RINGSIDE By Doug Fischer The Beast Must Be Fed
March 2025
Founder Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972)
K eeping up with what passes for boxing news in this age of “content creation” is difficult even during a slow period. When things speed up, it’s impossible.
Owner His Excellency Turki Alalshikh
Editor-in-Chief Douglass Fischer
Managing Editor Tom Gray
Mind you, I’m not blaming content creators for all of the confusion and misinformation that exists today, and “fake news” certainly isn’t relegated to the boxing world. Tabloids
Senior Editor Brian Harty
Creative Director Lamar Clark
and 24-hour cable news began blurring the lines between rumor and fact – and between informing the public and entertaining the masses – decades before websites replaced newspapers. Now that social media is in full bloom and information is disseminated faster than the speed of thought (or common sense), there’s just no time for seemingly outdated concepts like credible sources and fact-checking, or lofty ethics such as not misleading the public. Journalism has been eschewed in favor of “feeding the beast.” The fans that comprise “the beast” – and, sadly, much of the media that feeds it – can’t tell the difference between an official event announcement, a fight deal that’s still in the works or promotional subterfuge. This was never more evident than during the first week of February, which began with reports that the much-talked-about Canelo Alvarez- Terence Crawford super middleweight clash had been “agreed to” and set for Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, followed by rumors of Canelo vs. Jake Paul on Netflix being a “done deal” for May 3, also in Sin City, followed by news of the abrupt cancellation of Canelo-Crawford. And just before the weekend, news of
Controller Deborah L. Harrison
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The Canelo-Paul-Crawford news/rumor triangle nearly broke Boxing X.
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Canelo-Paul being canceled sucker- punched an already dazed boxing public just before it was given whiplash by the announcement that Canelo-Crawford was back on. Hardcore fans were confused, bedazzled and disgruntled. And just to be clear, I’m not pointing a finger at any boxing news source – Ringmagazine. com and The Ring’s social media branches were very much a part of the shit show. By the time this issue sees print, “the beast” will have moved on to the next feeding frenzy, so I won’t bother with any deep dives on old news. Nor will I assign blame for the misdirection, as many fans did (understandably), or declare the
THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410), Special Issue (March 2025), is published 12 times per year by Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC, P.O. Box 90254 Brooklyn, NY 11209. Periodicals postage paid at Brooklyn, NY 11209 and additional post offices. Postmasters: Send change of address notices to: The Ring Magazine Subscriber Service Dept., PO Box 16027, North Hollywood, CA 91615-6027, Phone: 818-286-3101; rngcs@magserv.com. Single copy price $8.95 in U.S.A. and Canada (£5.99 in the U.K.). Subscription price U.S. and possession $39.99 for 12 issues including Canada. Mexico add $5. All remaining countries add $10 for 12 issues per year. Not responsible for the loss or non- return of unsolicited articles or photographs, which will not be returned unless accompanied by a self-addressed envelope bearing the proper amount of postage. The entire contents of this magazine are copyright ©2025 Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. All rights reserved. Publisher is not responsible for the accuracy of the content of advertisements appearing in this magazine, nor the delivery or quality of merchandise or services offered. No endorsement of any such advertisement is intended or implied. Advertisers and agencies assume liability for claims arising from the content of their advertisements. FOR ADVERTISING INQUIRIES AND RATES: advertising@sepublications.com. U.S. / Canadian and International distribution by Comag Marketing Group LLC, 155 Village Blvd #200, Princeton, NJ 08540. UK distribution by Seymour Distribution Ltd., 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, England, EC1A 9PT. Printed In USA.
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