Introduction to a Boxing Fanatic.

Walking through Barnes & Noble with my wife, we happened upon a boxing record book. My wife, having listened to my pontifications on boxing for many years, decided to put me to the test. “What boxer suffered the most knockdowns in a title fight?” she asked smugly. “Danny O’Sullivan was dropped fourteen times by Vic Toweel, a South African,” I answered. “Who held the middleweight championship the most times?” “Sugar Ray Robinson. Five separate times he was the undisputed middleweight champion.” “Who defended the heavyweight title the most?” “Joe Louis, twenty-five times. He used to fight what the press nicknamed “the bum-of-the-month club,” guys like Tony Galento and Buddy Baer.” “Who was the tallest heavyweight champion?” “Primo Carnera, a six-foot-eight-inch Italian who couldn’t fight a lick and was managed by mobsters,” I answered. “He won the title from Jack Sharkey in a fight many believe was fixed. He later lost the title to Max Baer, who knocked him down eight times. Baer was good-looking and popular but didn’t take fighting seriously enough. He was out-pointed by Jim Braddock in his first defense. With that upset victory, Braddock was forever known as the “Cinderella Man.’ Braddock sat on the title for a couple years before giving Joe Louis a shot. Louis, while still considered fantastic, was coming off his knockout loss to Max Schmeling. So, while Schmeling was more deserving of a title shot, the fact that he was German led Braddock to fight Louis. Of course, Braddock was extremely intelligent and got a percentage of Louis’ future fights in the contract. Louis went on to KO Braddock in the eighth round, beginning his amazing reign.”

My wife was long gone at this point and I was lecturing a sales girl.

“Louis went on to knock out Schmeling in the first round in what was very
likely the most important boxing match of all time, what with the Nazis and all. Louis was an integral part of the United States during the World War II era, not just athletically, but sociologically, as well. He was just the second black heavyweight champion under the Marquis of Queensbury rules. The first, Jack Johnson, was one of the all-time great fighters, but he was way ahead of his time and terrified white America. Louis came along, kept his mouth shut, didn’t allow himself to be photographed with white women, won fights and became wildly popular. Many have said he was an “Uncle Tom,” which I find revolting, as Louis opened the door to a bevy of black heavyweights,” I said in one breath.

“Sir, I’m going to have to call security,” the sales girl said.

Ok, so I occasionally forget who comprises my audience. My wife has patiently listened to the stories of Stanley Ketchell knocking down the aforementioned Johnson (only to nearly get his head taken off for his impudence), Jack Dempsey in Montana, Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Africa, and many other great boxing tales. She listens and smiles. She’s a good wife that way. This is why I find myself here at SaddoBoxing.com. It is high time for me to discuss boxing with the right audience.

I count the readers here as peers. We’re not like other sports fans. While we all have some primal respect for two men battling for supremacy in a ring, we also understand that there is a link to the past in every fight we watch and in every fighter, we follow. The history of boxing is not kept in a pristine case to be looked at with bewilderment and awe. The History of the Sweet Science spills into the present with every jab, feint, hook and cross.

In this way, we are able to pay homage to boxing’s glorious past while embracing and celebrating the fighters of today. Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather, Erik Morales and Kosta Tszyu are great champions today and could hypothetically compete on solid footing with fighters like Marvin Hagler, Barney Ross, Alexis Arguello and Roberto Duran.

So I come to SaddoBoxing with my guard held high and looking for openings. I have a good idea what boxing fans are after from a columnist because I am first and foremost a boxing fan. I understand that if I leave my left hand low, some of you will be there with a whistling right cross. I like that. It will only improve my game, as I hope it improves yours. Whether in my columns, or in the forums – where I plan to be a presence –I’m ready to go toe-to-toe. I’ve been training for this for years now. So toe the mark my friends, it’s time to talk boxing.

William K. Wolfrum is a writer based in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. His credits include The Boston Globe, New Jersey Star-Ledger and countless other newspapers, magazines and Web sites.