RINGSIDE By Doug Fischer KEEP IT REAL
April 2025
Founder Nathaniel Fleischer (1888-1972) Owner His Excellency Turki Alalshikh
Editor-in-Chief Douglass Fischer Managing Editor Tom Gray Senior Editor Brian Harty Creative Director Lamar Clark Controller Deborah L. Harrison
I n just two years in the boxing world, the owner of this fine publication has taken pre-event programming to new heights. The programs created to hype major Riyadh Season events aren’t mere commercials for the pay-per- view shows; they’re bona fide films with creative and artistic concepts, as astutely noted by senior editor Brian Harty in this issue’s Ratings Analysis. However, as brilliant as those films are, they will probably never sell an event the way a well-timed slap or sucker punch can. Nothing pushes media coverage and fan engagement like legitimate rivals putting hands on each other prior to settling their differences in the ring. They may not all admit this but promoters want animosity and aggression displayed during the buildup to their events. I can’t fault them for this. When Marco Antonio Barrera took a punch at Kennedy McKinney at a press conference for HBO’s first Boxing After Dark main event back in 1996, I couldn’t wait to watch that broadcast. When Barrera did the same thing against Erik Morales at a presser prior
Teofimo Lopez (with Ring belt) fired up the Fatal Fury promotion by slapping Arnold Barboza. Is their beef real?
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to their rematch in 2002, I couldn’t wait to cover their second clash, which packed the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Same deal when Fernando Vargas shoved Oscar De La Hoya at the kick-off presser for their “Bad Blood” showdown in 2002. I didn’t like that beloved publicist Ricardo Jimenez was knocked from the stage and suffered a broken leg during the ensuing scuffle between the fighters’ teams, but I wasn’t mad at Vargas for losing his cool. At the time, I viewed his unchecked emotions as “truth in advertising.” As long as the hate is genuine, I’m generally OK with the shoving, slapping and even the sucker punching that occasionally ignites at pressers and weigh-ins. These guys are gearing up for a fistfight; adrenaline is pumping when they’re face to face. I’m only turned off when the quasi-violence seems scripted or choreographed, which brings me to the
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THE RING (ISSN: 0035-5410), Special Issue (April 2025), is published 12 times per year by The Ring Magazine FZ, 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 $9.99 in U.S.A. ,10.99 Canada (£10.99 in the U.K.). Global Subscription price $60.00 for 12 issues plus S&H. 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 The Ring Magazine FZ- 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@ringmagazine.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 and the UK.
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