RINGSIDE
In 45 years of reading The Ring, I can’t recall an entire issue devoted to one fight. Even the biggest boxing event of the previous era – the long-awaited Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao showdown – received only a portion
whatever you want to call them. It was always a thrill to see an upcoming big fight on the cover of The Ring back in the 1980s. The newspaper business was still strong in that decade and many of the
Michael Katz spent time in one or both fighters’ camps and would bring back notes on their teams, training and sparring, which I greatly appreciated and hungrily consumed. But I always wanted more. I wanted in-depth interviews with the fighters. I wanted articles providing insight into the minds and
appreciation of boxing history. This was the first time I read about legendary former champions such as Mickey Walker, Henry Armstrong and Emile Griffith, as well as classic welterweight battles like Jimmy McLarnin-Barney Ross and Sugar Ray Robinson-Kid Gavilan. It’s my hope that the historical articles in
giving their all on fight night, reading the exclusive Q&A interviews with both fighters in this issue might put some of that skepticism to rest. Crawford isn’t the media-friendliest fighter, but managing editor Tom Gray
this issue. I should have known there was a clear path to victory for Duran, and after reading about the strengths and weaknesses of both Alvarez and Crawford – straight from the brilliant
of the May 2015 issue that previewed the so- called “Fight of the 21st Century.” Six features (totalling 32 of the issue’s 98 pages) were dedicated to Mayweather-Pacquiao. In the 10 years since that mega-event, several other anticipated big fights were featured on the covers of our print editions – Canelo vs. Gennadiy Golovkin I (November 2017), Canelo vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (July 2017), Jorge Linares vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko (June 2018), Canelo vs. Golovkin 2 (October 2018), Errol Spence Jr. vs. Mikey Garcia (April 2019), Canelo vs. Daniel Jacobs (June 2019), Andy Ruiz vs. Anthony Joshua 2 (January 2020) and Spence vs. Crawford (July 2023) – but none of those compelling matchups commanded the entirety of those issues. Canelo-Crawford – which will be
got the sometimes-surly Nebraskan to expound on his motivation to challenge Alvarez. Canelo also opened up during his interview with esteemed Spanish- language broadcaster and columnist Ernesto Amador, who goes back nearly 20 years with his record-breaking countryman. Alvarez is respectful of Crawford’s skill and talent but critical of the American’s resume (in comparison to his) while confident in his own abilities and unparralleled experience. Crawford has the same confidence and even more of a chip on his shoulder going into the biggest fight of his 17-year pro career. You’ll understand why after you read THE REDEEMER, penned by Nebraska college football star Vershan Jackson, who has known Crawford since his
THE BIBLE OF BOXING MAYWEATHER VS. PACQUIAO PACQUIAO 37-PAGE PREVIEW
spirits of the fighters. I wanted history. I wanted analysis. I wanted expert opinions. I was only going to get that in the pages of quality boxing magazines, and The Bible of Boxing was the ultimate authority. The first big-fight preview issue of The Ring that I can remember (and the second boxing magazine I ever purchased) was the July 1980 edition that looked forward to the Sugar Ray Leonard-Roberto Duran showdown. The “Special Leonard-Duran Program Section” of that issue spanned 20 pages consisting of large, black-and-white action photos, biographical capsules, notes on the fighters’ records and common opponents, a tale of the tape and scorecard, as well as predictions from boxing
this issue – on Mexico’s grand legacy, legendary weight-climbers who dared to be great and the origin of the 168-pound division, to name a few – give you proper perspective on Canelo- Crawford and what the fighters are attempting to achieve with a victory on September 13. Just reading the biographical capsules of Leonard and Duran and seeing their records listed back in 1980 gave me a better understanding of the elite-level fight that would take place on June 20. The thought of Leonard losing was inconceivable to my 10-year-old brain, but the information The Ring provided was enough to inform me that Duran was going to
IT’S ON! THE FIGHT OF THE 21 ST CENTURY IS AT HAND
ALVAREZ VS. KIRKLAND MAY 9 FIGHT IS A JUICY ENCORE TO MAY 2 P. 64
WILDER ARRIVES NEW CHAMP’S WILD RIDE TO THE TOP P. 70
HAGLER VS. HEARNS ENERGY LINGERS
MAY 2015
30 YEARS LATER P. 76
fellow Omaha native’s early days in the gym. We’re pleased to introduce Jackson and Amador to the readers of The Ring and we’re proud to welcome back many regular contributors – including Hall of Famer Wallace Matthews and award- winning author Don Stradley – whose writing talents, insight and reporting made this 128-page periodical as entertaining as it is informative. The best thing I can say about this special issue is that if you’re not already excited about Canelo-Crawford, you will be after reading it.
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The Leonard-Duran special included welterweight championship history.
#MayPac was huge, but it didn't take over the May 2015 issue.
broadcast live on Netflix, available to the streaming platform’s worldwide audience of 300 million households – is an extra-special event that deserves an extra-special issue. It was an arduous task putting this massive issue together in time to go on sale weeks before Canelo and Crawford put their legacies on the line at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. However, it was also a gratifying and nostalgic endeavor.
pundits and personalities. Two fight-related features – a “Pictorial Portfolio” of great
push my hero a hell of a lot harder than Dave “Boy” Green did. Learning about Duran’s lightweight reign of terror and looking at his 71-1 (55 KOs) record made me nervous. I’m not sure how much I would have understood at the time, but it would have been fascinating to read an article that examined the style matchup of “The Brawl in Montreal.” I believe we provide that analytical breakdown for Canelo-Crawford with the two BATTLE PLAN features in
welterweight fights of the past and an extensive listing of EVERY 147-pound world title bout from 1892 to 1980 – were included in the program section. Both gave me perspective that the newspaper reports lacked on the magnitude and significance of the latest welterweight championship. These articles also began building the foundation to my understanding and
dailies covered boxing, especially during the buildup to major championship bouts. However, newspaper sportswriters only reported on so much – generally just the news of the day, what was said at press conferences, media events, etc. Sometimes enterprising boxing columnists like
boxing minds of trainers Rudy Hernandez and Stephen “Breadman” Edwards – you’ll understand that there isn’t a clear favorite in this super middleweight matchup. And if you’re understandably cynical about two multimillionaire veterans near the end of Hall-of-Fame careers
I love special issues, collector’s editions, programs, previews –
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