http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/players/harry_greb/74357 Recent articles about Harry Greb en-us With the recent hoopla for the respected Bernard Hopkins and his adding to  the legacy of great Philly fighters. The great city of  Philadelphia has produced an array of world class middleweights over the years.  Hopkins has brought great pride to the long line of Philly middlewights who came  before him. Tough guys like Stanley “Kitten” Hayward,  Eugene “Cyclone” Hart, Bobby “Boogaloo” Watts, Willie “The Worm” Monroe and  possibly he toughest of them all, “Bad” Bennie Briscoe. When people talk  of Bernard Hopkins now they compare him to Stanley Ketchel, Harry Greb, Sugar  Ray Robinson and his more recent contemporaries, Carlos Monzon and Marvin  Hagler. However many people often forget a classy and fine middleweight named  Rodrigo Valdez (63-8, 43 KO’s). Valdez was a world class fighter who  suffered from the “De Jesus” syndrome. That is, like the outstanding Estaban  DeJesus he was overshadowed in his career by the skill of Roberto Duran. So too  was Rodrigo Valdez ove Thu, 09 May 2013 22:59:09 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/rodrigo_valdez/13587341 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/rodrigo_valdez/13587341 RODRIGO VALDEZ http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/rodrigo_valdez/13587341 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Ten Greatest Irish-American Boxers in History There have been some great Irish-American fighters in boxing’s rich history. In the past 50-60 years, there have become steadily less Irish-American representatives in the sport. Boxing in America has always been a meter of how well different groups fare in a socioeconomic sense. For the first half of the 20th century, Italians, Jews and Irish were not given equal access to the American Dream, hence the fact that droves of members from those groups found pro boxing to be an acceptable occupation. People generally only fight when they have to. Here are some of the greatest Irish-American fighters of all-time, beginning with the earliest. John Sullivan (1879-1892) History hasn’t been terribly kind to Sullivan. When top heavyweight champs from the past are discussed, Sullivan’s name doesn’t come up very often. But he was the first champion of the modern era and a double-tough guy who dominated his era. Before he shockingly lost to Corbe... Fri, 19 Apr 2013 07:45:01 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_irish_american_boxers_of_all_time/13435936 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_irish_american_boxers_of_all_time/13435936 Top 10 Irish-American boxers of all-time http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/top_10_irish_american_boxers_of_all_time/13435936 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Who?  Bimstein.  Morris "Whitey" Bimstein.  He was born 116 years ago today -- January 10, 1897 -- and should be remembered with affection and respect by all those who claim the honored title of Boxing Fan. Not that Whitey was a boxer.  Well, he was, but his fondness for hot dogs and his aversion to training put paid to that after some 70 bouts as a bantam and featherweight.  But Whitey is indeed enshrined in boxing's pantheon.  He is among the greatest trainers, cornermen, and cutmen in the history of the Sweet Science. Following a stint in the Navy during World War I, Whitey looked up his former managers, Tom McArdle and Lou Brix, seeking work as a second.  By the early 1920s, Whitey's reputation as cutman was as solidly in place as is Mount Rushmore.  Partnering with legendary trainer Ray Arcel from1925 to 1934, "The Siamese Training Twins" were in the corner of such standouts as Benny Leonard, Barney Ross, and Maxie Rosenbloom.  Following... Tue, 08 Jan 2013 09:28:14 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/happy_birthday_whitey_bimstein_all_time_great_boxing_trainer/12604870 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/happy_birthday_whitey_bimstein_all_time_great_boxing_trainer/12604870 Happy birthday Whitey Bimstein, all-time great boxing trainer http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/happy_birthday_whitey_bimstein_all_time_great_boxing_trainer/12604870 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png ON A DESOLATE STRETCH of West 41st Street, in the early hours of December 15, 1925, someone put two bullets into the back of Battling Siki. Just two years after losing the light heavyweight title, Africa’s first boxing champion and icon of the era was dead. Siki probably never saw the shooter — let alone the gun — on that cold New York morning, and his killing remains a mystery today. Peter Benson’s 2009 biography Battling Siki: A Tale of Ring Fixes, Race, and Murder in the 1920s concerns Siki’s life but does not spend much time, as the title might suggest, on his untimely death. Ditto for Championzé: Une histoire de Battling Siki, a 2010 French graphic novel by Aurélien Ducoudray and Eddy Vaccaro. But of course Siki’s story is not simply that of a murdered champion boxer; his life stood at the intersection of popular culture, racial politics, and the criminal underworld. Thankfully, his biographers weave together these different plot-lines to offer useful portraits of the fighter. ... Tue, 23 Oct 2012 02:28:00 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/book_review_a_singular_senegalese_africas_first_boxing_icon/12030016 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/book_review_a_singular_senegalese_africas_first_boxing_icon/12030016 Book Review: A Singular Senegalese, Africa's First Boxing Icon http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/book_review_a_singular_senegalese_africas_first_boxing_icon/12030016 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Boxing History Needs to Have a Greater Appreciation from Fans As boxing fans, we follow the careers of Andre Ward, Donovan George, Gennady Golovkin, or whoever our current favorites may be. And so we should. We care about who's fighting today just as our fathers and grandfathers cared about the boxers of their eras.  But I've noted an unfortunate trend in recent years -- the ignorance of or indifference to those who came before. I recently got into a rather acrimonious discussion with a fellow fan who had on his list of 10 best pound-for-pound boxers of all time George Foreman, Larry Holmes, and Evander Holyfield.  I understand holding those guys in regard, but among the best of all time?  Adding insult to ignorance, there was nary a mention of Willie Pep, Harry Greb, or Sam Langford.  Such omissions are beyond risible; they're anti-historical. And, indeed, that's the crux of the problem.  Some of today's boxing "aficionados" have little or no... Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:08:23 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/the_unbreakable_chain_boxing_history_past_to_present/11936983 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/the_unbreakable_chain_boxing_history_past_to_present/11936983 The unbreakable chain: Boxing history past to present http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/the_unbreakable_chain_boxing_history_past_to_present/11936983 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Sugar Ray Robinson Rules a Middleweight Golden Age in the 1950sWhat with Sugar Ray Robinson generally considered the greatest middleweight of all time, and his heyday being the 1950s, here's my list of the five best middleweights of that decade.  There's been no shortage of great middleweights prior to the '50s -- Harry Greb, for instance -- as well as since (the name Marvelous Marvin Hagler leaps to mind), but the Eisenhower era was certainly golden.Sugar Ray Robinson - Public Domain Photo1.  Sugar Ray Robinson (1940-1965; 173-19-6, 108 KOs).  One too often hears the expression "born fighter", but it fits Robinson like a Savile Row suit.  He entered the professional ring in 1940, winning 40 bouts in a row, 29 by KO or TKO.  Jake LaMotta handed him his first defeat in 1943.  The two men fought six times, Robinson winning all but the first.Five-time holder of the middleweight crown, Robinson first won the title in 1951 by stopping LaMotta in the 13th ... Wed, 10 Oct 2012 09:06:47 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/top_5_middleweights_of_the_1950s/11923447 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/top_5_middleweights_of_the_1950s/11923447 Top 5 middleweights of the 1950s http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/top_5_middleweights_of_the_1950s/11923447 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/1/4/14f55b06e209167e0463f56ceacdda86c1ff4061/mini/Robinson_And_Turpin_1d3d.jpg By Alexander Neely Boxing critics and fans have touted throughout history that there isn’t a division in prizefighting more talent rich than the middleweights. Based on names such as Harry Greb, Sugar Ray Robinson, Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins, it is difficult to argue otherwise. However, over the past several years, sports fans have been water boarded with boxing’s alphabet soup, leaving only the name of unrecognizable fighters as safety words. Even RING middleweight champion Sergio Martinez – who is regarded as one of the pound-for-pound fighters in the world – feels more like your city’s hidden, Italian restaurant than an Olive Garden. This middleweight monotony is supposed to begin closing Saturday, when, Felix Sturm and Daniel Geale fight to unify the WBO and IBF titles in Oberhausen, Germany. This comes less than five months after Sturm defeated Sebastian Zbik by technical knockout in the ninth round, and Geale defeated Osumanu Adama by unanimous decision on ... Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:45:40 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/beyond_the_boxing_ring_month_of_the_middleweight/11580097 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/beyond_the_boxing_ring_month_of_the_middleweight/11580097 Beyond the Boxing Ring: Month of the Middleweight http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/beyond_the_boxing_ring_month_of_the_middleweight/11580097 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png Undefeated middleweight contender Peter "Kid Chocolate" Quillin and the late World Heavyweight Champion Gene Tunney's son, writer Jay Tunney, will be special guest speakers at Ring 8's next monthly meeting this coming  Tuesday evening (7:00 PM / ET, June 19), at the historic Waterfront Crabhouse in Long Island City, New York. Quillin (27-0, 20 KOs) recently won an impressive 10-round decision over four-time world champion Ronald "Winky" Wright, which solidified Quillin's reputation as America's No. 1 middleweight as well as one of the top 160-pound boxers in the world. Born in Michigan, Quillin lives in Manhattan, where he also is a boxing instructor at the Trinity Boxing Club.  Sending Wright into retirement helped him crack The Ring Magazine (#10) and ESPN (#9) rankings for the first time.  The talented Cuban-American is rated No. 5 by the World Boxing Association ("WBA"), No. 8 by the World Boxing Organization ("WBO&quo... Sat, 16 Jun 2012 11:34:34 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/peter_quillin_gene_tunneys_son_jay_to_speak_at_ring_8_next_week/11026403 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/peter_quillin_gene_tunneys_son_jay_to_speak_at_ring_8_next_week/11026403 Peter Quillin & Gene Tunney’s son Jay to speak at Ring 8 next week http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/peter_quillin_gene_tunneys_son_jay_to_speak_at_ring_8_next_week/11026403 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png "In the clinch fighting, again Ketchel discovered that Johnson knows more in one round than the average fighter learns in a career. Ketchel as a rule is always above the average at clinch fighting, but to-day he was powerless. There were other things about these clinches. They gave an idea of Johnson's immense strength as well. Several times he lifted Ketchell playfully off his feet and strung him around. Once, when Ketchel's legs became tangled, when the men were grappling, Johnson picked up Ketchel with one arm and placed him squarely on his feet." -- W. W. Naughton, in describing Jack Johnson vs. Stanley Ketchel, 1909 "Dundee seemed very tired in the last few seconds [of the 20th round], but he made no attempt to rest in the clinches, fighting like a demon." -- Post-fight description of Johnny Dundee vs. Irish Patsy Cline, Times-Picayune, 1918 "Greb at 159 pounds was seven pounds heavier than the welterweight champion and he used the m... Tue, 17 Apr 2012 17:56:37 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/from_beyond_the_grave_the_clinch/10580089 http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/from_beyond_the_grave_the_clinch/10580089 From Beyond The Grave: The Clinch http://www.yardbarker.com/all_sports/articles/from_beyond_the_grave_the_clinch/10580089 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png How would Sergio Martinez deal with the best middleweights in boxing history? World Middleweight Champion Sergio Martinez has not cracked anyone’s all-time great middleweight lists. What can you expect with only 5 fights at the weight? Nevertheless, he has established himself as the best middleweight in the world and the top guy at the weight since the glory days of Bernard Hopkins. The combined records of the men Martinez has faced at middleweight is 172-3. After crashing onto the scene as a junior middleweight, Martinez lost a disputed decision to Paul Williams at middleweight poundage. While not the best entrance into middleweight waters, Martinez handled himself well against what was at the time a high-flying commodity in Williams. Credit: DBE Since then, he beat linear Middleweight Champion Kelly Pavlik in a big win. Then he threw the first Williams result into a new light with a memorable 2nd-round flattening over PW. With the talent pool at 160 in the States rather dry, M... Thu, 01 Mar 2012 18:32:17 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/sergio_martinez_vs_top_10_all_time_great_middleweights/10210528 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/sergio_martinez_vs_top_10_all_time_great_middleweights/10210528 Sergio Martinez vs. top 10 all-time great middleweights http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/sergio_martinez_vs_top_10_all_time_great_middleweights/10210528 http://www.yardbarker.com/media/0/9/09602f073e5511bf40144fa5aa97dc19c536ac55/mini/BOX_CONFE_MARTINEZ_b11c.jpg Continued from part I. Milwaukee fight promoter Frank Mulhern put up a good offer to stage a third match up between Mickey Walker and Jock Malone in "The Brew City," and Mickey was also in talks to meet light heavyweight champion Mike McTigue, who had also fallen from the good graces of the New York State Athletic Commission for failing to face Gene Tunney, in early 1925. By the time early December rolled around, the McTigue fight was all but finalized and both Walker and Malone were finishing up preparations to meet once more. The Times-Picayune reporter on hand during their training relayed that Malone had shown an excellent jab in sparring, while Mickey continued on with his smashing style, embodying the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" adage. The Oregonian said that Walker won "nine out of ten rounds, according to the majority of newspaper men at the ringside." Malone boxed too cautiously early on as Mickey piled up points... Sun, 26 Feb 2012 22:19:04 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_ii/10137238 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_ii/10137238 Victoria Aut Mors: Mickey Walker (Part II) http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_ii/10137238 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The gritty mythology of boxing is the type of stuff that makes the modern "badasses" of sports look like wimpy dullards. Flipping off fans? 19th century answer: alpha heavyweight champion John L. Sullivan, who apparently never could hold his liquor, drunkenly stumbling to the ring to have a title defense against Charlie Mitchell in 1884 canceled before 6,000 heckling fans. Dog fighting? One better: Roberto "Manos de Piedra" Duran has claimed in many interviews to have punched and leveled a horse back in Panama for $150 when he was 18-years old. From Tony Galento, a bar-owner who slugged suds between rounds in his Detroit triple-header in 1931; to Kennedy McKinney entering rehab over and over, while fighting; to Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Joe Calzaghe getting caught in coke-binge stupors...this is not a game of saints. Even the seemingly straight-laced Manny Pacquiao was reported to have been staying out late to play pool and drink while in training ... Thu, 23 Feb 2012 19:55:11 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_i/10085860 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_i/10085860 Victoria Aut Mors: Mickey Walker (Part I) http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/victoria_aut_mors_mickey_walker_part_i/10085860 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The 10 Greatest Middleweight Boxers in History When ranking the ten best middleweights of all-time, many challenges arise. With great middleweights spanning over a century in time, it can be difficult to measure 160-pounders against each other. Try to compare the undefined middleweight division of the turn of the 20th century to its current manifestation and your head might spin. In the old days, fighters could sit on their title for years with nary a defense. Newspaper decisions, the vast changes in the dynamics of a typical professional boxing career, and other considerations makes it a sticky undertaking. Also making it difficult is that this might just be the most stacked division in boxing history. With Hall of Famers occupying most of the top 25-30 spots, there are a lot of fighters with a good argument for top ten honors. Some of the most historic fighters of all-time made 160 their home and it makes coming up with a top ten an ultimate test of what you think is more valuabl... Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:55:18 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_middleweights_of_all_time/9669994 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_middleweights_of_all_time/9669994 Top 10 Best Middleweights of All-Time http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/top_10_best_middleweights_of_all_time/9669994 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The Ten Greatest Light Heavyweights in Boxing History For many reasons, ranking light heavyweights is a tricky endeavor. Many of the greatest to ever do it at this weight were never officially champion. The issue of racism rears its head in this weight class, with many of the division’s top practitioners from the first half of the century being denied their rightful place. Many old-time greats fought in many divisions and it can be difficult to isolate their prime into one division. Without many of them having won titles at 175, it’s not always clear. Almost half of this top-ten is occupied by fighters who were never officially champions at this weight. In other words, coming up with a list takes a little more work in this division than some others. Here are the ten greatest light heavyweights who ever lived. 1. Archie Moore (1935-1963): Credit: Bettmann/ CORBIS Sure, it’s become en vogue to call Ezzard Charles the greatest light heavyweight of all time. While I won’t argue with ... Thu, 12 Jan 2012 07:45:53 -0500 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_light_heavyweight_boxers_of_all_time/9293252 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/top_10_best_light_heavyweight_boxers_of_all_time/9293252 Top 10 Best Light Heavyweight Boxers of All-Time http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/top_10_best_light_heavyweight_boxers_of_all_time/9293252 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png The phrase "boxing hotbed" is one of those fight terms that gets thrown about with ease whether the user truly understands its meaning or not -- like "shot," "exposed" and "ring generalship." There aren't many boxing hotbeds around right now, be it for lack of overall interest in the sport, or maybe even times just not being quite as tough as in previous eras. If asked which cities or regions of the United States frequently churn out young talent, the Great Lakes area probably wouldn't make the cut. For instance, Minnesota's finest crop in the last 20 or more years has been Will Grigsby, Jason Litzau and maybe Matt Vanda -- not exactly the Murderers' Row of the fight fame. Such wasn't always the case though. In the early 1900s, states like Wisconsin and Minnesota were not only producing respectable fighters (and a few very, very good ones), they were also included in the battle grounds of boxing legislation in that ... Sat, 29 Oct 2011 15:51:32 -0400 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mike_odowd/7784392 http://network.yardbarker.com/boxing/article_external/victoria_aut_mors_mike_odowd/7784392 Victoria Aut Mors: Mike O'Dowd http://www.yardbarker.com/boxing/articles/victoria_aut_mors_mike_odowd/7784392 http://www.yardbarker.com/images/yb_logo_square_grey.png