Could we set up some sort of "Boxers of the Past" study/research group?

[W1LL]

Personally, when researching Boxing's past fighters, I like to really pick apart and research a fighter's career and life outside of the ring. For example, after reading Unforgivable Blackness, I then spent about a month reading other texts and books relating to Jack Johnson, as well as researching a lot of those fighters and faces who were involved in his story. Promoters, rivals, opponents, relations out of the ring, etc. Scrutinizing every fight, trying to find newspaper articles, that kind of thing. I'm sure this is nothing special and a lot of people do this. It would be a lot easier for more modern fighters, I just used Jack Johnson as the example.

Now, how about we did this kind of thing as a collective, on here? We pick a fighter a month, or something like that, and we focus on them, all contributing info found, facts, inside and outside the ring, and giving our views and opinions? Linking resources, suggested reading, pooling and sharing knowledge? Would anyone else be up for that kind of thing? There are some on here whose posts I genuinely enjoy reading, some very knowledgable people on here.

It would be a novel way to delve into Boxing's past. Anyway, just a thought.

[QueensburyRules]

Personally, when researching Boxing's past fighters, I like to really pick apart and research a fighter's career and life outside of the ring. For example, after reading Unforgivable Blackness, I then spent about a month reading other texts and books relating to Jack Johnson, as well as researching a lot of those fighters and faces who were involved in his story. Promoters, rivals, opponents, relations out of the ring, etc. Scrutinizing every fight, trying to find newspaper articles, that kind of thing. I'm sure this is nothing special and a lot of people do this. It would be a lot easier for more modern fighters, I just used Jack Johnson as the example.

Now, how about we did this kind of thing as a collective, on here? We pick a fighter a month, or something like that, and we focus on them, all contributing info found, facts, inside and outside the ring, and giving our views and opinions? Linking resources, suggested reading, pooling and sharing knowledge? Would anyone else be up for that kind of thing? There are some on here whose posts I genuinely enjoy reading, some very knowledgable people on here.

It would be a novel way to delve into Boxing's past. Anyway, just a thought.

- - What you're proposing is a boxing encyclopedia of sorts. It would be an interesting Encyclopedia to own for the few interested in that sort of knowledge, but unless contributors were volunteers with enough time to work at an acceptable format, the end result would be cost prohibitive to publish in a book form to the narrow group of folks who might be interested in that sort of format. Even an internet download would be problematic.

Ken Burns uses Public Radio and TV subsidies for his film doc snapshot histories of baseball, Civil War, ect, but the JJ doc was an exception devoted to unique moment in history first transmongrified for a huge stage hit by Howard Sackler an then film that shot James Earl Jones into the upper reaches of the thespian pantheon. I doubt Burns ever tackles boxing as a whole because the modern boxing market is a small one and I doubt he really follows much of boxing.

Could start here with going through the sticky archives of the Great Heavyweights that featured a plethora of fantastic contributions mixed in with the usual trolls to see just how difficult just one slice of your proposal might entail.

[Willie Pep 229]

Personally, when researching Boxing's past fighters, I like to really pick apart and research a fighter's career and life outside of the ring. For example, after reading Unforgivable Blackness, I then spent about a month reading other texts and books relating to Jack Johnson, as well as researching a lot of those fighters and faces who were involved in his story. Promoters, rivals, opponents, relations out of the ring, etc. Scrutinizing every fight, trying to find newspaper articles, that kind of thing. I'm sure this is nothing special and a lot of people do this. It would be a lot easier for more modern fighters, I just used Jack Johnson as the example.

Now, how about we did this kind of thing as a collective, on here? We pick a fighter a month, or something like that, and we focus on them, all contributing info found, facts, inside and outside the ring, and giving our views and opinions? Linking resources, suggested reading, pooling and sharing knowledge? Would anyone else be up for that kind of thing? There are some on here whose posts I genuinely enjoy reading, some very knowledgable people on here.

It would be a novel way to delve into Boxing's past. Anyway, just a thought.

Collective writing/research sounds fun . . . But what if we were to try something a little less ambitious out of the box? I fear Queen's use of the word 'encyclopedia' is daunting but true.

What if we tried some pop history? Something like a Simon Whistler Top Tenz; choose a topic and collectively write a narrative of a particular topic directed at casual fans.

Something historical but limited in scope.

E.g. Top ten: boxing scandals; most influential promoters; lawsuits; fighters pulling themselves off the canvas; (Best KOs has been done to death.) or game changing fights, i.e. fights of the century. (Not for resulting action but for social impact.)

[The Old LefHook]

Hey, how about we have a boxing forum with a history section? Let's try it!

[Willie Pep 229]

Hey, how about we have a boxing forum with a history section? Let's try it!

Start by moving fantasy fights to fantasy fights . . . Oh wait, you said I'm not allowed to say that.