The Ring (magazine)
Encyclopedia
The Ring is an American boxing
magazine
that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling
came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication. The magazine is currently owned by Oscar De La Hoya
's Golden Boy Enterprises
.
, has perpetrated boxing scandals, helped make unknown fighters famous worldwide, and covered boxing's biggest events of all time. Dan Daniel
was a co-founder and prolific contributor to The Ring through most of its history. It refers to itself (and is referred to by others) as "The Bible of Boxing."
In 1977, three international versions of the magazine came out. One, the Spanish version, was named Ring En Español
and was published from Venezuela
and distributed around all Spanish-speaking countries and the United States until 1985. There was also a Japanese-language version published in Tokyo and a French version published in Paris.
The magazine was taken over by flamboyant publisher Bert Randolph Sugar
in 1979, who hired Randy Gordon—who would go on later that decade to become New York's boxing commissioner—as his editor-in-chief. By 1985, both Sugar and Gordon had moved on, then watched from the sidelines as The Ring nearly went bankrupt in 1989, causing the magazine to cease publication for most of the year. It rebounded under new management in 1990.
Some of the boxers featured on the magazine covers have included Andrew Golota, Salvador Sánchez
, Jack Dempsey
, Max Schmeling
, Joe Louis
, Sugar Ray Robinson
, Jake LaMotta
, Rocky Marciano
, Willie Pep
, Muhammad Ali
, Alexis Argüello
, Wilfred Benítez
, Wilfredo Gómez
, Roberto Durán
, Larry Holmes
, Marvin Hagler
, Sugar Ray Leonard
, Bud Taylor
, Mike Tyson
, Evander Holyfield
, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
, Thomas Hearns
, Roy Jones Jr.
, Bernard Hopkins
, Julio César Chávez
, Félix Trinidad
, Manny Pacquiao
, Oscar De La Hoya
, Mauro Mina
, and Ricardo Mayorga
. In 1977, boxer Cathy "Cat" Davis
became the first and only female ever to be on a cover of The Ring. "The Ring" has used cover artwork created by famed artists such as LeRoy Neiman
and Richard T. Slone
The Ring was formerly published by London Publications and Kappa Publishing Group, which also published sister magazines KO Magazine
and World Boxing, which were former competitors of The Ring but ceased operations while under Kappa's ownership.
Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC currently owns "The Ring", which it acquired from Kappa Publishing Group in 2006. Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC is part of a family of companies owned by a group of private investors led by Oscar de la Hoya. Also acquired were KO, World Boxing, Pro Wrestling Illustrated
and "Inside Wrestling/The Wrestler." The magazine's rankings are recognized as "official" by some in the U.S. media, particularly ESPN. While some may see a conflict of interest in a boxing promoter being paymaster of what is essentially a magazine/rankings organization that awards world titles and belts, De La Hoya says that is not the case. "These magazines will be held in an editorial trust where they will be operating totally independent of any influence from me or others from the Golden Boy Companies as it relates to editorial direction or content". Also there is a 35-member ratings advisory panel, which include many of the media that cover boxing, who would prevent Golden Boy Promotions
from using the magazine for self gain. Nigel Collins remains as Editor in Chief.http://goldenboypromotions.com/media/2007/sept/9.12.07_mag.htm
in a given weight class where The Ring champion holds a linear reign to the throne, the man who beat the man. The Ring began awarding championship belts in 1922. The first Ring world title belt was awarded to heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey
and the second was awarded to flyweight champion Pancho Villa. The Ring stopped giving belts to world champions in the 1990s, but began again in 2002.
In 2002, The Ring attempted to clear up the confusion regarding world champions by creating a championship policy. It echoed many critics' arguments that the sanctioning bodies in charge of boxing championships had undermined the sport by pitting undeserving contenders against undeserving "champions", and forcing the boxing public to see mismatches for so-called "world championships". The Ring attempts to be more authoritative and open than the sanctioning bodies' rankings, with a page devoted to full explanations for ranking changes. A fighter pays no sanctioning fees to defend or fight for the title at stake, contrary to practices of the sanctioning bodies. Furthermore, a fighter cannot be stripped of the title unless he loses, decides to move to another weight division, or retires.
There are currently only two ways that a boxer can win The Rings title: defeat the reigning champion; or win a box-off between the magazine's number-one and number-two rated contenders (or, sometimes, number-one and number-three rated). A vacant Ring championship is filled when the number-one contender in a weight-division battles the number-two contender or the number-three contender (in cases where The Ring determines that the number-two and number-three contenders are close in abilities and records).
The Rings championship policy has gained the acceptance of outlets in North America such as ESPN
and, to an extent, HBO; as well as being mentioned by the BBC
in the United Kingdom.
The United States Championship Tournament was a promotional effort by promoter Don King to capitalize on the patriotism surrounding the United States Bicentennial and the American amateur success at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. King's "hope" was to defeat the non-American boxers who held the vast majority of world titles below the Heavyweight division. Keeping in line with the patriotic theme of the promotion, King held shows at "patriotic" locales—such as the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, as well as on an aircraft carrier stationed off Pensacola, Florida.
Despite the above, the 1977 Ring Record Book contained the fictitious additions to the records of the boxers in question, and were never taken out of their records of the boxers. Those dubious bouts would continue to appear in subsequent Ring Record Book editions.
This Ring Record Magazine scandal was uncovered by boxing writer Malcolm 'Flash' Gordon and ABC staffer Alex Wallau
. After Gordon and Wallau's evidence was presented to ABC executives the United States Championship tournament was cancelled. It led to the eventual resignation of New York State Boxing Commissioner James Farley Jr. who had lent his name to the Championship fights and who was the son of former New York State Athletic Commissioner and former Postmaster General
James Farley
, who had died one year prior to the scandal. Farley had accepted a hotel room which had been furnished by King, this was used to smear Farley as dirty for accepting kickbacks, forcing his eventual resignation. No formal charges of impropriety were ever filed against Farley. The following year the Boxing Writers Association dedicated their highest honor the "James A. Farley Award", for honesty and integrity in the sport of Boxing.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication. The magazine is currently owned by Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
's Golden Boy Enterprises
Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
.
History
The Ring, first edited by hall-of-famer Nat FleischerNat Fleischer
Nathaniel Stanley Fleischer was a noted American boxing writer and collector. Fleischer inaugurated in 1922, encouraged by Tex Rickard, the Ring Magazine publication...
, has perpetrated boxing scandals, helped make unknown fighters famous worldwide, and covered boxing's biggest events of all time. Dan Daniel
Dan Daniel (sportswriter)
Dan Daniel , born Daniel Margowitz, was an American sportswriter whose prolific contributions over a long period led him to be called the Dean of American Baseball Writers....
was a co-founder and prolific contributor to The Ring through most of its history. It refers to itself (and is referred to by others) as "The Bible of Boxing."
In 1977, three international versions of the magazine came out. One, the Spanish version, was named Ring En Español
Ring En Español
The Ring En Español was a Spanish version of boxing publication The Ring magazine. Ring En Español was published from 1977 to 1985. Originally published from Caracas, it moved in 1981 to Miami, to Editorial America , the same editorial house that oversaw the production of Cosmopolitans Spanish...
and was published from Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and distributed around all Spanish-speaking countries and the United States until 1985. There was also a Japanese-language version published in Tokyo and a French version published in Paris.
The magazine was taken over by flamboyant publisher Bert Randolph Sugar
Bert Randolph Sugar
Bert Randolph Sugar is a boxing writer/sports historian. He currently resides in Chappaqua, New York.-Education:...
in 1979, who hired Randy Gordon—who would go on later that decade to become New York's boxing commissioner—as his editor-in-chief. By 1985, both Sugar and Gordon had moved on, then watched from the sidelines as The Ring nearly went bankrupt in 1989, causing the magazine to cease publication for most of the year. It rebounded under new management in 1990.
Some of the boxers featured on the magazine covers have included Andrew Golota, Salvador Sánchez
Salvador Sánchez
Salvador Sánchez Narváez was a Mexican boxer born in the town of Santiago Tianguistenco, Estado de México. Many of his contemporaries as well as boxing writers believe that, had it not been for his premature death, Sanchez could have gone on to become the greatest Featherweight boxer of all time...
, Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, Max Schmeling
Max Schmeling
Maximillian Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in the late 1930s transcended boxing, and became worldwide social events because of their national associations...
, Joe Louis
Joe Louis
Joseph Louis Barrow , better known as Joe Louis, was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1937 to 1949. He is considered to be one of the greatest heavyweights of all time...
, Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Robinson was an African-American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson's performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create "pound for pound" rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight...
, Jake LaMotta
Jake LaMotta
Giacobbe LaMotta , better known as Jake LaMotta, nicknamed "The Bronx Bull" and "The Raging Bull", is a former American world middleweight champion boxer...
, Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
, Willie Pep
Willie Pep
Guglielmo Papaleo was an American boxer who was better known as Willie Pep. Pep boxed a total of 1956 rounds in the 241 bouts during his 26 year career, a considerable number of rounds and fights even for a fighter of his era. His final record was 229-11-1 with 65 knockouts...
, Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
, Alexis Argüello
Alexis Argüello
Alexis Argüello , also known by the stage name El Flaco Explosivo , was a Nicaraguan professional boxer and politician...
, Wilfred Benítez
Wilfred Benitez
Wilfred Benítez , is a Puerto Rican boxer. He is remembered best as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history at the age of 17...
, Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez
Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...
, Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán
Roberto Durán Samaniego is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
, Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, Marvin Hagler
Marvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
, Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard
Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...
, Bud Taylor
Bud Taylor
Charles Bernard "Bud" Taylor was an American boxer from Terre Haute, Indiana. He was nicknamed the Terre Haute Terrier and the Blonde Terror of Terre Haute.-Pro Boxing Career:...
, Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
, Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. is an American professional boxer. He is a five-division world champion, where he has won seven world titles, as well as the lineal championship in three different weight classes...
, Thomas Hearns
Thomas Hearns
Thomas "Hitman" Hearns is a retired American boxer. Nicknamed the "Motor City Cobra" and more famously "The Hitman", Hearns became the first boxer in history to win world titles in four divisions. He would also become the first fighter in history to win five world titles in five different divisions...
, Roy Jones Jr.
Roy Jones Jr.
Roy Jones, Jr. is an American boxer. As a professional he has captured numerous world titles in the middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight divisions...
, Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins
Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion...
, Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez is a retired Mexican professional boxer.He is a six-time world champion in three weight divisions, and for several years he was considered the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world...
, Félix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad
Félix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered one of the best in Puerto Rico's history. After winning five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico, he debuted as a professional when he was 17. He won his first world championship when he defeated Maurice Blocker...
, Manny Pacquiao
Manny Pacquiao
Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...
, Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar de la Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. Nicknamed "The Golden Boy", De La Hoya won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games shortly after graduating from Garfield High School. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother...
, Mauro Mina
Mauro Mina
Mauro Mina Baylón was a Peruvian Light Heavyweight boxer known as the "Bombardero de Chincha", remembered as the best Peruvian boxer of the twentieth century....
, and Ricardo Mayorga
Ricardo Mayorga
Ricardo Mayorga , is a Nicaraguan professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC light middleweight champion. He holds a record of 29-8 with 23 knockouts and 1 draw 1 no contest. He was featured for the first time on the cover of Ring Magazine on the December...
. In 1977, boxer Cathy "Cat" Davis
Cathy Davis
Cathy Davis is a former female boxer who caused sensation in the sport of boxing during the late 1970s. Her nickname was "Cat"....
became the first and only female ever to be on a cover of The Ring. "The Ring" has used cover artwork created by famed artists such as LeRoy Neiman
LeRoy Neiman
LeRoy Neiman is an American artist known for his brilliantly colored, pseudo-expressionist paintings and screen prints of athletes and sporting events.- Early years :...
and Richard T. Slone
Richard T. Slone
Richard T. Slone is an English painter.Slone was born in 1974 in Dalton-in-Furness, a northern English town. Slone is self-taught....
The Ring was formerly published by London Publications and Kappa Publishing Group, which also published sister magazines KO Magazine
KO Magazine
KO Magazine is a popular United States boxing magazine. It was first published in 1979, to compete with The Ring.During the 1980s, KO Magazine, nicknamed "The knockout boxing magazine", ran some popular features, such as a round-by-round section where the most important fights were described punch...
and World Boxing, which were former competitors of The Ring but ceased operations while under Kappa's ownership.
Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC currently owns "The Ring", which it acquired from Kappa Publishing Group in 2006. Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC is part of a family of companies owned by a group of private investors led by Oscar de la Hoya. Also acquired were KO, World Boxing, Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
Pro Wrestling Illustrated is a professional wrestling magazine. PWI is currently based in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania and published by Kappa Publishing Group.-History:The first issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated was released in 1979...
and "Inside Wrestling/The Wrestler." The magazine's rankings are recognized as "official" by some in the U.S. media, particularly ESPN. While some may see a conflict of interest in a boxing promoter being paymaster of what is essentially a magazine/rankings organization that awards world titles and belts, De La Hoya says that is not the case. "These magazines will be held in an editorial trust where they will be operating totally independent of any influence from me or others from the Golden Boy Companies as it relates to editorial direction or content". Also there is a 35-member ratings advisory panel, which include many of the media that cover boxing, who would prevent Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions
Golden Boy Promotions, Inc. is a combat sport promotional firm started by former boxer six-division world champion Oscar De La Hoya...
from using the magazine for self gain. Nigel Collins remains as Editor in Chief.http://goldenboypromotions.com/media/2007/sept/9.12.07_mag.htm
The Ring world champions
The Ring has its own version of the lineal championshipLineal championship
In professional boxing, the lineal championship of a weight class is a notional world championship title. It is initially held at some moment in time by a boxer universally acclaimed as the best in the class. Another boxer can win the lineal championship only by defeating the reigning lineal...
in a given weight class where The Ring champion holds a linear reign to the throne, the man who beat the man. The Ring began awarding championship belts in 1922. The first Ring world title belt was awarded to heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
and the second was awarded to flyweight champion Pancho Villa. The Ring stopped giving belts to world champions in the 1990s, but began again in 2002.
In 2002, The Ring attempted to clear up the confusion regarding world champions by creating a championship policy. It echoed many critics' arguments that the sanctioning bodies in charge of boxing championships had undermined the sport by pitting undeserving contenders against undeserving "champions", and forcing the boxing public to see mismatches for so-called "world championships". The Ring attempts to be more authoritative and open than the sanctioning bodies' rankings, with a page devoted to full explanations for ranking changes. A fighter pays no sanctioning fees to defend or fight for the title at stake, contrary to practices of the sanctioning bodies. Furthermore, a fighter cannot be stripped of the title unless he loses, decides to move to another weight division, or retires.
There are currently only two ways that a boxer can win The Rings title: defeat the reigning champion; or win a box-off between the magazine's number-one and number-two rated contenders (or, sometimes, number-one and number-three rated). A vacant Ring championship is filled when the number-one contender in a weight-division battles the number-two contender or the number-three contender (in cases where The Ring determines that the number-two and number-three contenders are close in abilities and records).
The Rings championship policy has gained the acceptance of outlets in North America such as ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
and, to an extent, HBO; as well as being mentioned by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
in the United Kingdom.
Current The Ring world champions
| Weight class: | Champion: | Date won: |
|---|---|---|
| Strawweight | vacant | |
| Junior flyweight | vacant | |
| Flyweight Flyweight Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:... |
 Pongsaklek WonjongkamPongsaklek Wonjongkam Pongsaklek Wonjongkam is a professional southpaw boxer in the flyweight division. His record is 83-3-1 . He is the WBC Flyweight Champion, as well as The Ring World Flyweight Champion... |
27 March 2010 |
| Junior bantamweight | vacant | |
| Bantamweight Bantamweight Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight... |
vacant | |
| Junior featherweight | vacant | |
| Featherweight Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:... |
vacant | |
| Junior lightweight | vacant | |
| Lightweight Lightweight Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing.... |
 Juan Manuel MárquezJuan Manuel Márquez Juan Manuel Márquez Méndez , is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the fourth Mexican-born boxer to become a three-division world champion, where he won eight world titles in three different boxing weight classes.Currently, Marquez is the WBA Super, WBO and The Ring lightweight champion... |
13 September 2008 |
| Junior welterweight | vacant | |
| Welterweight Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system... |
vacant | |
| Junior middleweight | vacant | |
| Middleweight Middleweight Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897... |
 Sergio Gabriel MartínezSergio Gabriel Martínez Sergio Gabriel Martínez is an Argentine professional boxer and the current The Ring middleweight champion.... |
17 April 2010 |
| Super middleweight Super middleweight Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s... |
vacant | |
| Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight... |
 Bernard HopkinsBernard Hopkins Bernard Hopkins Jr, known as The Executioner is an American boxer and the current Ring Magazine and WBC light heavyweight champion... |
21 May 2011 |
| Cruiserweight | vacant | |
| Heavyweight Heavyweight Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing... |
 Wladimir KlitschkoWladimir Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion... |
20 June 2009 |
Scandal
In 1976 The Ring magazine fabricated records of selected boxers, to elevate them, thereby securing them lucrative fights on the American ABC television network, as part of the United States Championship Tournament.The United States Championship Tournament was a promotional effort by promoter Don King to capitalize on the patriotism surrounding the United States Bicentennial and the American amateur success at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. King's "hope" was to defeat the non-American boxers who held the vast majority of world titles below the Heavyweight division. Keeping in line with the patriotic theme of the promotion, King held shows at "patriotic" locales—such as the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, as well as on an aircraft carrier stationed off Pensacola, Florida.
Despite the above, the 1977 Ring Record Book contained the fictitious additions to the records of the boxers in question, and were never taken out of their records of the boxers. Those dubious bouts would continue to appear in subsequent Ring Record Book editions.
This Ring Record Magazine scandal was uncovered by boxing writer Malcolm 'Flash' Gordon and ABC staffer Alex Wallau
Alex Wallau
Alex Wallau is a former President of the ABC television network. He began his career with ABC in 1976, when he joined the network's Sports division under Roone Arledge, then head of ABC Sports. Mr. Wallau went on to become a two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director of ABC's sports coverage...
. After Gordon and Wallau's evidence was presented to ABC executives the United States Championship tournament was cancelled. It led to the eventual resignation of New York State Boxing Commissioner James Farley Jr. who had lent his name to the Championship fights and who was the son of former New York State Athletic Commissioner and former Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
James Farley
James Farley
James Aloysius Farley was the first Irish Catholic politician in American history to achieve success on a national level, serving as Chairman of the New York State Democratic Committee, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee and as Postmaster General simultaneously under the first two...
, who had died one year prior to the scandal. Farley had accepted a hotel room which had been furnished by King, this was used to smear Farley as dirty for accepting kickbacks, forcing his eventual resignation. No formal charges of impropriety were ever filed against Farley. The following year the Boxing Writers Association dedicated their highest honor the "James A. Farley Award", for honesty and integrity in the sport of Boxing.
See also
- List of The Ring world champions
- Ring Magazine fighters of the yearRing Magazine fighters of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922. Since 1928, it has named a fighter as Fighter of the Year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
- Ring Magazine fights of the yearRing Magazine fights of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922 and since 1945, it has named a Fight of the Year.-1940s:*1945 - Rocky Graziano KO 10 Red Cochrane I*1946 - Tony Zale KO 6 Rocky Graziano I*1947 - Rocky Graziano KO 6 Tony Zale II...
- Ring Magazine knockouts of the yearRing Magazine knockouts of the yearRing Magazine was established in 1922. Since 1989, it has named a knockout as Knockout of the Year based on the magazine's writers' criteria. Here is a list of Ring Magazines knockouts of the year:-1990s:...
- Ring Magazine upsets of the yearRing Magazine upsets of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922. Since 1980, it has named a fight that has resulted in an outcome that was highly contrary to general expectations as upset of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
- Ring Magazine comeback of the yearRing Magazine comeback of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922. Since 1980, it has named a fighter who has come back from adversity or reversed a career decline as comeback of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
- Ring Magazine event of the yearRing Magazine event of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922. Since 1993, it has named a notable boxing event as event of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
- Ring Magazine round of the yearRing Magazine round of the yearThe Ring was established in 1922. Since 1945, it has named a particular round of a fight as round of the year, based on the magazine's writers' criteria...
- Ring Magazine progress of the yearRing Magazine progress of the yearRing Magazine was established in 1922. From 1953 to 1988, it gave a Progress of the Year award to the boxer who made the most significant progress during the preceding twelve months...
(discontinued) - Ring Magazine prospect of the yearRing Magazine prospect of the yearRing Magazine was established in 1922. From 1983 to 1988, it gave a Prospect of the Year award to the boxer who had the most potential to become a future star in the sport.1983: Kenny Baysmore1984: Mark Breland1985: Mike Tyson...
(discontinued) - Ring Magazine pound for poundRing Magazine pound for poundThe Ring Magazine Pound for Pound is the official list of the current pound for pound professional boxing rankings distributed by The Ring.-Top 10 rankings:-See also:* List of current world boxing champions* List of boxing weight classes...
- Ring Magazine hall of fameRing Magazine hall of fameRing Magazine was established in 1922. In 1954 the magazine established its own Boxing Hall of Fame and inducted 155 members before it was abandoned after the 1987 inductions. Boxing inductions continue through the International Boxing Hall of Fame. 134 members of the old Ring Hall of Fame have...
- The Ring Boxing The 20th CenturyThe Ring Boxing The 20th CenturyThe Ring: Boxing the 20th Century is a book that was published in 1993 by The Ring editors Steve Farhood and Stanley Weston....