By Rusty Rubin, managing editor, of Ringsports.com, and author of “Off the Canvas”, a view of American history and the social problems of the times, as witnessed by an 80-year old ex-champion. “Off the Canvas” is a book that has been getting rave reviews. Copies are $15.00 each available at Ringsports.com and on-line major book retailers.

Jim Carlin: ‘Corner on Sports writes’: I used the book as Christmas presents and it was a HUGE success. It’s a simple way to give a great gift”.

Highly respected boxing journalist Pat Putnam says: “Off the Canvas is a good read. Rusty has been around boxing for more than 50 years, and knows his way around the darker corners of the sport as well as any. They call it the sweet science, but as Rusty so aptly teaches us in “Off the Canvas”, it is not always science and it certainly is not always sweet.***

Jim Carlin: ‘Corner on Sports writes’: I used the book as Christmas presents and it was a HUGE success. It’s a simple way to give a great gift”.***

First, apologies to subscribers and advertisers in the delay in getting the January issue into the hands of our readers. This is the first time this has happened in our 15 plus years in print, and all I can tell anyone is that the papers will get delivered when the storm breaks and we can shovel out to make the deliveries. Can’t control the weather.***

A lot of interesting boxing news to report. Let’s get to the good stuff first:

The Canastota, NY based International Boxing Hall of Fame is going to induct eleven new faces this year, some more deserving then others, but solid arguments can be made for all of them.

In the boxer category: Popular, all action lightweight Bobby “School Boy” Chacon is a solid choice. Bobby used to use his head as a first round punching bag, and come on to beat the best around. His bout with Bazooka Limon was one for the books.

Can’t tell you a lot about Italian welterweight Dulilio Loi, he fought in Europe a lot. But he was an excellent fighter who gave it all in every bout, and not only fought more than 100 times, but had 103 wins against only 3 losses. He was the type of fighter that no one really wanted to fight.

Barry McGuigan, great Irish fighter deserves the honors as he had an excellent career in the ring, and in the broadcast both afterwards.

Terry Norris deserved to be on the IBHOF ballot, but wasn’t one of my choices. His defense and chin were questionable, but he did win his share of titles in his career and always supplied plenty of action. No argument with his selection though. Terry could mix it up with the best of them.

Don Fraser, founder and President of the Golden State Boxers Association, gets inducted as matchmaker, and an excellent choice it is.

What can one say about my old friend Bert Sugar, except his name alone stands for what is good about our sport. His unique sense of humor draws fans to him, and thus to our sport. Congratulations Bert, you deserve this honor.

In the posthumous category: Eugene Criqui, Joe Lynch, Charles ‘Bud’ Taylor and Marcel Thil all will become forever enshrined at Cooperstown. But the posthumous category was not on the BWAA ballot. So what happened to Billy Soose? Was he considered by the powers that be? And who are these powers?

Finally, inducted as manager, will be the late Bill Cayton. No argument about him being deserving of the honor.***

On the down side of boxing news, Hector “Macho” Camacho was arrested in Gulfport, Mississippi and charged with armed robbery. If true, one must ask why? Surely Camacho doesn’t need the money, or does he have a Mike Tyson like lifestyle? The police investigating said they have found the drug Ecstasy in his hotel room. This could be another black eye for boxing, not that it needs one.

We’ll wait till we see if the charges stick. In America a man is innocent until proven guilty.

Your opinions are always welcome and valued.***

My good friend Stephen B. Acunto, who founded the American Association for the Improvement of Boxing, along with Rocky Marciano, now has his book “Champions Boxing Guide” available in Spanish. For details visit Steve’s website: AAIB.org

Please help me with my upcoming new book. Send all boxing jokes, stories, quips and boxing oddities to Rngsports@aol.com, thanks, and members of the boxing media are free to send this most welcome information as well. All submissions used will be given full credit, if used in the book, and it will be given on who submits the story first, basis. Here’s your chance to have your name in print, instead of American’s Most Wanted posters.***

Agree or disagree, feel free to express your views.

Glove2Glove:

***First please continue to say prayers for the victims of the Tsunami in Asia and their families. A lot of people are hurting right now.***

Say prayers for the soul of Harold Caplan, 47, son of well known Bill Caplan, who passed away after a fight with cancer.***

Please say prayers for the recovery of Doreen Tucker. The daughter of well respected boxing judge Doug Tucker, who is suffering from cancer in a Reno hospital.***
Dub Harris, WWII hero and founder and past President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame has suffered a stroke in Southern California. Please pray for his quick return to health.***

Prayers needed for the return to health of Alfonso Luna, father of our outstanding photographer Ray Luna, who has taken ill in Southern California.

Please say prayers for the return to health of Helen Wambolt, wife of our East Coast World Boxing Hall of Fame writer Danny Wambolt. Cards will also be most welcome.***

Please say prayers for wife of RS.com writer Marty Carson (auto accident) who is having health problems) of Indiana. Marty, who is a long time friend and a boxing expert, is also ailing a bit.***

Please say prayers for the return to health of Orazio Esposito, father of our photographer Richard Esposito.***

Sandy Johnson a great gal as well as a staff member of the Nevada State Athletic Commission is fighting breast cancer. A call, e-mail or card, along with your prayers would really do a lot to raise the spirits of an old friend.***

Special prayers go out to Mills Lane for his complete recovery. Mills, who moved from Reno to New York, suffered a stroke a few years back. He may be down, but knowing him personally, he’s far from out.***

Prayers for the return to health of Don Donelson, father of writer Tom, and Gene Sebastian, brother of former middleweight champ Billy Soose. Both are suffering from congestive heart disease. And to Arthur Terciera, father of writer Keith, also having heart related problems.***

Prayers are requested for Ringsports.com photo journalist Dale Hausner of Arizona, who is having problems with cancer.***

Prayers are requested for Kenneth E. Ryther father of our photo journalist Amy Green. Kenneth is suffering from Parkinson’s.***

Prayers for Ed “Whitey” Hadar, a former boxer who is having some serious health problems.***

Please say prayers for Phill Grazide of Santa Rosa, CA. a big supporter of amateur boxing, who is suffering the crippling effects of rheumatoid arthritis.***

Needless to say we need prayers for the return to health of both former champs Greg Page and Gerald McClellan, both confined to wheelchairs.***

Glove2Glove is a non-denominational group set up to aide those boxing folks and their relatives in need of prayers and cards. We accept no money and only contact our members when someone is in need. It’s free to join. Simply send us your e-mail address. And even if you’re not a member, feel free to contact us if you are aware of some boxing person in need.***

Touching on politics briefly: Besides being a game, does anyone at the FCC know the meaning of “monopoly” or restraint of trade?

If anyone had any doubt that the Dish Network was trying to get away with a monopoly, take a look at what they did with the Fox Network this weekend.

The Dish Network, with the big football playoff games scheduled on Fox, no longer allows anyone to watch it, unless they buy a small dish or go on cable. Ok, if it wasn’t for all the ice and snow in my area, I could go to a local sports bar or casino to watch the action, which is supposedly and always has been free on the large dish.

These greedy bastards are trying to force people who want to see the playoff action to subscribe to their network or forced to subscribe to cable. Forget the thousands we paid for the big dish, they want to make it obsolete.

And the FCC, which is supposed to regulate these practices, is too busy concerned about people seeing a naked breast, that everyone has or hearing a few off color words that all of us say. God help us if they ever did the job we’re paying them to do.

For the record, Fox happened to be a part of the major station deal that I purchased, but I didn’t hear anything about the satellite company lowering the price, even though one of those stations are no longer available.

And let me tell you my friends, the blackmail will never work on me. I will keep the dish and fight the Dish Network and the FCC for as long as it takes. Judging by the way they perform their job now, they are more obsolete than the large dish in my backyard.

What do I have against the Dish Network or cable? Because they sell you packages that force you to watch programming that you have absolutely no desire to watch or have any use for. With the big dish you can (or used to) watch only the programs and stations you want to watch. I need MTV like I need an ulcer, but if you buy the package, you get it no matter how much you can’t stand what passes for music today.

As for Fox, the only thing I watched on it was football, and if I miss the rest of the playoff season, so be it. It was part of my buying the major stations (which I do watch at times) from the satellite company.

HBO (and I would guess Showtime) is no different. I can subscribe to HBO, but if I want to see a fight on PPV, even if I choose to pay for it, I can’t. Why? Because I don’t have cable or the Dish Network. If that isn’t restraint of trade, tell me what is.

I have a few choice words for the major stations as well, but that will be discussed in my next article.

Agree or disagree, I’d like to hear from you.

And better yet, send this portion of my column to the FCC and watch them do what they do best, nothing! Maybe also sending a copy of this to your representatives in Congress would help as they can put the pressure on the FCC.

For those of you who have Dish Network or cable and are not affected by what happens to others, I thank you for reading this and then sitting back on your butts and doing nothing, since this doesn’t affect you directly, why bother? It’s the American way not to act unless you must, and let our government do all the thinking for you