time I ever heard from Ted Sares was back when he sent me an email, asking to use one of my quotes in a book he was writing. I saw that, in and of itself, as a rarity. Usually writers just lifted my stuff, shifted around a few words, and took full credit for it. Sorry. That’s the kind of shit that would’ve had Ted reaming me in private. That’s being a crybaby. I’m … [Read more...]
Good Riddance Dan Rafael
For those who don't know, ESPN finally decided to part ways with their main boxing guy Dan Rafael after 15 years-- and it's about damn time. Per ESPN media statement: "Dan Rafael has been an important part of our boxing coverage for almost two decades...We thank him for the many contributions he made to the coverage of the sport during that time. We wish him success in … [Read more...]
Boxing’s Dangerous Weight Game
Back in 2000, Arturo Gatti ended Joey Gamache's career and nearly killed him in a junior welterweight bout when he entered the ring as a middleweight, putting on 19 pounds between weigh-in Friday and fight night Saturday. Most recently, rumor has it that when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez flattened Amir Khan, the Mexican star had put on nearly 30 pounds between Friday weigh-in and … [Read more...]
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.: The Career Postmortem
"It may seem as though Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was born a made man, but back in 2008, when fans in Hermosillo, Sonora pelted the ring with garbage and cups of beer in protest of his controversial split decision win over Minnesota’s Matt Vanda, he certainly didn’t seem to be living a charmed in-ring life. Jr. sat in his corner, dejected and deflated, protected from the debris … [Read more...]