Boxing S Greatest Fighters

Easily the most enduring of all sports questions is "Who was/is the best . . . ?" Perhaps in no sport is the question more asked and argued over than in boxing. And in boxing perhaps none is more qualified to answer the question than Bert Randolph Sugar. In Boxing's Greatest Fighters, not only does the former publisher of Ring Magazine tell us who the best fighters were, he lists them in order. Could Sugar Ray Robinson have beaten Muhammad Ali? Could Sugar Ray Leonard have beaten Sonny Liston? The answer, most experts agree, would be "no." But what if, as Bert Sugar has done here, one were to take all the boxers and reduce them in the mind's eye to the same height, the same weight, and the same ring conditions? The answers would be quite different. And while some fans may express outrage that Rocky Marciano barely makes the top twenty, and Marvin Hagler staggers into the top seventy-five, others will nod eagerly when they read that Harry Greb and Benny Leonard were better than just about anybody. So whether you read Boxing's Greatest Fighters cover to cover, pick your favorites at random, or simply browse through the many rare photographs, "at the bell, come out arguing."

A celebration of the top 14 greatest boxers of all time, as well as an overview of the new stars of the 21st century, in a fascinating history peppered with action-packed images.

Standing no more than 5' 7" tall, Sam Langford was one of the 20th century's greatest fighters. In 1951, the great featherweight champion Abe Attell was asked if Sugar Ray Robinson was the best of all time, either as a welterweight or middleweight. He named Stanley Ketchel as the greatest welterweight he'd ever seen and said that, as for the middleweights, he'd take Sam Langford, "the greatest of them all at that poundage." Remarkably, the man Attell felt was the greatest middleweight fighter in history fought and defeated many of the leading heavyweight contenders of his day. Over time, he matured physically and grew into a light heavyweight, then began fighting heavyweights on a regular basis, but he was almost always the much smaller of the two combatants. Nat Fleischer, founding editor of The Ring magazine, called Sam one of the hardest punchers of all time, and ranked the little man seventh among his personal all-time favorites "Sam was endowed with everything. He possessed strength, agility, cleverness, hitting power, a good thinking cap, and an abundance of courage He feared no one. But he had the fatal gift of being too good, and that's why he often had to give away weight in early days and make agreements with opponents. Many of those who agreed to fight him, especially of his own race, wanted an assurance that he would be merciful or insisted on a bout of not more than six rounds." Other leading sportswriters of that era had even higher opinions of Sam. Hype Igoe, well known boxing writer for the New York Journal, proclaimed Sam the greatest fighter, pound-for-pound, who ever lived. Joe Williams, respected sports columnist of the New York World Telegram wrote that Langford was probably the best the ring ever saw, and the great Grantland Rice described Sam as "about the best fighting man I've ever watched." At the time of Sam's induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame (October 1955) he was the only non-champion accorded the honor. Many ring experts considered Sam the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of boxing Under different circumstances he might have been a champion at five different weights: lightweight; welterweight, middleweight; light heavyweight; and heavyweight. Blind and penniless at the end of his life, Sam lived quietly in a private nursing home But when one visitor expressed sympathy for his circumstances, Sam replied, "Don't nobody need to feel sorry for old Sam. I had plenty of good times. I been all over the world. I fought maybe 600 fights, and every one was a pleasure " With 98 photographs and illustrations, primarily from private collections.

Boxing began in Cleveland in the 1880s. As pugilism was an illegal activity, brawling workers from the iron ore docks surreptitiously met on "Whiskey Island" to settle disputes. They would be followed by crowds of spectators who cheered them on and often ended up fleeing from the sheriff. Boxing grew in popularity and soon became a legitimate sport that brought packed houses to such local venues as Cleveland Municipal Stadium, the Cleveland Arena, and the Public Auditorium. Thousands of fans from across the country would come to Cleveland to attend the marquee bouts of many of the city and the nation's most celebrated fighters. Cleveland's Greatest Fighters of All Time follows the amazing careers of the city's most popular and successful boxers, highlighted by more than 100 rarely-seen images. From the speedy and resilient Johnny Kilbane, Cleveland's first great champion, to the heroic Jimmy Bivins, a true champion in and out of the ring, these stories of triumph and heartbreak are to be enjoyed by boxing fans of all eras. Much of the action inside is described in such a way as to bring the reader ringside.

Get a load of just some of the recently unearthed gold in this volume: 1. Jack Johnson's "Biceps Punch." 2. Gentleman Jim's Not-Quite-a-Jab. 3. Joe Louis's "Attacking the Buckler" strategy. 4. Gunboat Smith's devastating "Occipital Punch." 5. Bare-knuckle legend Jack Slack's "Chopper." 6. The real deal on how Jack Dempsey built the power in that Lead Hook. 7. "Hurricane" Jackson's wild "Scoop Punch." 8. How Joe Frazier built his eccentric defensive rhythm.

Chronicling the legacy of boxing’s biggest names—including the great Muhammad Ali—and their impact on “the sweet science,” Knockout: The Art of Boxing pays tribute to Ken Regan’s incomparable photography and coverage of the sport. Ken Regan was a young photographer in 1964 when he covered Muhammad Ali’s first fight: his historic victory over Sonny Liston in Miami Beach. Afterward, the young photographer embarked on a lifelong love affair with the sport of boxing. For the next four decades, Regan chronicled the greatest fights and the greatest fighters of the age. His extraordinary photographs include many of the most enduring images ever created in the history of boxing, as well as portraits of notable trainers, managers, promoters, writers, and the whole panoply of celebrities associated with the sport. Featuring some of the greatest ring action in boxing history, Knockout takes us from sparring sessions and press conferences to weigh-ins and post-fight sessions. Knockout also features Regan’s compelling stories and firsthand account of his amazing photographic journey into the heart of boxing. Beginning with his early magazine work shooting prizefights, and throughout the following decades, Regan developed close personal friendships with some of the world’s greatest boxers. Regan captures intimate moments showing fighters with their families at home and on the road. With black-and-white and color photography that captures the art of boxing in its purest form, Knockout is one of the most celebrated books ever published on the sport, and a fitting tribute to "The Greatest" boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali. Foreword by Muhammad Ali, introduction by Liam Neeson, commentary by Norman Mailer, and afterword by Budd Schulberg.

When the author, Des Corry, searched the Vancouver Library for a book on Jimmy McLarnin, BC's only World Boxing Champion and Canada's greatest boxer, he was shocked to find that none had been written. There was a time when everyone knew of Jimmy McLarnin. Not so now. They should. Determined to remedy this, he spent time with Jim at his home, his club, and with friends of his boxing days. This book is the result of countless hours of research and interviews, presented in a highly readable manner by a knowledgeable wordsmith.