Top Boxing Writer Ever?

[The Old LefHook]

Thinking about this thread made me realize boxing writers must be desperate people--desperate for a story, in this dismal (or any other) boxing era.

Like the boxers themselves, they can only make their marks in the era they come from. In a mediocre era they still must write great boxing articles/stories, or be consigned to oblivion. They can only work with what they have to work with. Poor sons of...

Maybe Mailer wrote the greatest one-off boxing account. He had the Fight of the Century (#2) to work with.

Can anyone suggest some top articles dealing with the original Fight of the Century (#1)?

[Willie Pep 229]

Thinking about this thread made me realize boxing writers must be desperate people--desperate for a story, in this dismal (or any other) boxing era.

Like the boxers themselves, they can only make their marks in the era they come from. In a mediocre era they still must write great boxing articles/stories, or be consigned to oblivion. They can only work with what they have to work with. Poor sons of...

Maybe Mailer wrote the greatest one-off boxing account. He had the Fight of the Century (#2) to work with.

Can anyone suggest some top articles dealing with the original Fight of the Century (#1)?

Being Johnson-Jeffries? (No I don't know of any great articles, wish I did.)

We have had only three: the above mentioned; Louis-Schmeling II; and The Fight in March of '71.

That's all folks, there ain't no more, and ain't going to be one for a while, the game's just not important enough just now.

There has certainly been for us, us fight fans, many many other great match-ups over the years but only those three above caught the attention of the entire nation.

P.S. Maybe, just maybe you can include Dempsey-Carpentier. That fight expressed the class division of dying Gilded Age elitism vs. the rising of the working man, ETC. But was artificially created by a brilliant promoter. The above mentioned three had their roots buried in deeper values and their importance came from the ground up.

P.S.S. Which do you considered the orignal?

[The Old LefHook]

I only know of Jefferies/Johnson and Clay/Frazier I being billed as the fight of the century. There would probably be no problem finding someone who called Louis/Schmeling II the fight of the century, though. Maybe it was called that quite a bit, but I don't know if it was billed as such. Being billed as the Fight of the Century is different from a few reporters popping off. What's the deal?

[markusmod]

Thinking about this thread made me realize boxing writers must be desperate people--desperate for a story, in this dismal (or any other) boxing era.

Like the boxers themselves, they can only make their marks in the era they come from. In a mediocre era they still must write great boxing articles/stories, or be consigned to oblivion. They can only work with what they have to work with. Poor sons of...

Maybe Mailer wrote the greatest one-off boxing account. He had the Fight of the Century (#2) to work with.

Can anyone suggest some top articles dealing with the original Fight of the Century (#1)?

Not that many boxing writers around in this era.

[The Old LefHook]

Not that many boxing writers around in this era.

Correct. Not the need for as many, since people read a lot less and listen a lot more these days. Networks now need blabbers, not writers, and they employ every variety of blabber. The important thing now is not writing style but blabbing style.

[HOUDINI563]

Regarding specific articles Grantland Rice wrote an incredible first hand eyewitness account of the Dempsey Willard fight that has to rank as one of the best ever.

Some reading this article believe it as hyperbole but it was probably the most well written of all the eye witness accounts of this fight written that day. All said the same thing with Rice’s words taking the reader on a journey ringside.

[HOUDINI563]

https://deadlineartists.com/contributor-samples/the-dempsey-willard-fight-grantland-rice-new-york-tribune/

[Willie Pep 229]

Ok

https://deadlineartists.com/contribu...-york-tribune/

Great article and not hyperbole but great descriptive writing - for me the first time I have encountered the second and third rounds in detail and described how brutalized Williard was during those rounds as well.

It had only been eight months the since Armistice Day and already the slacker image was damping the sports boys praise of Dempsey.

Unless I missed it in the narrative Rice is the first to wrIte about the fight (that I read) without noting Dempsey's brown/red skin color and American Indian hertiage.

Also his (Rice's) list of Champions excludes both Hart and Burns. Assuming Rice was respected in his day as he is remembered today one has to ask themselves are we being statistical/technicality geeks by insisting Hart and Burns be included in the lienal lineup, It looks as though their contemporaries were not as generous.

[Willie Pep 229]

I only know of Jefferies/Johnson and Clay/Frazier I being billed as the fight of the century. There would probably be no problem finding someone who called Louis/Schmeling II the fight of the century, though. Maybe it was called that quite a bit, but I don't know if it was billed as such. Being billed as the Fight of the Century is different from a few reporters popping off. What's the deal?

I wasn't thinking the phrase from its contemporary use in marketing the fight, but instead the manner in which the fight ignited the passion of the entire nation.

Our different approach resulting in only one additional fight on my list vs. yours.

Race (JJ-Jeffries), nationalism (Louis-Schmeling II) and the beginning of a culture war (Clay-Frazier) that is still playing itself out today.

[The Old LefHook]

https://deadlineartists.com/contribu...-york-tribune/

Terrific! This is what we are looking for--the finest writing that exists about boxing, whether fictional or journalistic. Try this quote on:

"Willard crumpled against the ropes and hung there like a side of beef on display in a butcher shop."

The entire article is that good, and in the style of ye Golden Age.