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Jack Johnson vs. Arthur Cravan: Who's your Dada?

By Robert Ecksel on January 31, 2023

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Craven disappeared without a trace in 1918, presumably drowned at sea at the age of 31.

Marcel Duchamp and Francis Picabia, among others, expressed their admiration, and André Breton crowned Cravan a precursor of Dadaism, an art movement that flourished from 1915 to 1922, before ceding the stage to surrealism… READ MORE

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Interview with Lucas Ketelle, Author of Inside the

Ropes of Boxing

January 16, 2023

“It was the fighters I hung out with,” Ketelle said. “It was the fighters who embraced me. The media didn’t…”

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Fathers and Sons

December 5, 2022

The fight was an impressive victory for Saracho who seemed not the least bit winded or tired. He is ready to step up his game in the next fight...

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Canelo mutes haters, beats Golovkim

September 21, 2022

The army of haters who targeted Canelo is quiet for the moment. But it won’t last. There’s plenty out there to hate, almost as much as there is to love…

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No More Auction Block for Thee

August 26, 2022

Do yourself a favor. Save your money. Wait for Mike Tyson’s version of his life story, assuming it materializes, assuming you haven’t seen it already…

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Houston, we've had a problem

August 27, 2022

Two women filed lawsuits in Los Angeles County Superior Court this week alleging Foreman sexually abused them in the 1970s when they were minors…

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If Not This Year, Then Maybe Next

September 3, 2022

There is an iciness about her that keeps others at a distance. Don’t tread on me. She occasionally looks up and eyes the gym with a cold stare…

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AJ don't get no respect

September 5, 2022

Joshua was intercepted before he entered the tunnel. Cooler heads prevailed. They convinced him to return to the ring. It seemed like a good idea at the time…

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Jesus Saracho Back on Track

September 19, 2022

The fight was an impressive victory for Saracho who seemed not the least bit winded or tired. He is ready to step up his game in the next fight...

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Sigmund Freud Talks Boxing

July 12, 2022

Daniel Garcia, a true Philly fighter, is a quiet modest man and is financially secure enough that he does not have to fight out of desperation to pay his bills…

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Slippery When Wet

July 27, 2022

Sweat drips from under his headgear, drips in rivulets down his cheeks and dribbles over his chin. His t-shirt is soaked and clings to his body...

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Silver Threads Among the Gold

August 8, 2022

Staying in a plush hotel with good food is a new experience, something exciting, something to tell the kids when he becomes an old man. “Every boy should box…”

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Buffalo Fights in the U.S.

August 21, 2022

Big guys at a boxing match always remind me of the Do Son buffalo fighting contests in Vietnam. Andy Ruiz (34-2-0) and Luis Ortiz (33-2-0) are two such buffalos…

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Pistol Packing Promoter

August 25, 2022

Grisham recalled Don King’s visit and thought it memorable. It wasn’t because he was black, rare though that was thereabouts, but because he had a gun…

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I'll See You in My Dreams

May 17, 2022

The best of today’s boxers are technical wizards. What many of them lack is guts. They are too careful with their opponents and too cautious in the fight...

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Cota Disgusted at Opponent Selection

May 21, 2022

Cota is what is called a reliable professional opponent, always puts up a good fight and, against top opponents, often loses. He never disappoints in the ring…

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Showtime Results

May 22, 2022

Benavidez spent time covering up on the ropes but it seemed he was just killing time to prolong the fight. Lemieux’s corner tossed in the towel in round 3…

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Daniel Boone in the Ring

June 5, 2022

He read “Somebody Up There Likes Me,” the story of Rocky Graziano, and then saw the movie starring Paul Newman. He was hooked. He wanted to box...

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The smaller they are, the harder they fall

June 12, 2022

Bigger is not always better. Bigger debts, bigger headaches, and bigger you name it are a few examples which question the bigger is better proposition…

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Don't Mess with Mike Tyson

April 22, 2022

The one-time “Baddest Man on the Planet” has tamed the beast, which took some doing, turning the ferocious man-eater into the pussycat we know today…

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The Fight Game Always Rings Twice

March 18, 2022

“Well, the Dempsey-Firpo fight lasted less than two rounds, didn’t it? It’s not how long it lasts. It’s what you do while you’re in there…”

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Battle of Bellevue

March 25, 2022

The bouts in Bellevue were first class and competitive and not the usual blather of mismatches usually found on such shows…

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Stuffing the Dynamite with Powder

April 23, 2022

Reynolds has been training at the new Moreno Gym in Auburn, Washington. The gym is a state-of-the-art facility featuring everything a boxer needs including housing…

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The Illustrated Man

May 4, 2022

The one-time “Baddest Man on the Planet” has tamed the beast, which took some doing, turning the ferocious man-eater into the pussycat we know today…

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Red Alert! Cruising with Canelo

November 18, 2021

Reynoso failed to mention that Showtime, PBC, and David Benavidez were thrown under the bus. But boxing turns the page like a speed-reader on meth...

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Waiting for Canelo

November 15, 2021

“Breadman" told Davis, “He (Benavidez) just shot his load this round a little bit.” But the uppercuts he landed at the start of the fifth suggested otherwise…

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Rock 'n' Roll: Crawford vs. Porter

November 20, 2021

Porter will get in his licks, and his elbows, head, and whatnot. He’s an expert at throwing opponents off their game. But Crawford is in a class of his own..

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Crawford Retires Shawn Porter

November 22, 2021

He may or may not be the greatest fighter alive, there’s a redhead down in Mexico who’s in the running, but Crawford’s boxing IQ is off the charts…

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Gessuri Brito—Episode 5—From Prospect to Opponent

March 15, 2022

Now, having been down twice in three fights including a knockout, is the career over? One thing is certain...

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Canelo Mows Down Plant

November 10, 2021

With the victory, Canelo has become the world’s first undisputed champion at super middleweight, as well as the first undisputed champion in Mexican history…

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A Championship Family

October 31, 2021

Boxers are constantly screwed. Chicanery in the game seems to be the normal. Jose Benavidez was not going to let that happen to his boys…

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It's Showtime: Benavidez vs. Davis

November 13, 2021

Former two-time WBC super middleweight champion David Benavidez returns to his birthplace to get it on with late replacement Kyrone Davis…

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A Draw as Good as a Win

November 14, 2021

Benavidez tried his best. He had to lose about 70 pounds of candy and chips for the fight. Hours spent watching “Days of our Lives” were difficult to shed…

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Toughest Man in the World

November 15, 2021

Benavidez brought nothing new to the fight. There is nothing new he can bring unless he grows another arm. He is a complete fighter…

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Manny Pacquiao for President

September 20, 2021

We haven’t seen the last of Manny Pacquiao. Hopefully he’ll achieve his political goals and save his country if not the world…

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Holyfield, Belfort, and Trump

September 10, 2021

He looks old. He looks slow. He looks unsteady. He looks like a great former champion who has no business fighting, even an 8-round exhibition with 2-minute rounds...

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Canelo Alvarez vs. Caleb Plant Preview

September 22, 2021

Having turned pro at the tender age of 15, he is now a seasoned veteran at 31 and a beautiful boxing creation, thanks in no small part to his trainer Eddy Reynoso…

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Holyfield Humbled, Wants Tyson Next

September 12, 2021

“For me to be able to compete with Holyfield is a dream.” The dream doesn’t stop there, however. Vitor Belfort has other plans…

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Merciless—Jose Benavidez Jr.

September 19, 2021

He has been accused of being lazy, combative, uninterested, unmotivated, and a general pain-in-the ass. He is all of that and much more…

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Gessuri Brito—Episode 4—Why Boxing?

August 15, 2021

Almost anyone can learn to box. Work is the difference between success and mediocrity; work and luck and things inside a person that cannot be taught...

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Scouting Report: Keon Papillion

July 23, 2021

“I got started in boxing through my dad,” he said. “I didn’t want to do it at first because he kind of forced me to do it at a young age. I quit to go play other sports...”

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I Believed Manny Pacquiao

August 27, 2021

The 17,000 fans at T-Mobile knew it. The millions watching at home knew it. Even Manny knew it, or so he said, or managed to not quite say in so few words...

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Sonny Liston Meets the Beatles

August 30, 2021

The Beatles wanted to meet heavyweight champion Sonny Liston, not “that loudmouth who’s going to lose,” in the words of John Lennon…

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COVID Kicks Oscar's Ass

September 3, 2021

He is 48. He hasn’t fought in a dozen years. He’s toyed with idea, both privately and publicly, as former champions do. But De La Hoya was serious...

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Sixteen Pounds of Punches

March 29, 2021

The decision for a young boxer to go pro is partially made for boxers in the United States. The law does not say how old he can be but how young he cannot be…

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Canelo vs. The Fans

March 24, 2021

Many of the best fighters are not champions and many champions are little more than contenders. Not being a champion may be a convenient excuse to avoid a fight…

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Whyte Stops Povetkin in Rematch

March 27, 2021

His punch resistance isn’t nearly where it should be; and like all older athletes, his physical reflexes are too slow to match what his mind recognizes needs to be done…

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The "Habanero Kid,"Luis Gallegos, Wins First Victory

May 10, 2021

The hand wraps feel good, just enough padding and tension. You are here to establish your dominance…

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Scouting Report: Floyd Schofield

May 30, 2021

“[I most enjoy] boxing on the inside,” Schofield said. “It's more fun for me. It makes my fights more entertaining, and (there’s) better action when I fight on the inside…”

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Jose Benavidez Sr.: Thank God for One More Day

March 10, 2021

“They didn’t have a childhood. I regret that now, because that wasn’t what I wanted, but I was just trying to make them better. I wanted them to be strong in life…”

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Estrada Wins Split Decision Over Gonzalez in Thrilling Rematch

March 13, 2021

Estrada vs. Gonzalez was a lot like any historically great, elite level fight between evenly matched fighters...

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Benavidez Punishes Game Ronald Ellis

March 15, 2021

“I want all the big guys, and as you can see, I love throwing punches and I love stopping people. Me against any of the big names would be a great fight…”

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Vergil Ortiz Stops Maurice Hooker in 7, Calls Out Crawford

March 21, 2021

It was just the type of fight Ortiz needed at this point in his career before he moves on to higher level opposition…

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Claressa Shields: First Boxer to Win Undisputed Titles in 2 Divisions

March 5, 2021

It was a tremendous performance by Shields, who at 25 years old, continues to improve fight after fight...

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Dirrell Fights Davis to a Split Draw

February 28, 2021

Davis started out well, light on his feet and moving laterally. At times he tried to initiate some rough stuff, but Dirrell isn't called "The Dog" for nothing...

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Turkey Shoot: Canelo Clobbers Yildirim

February 28, 2021

Yildirim must have had a game plan in mind going in. But whatever the game plan might have been, it was abandoned at the first hard shot Canelo landed...

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Big Freeze in Montana

March 3, 2021

One is always too cold to know how cold it is in Montana. Once the temperature drops to the level of tree limbs cracking in half, what difference does the cold make?

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Claressa Shields Makes Her Own Way

March 5, 2021

Claressa wants to challenge herself as a combat athlete, but the difference in how these sports treat their female athletes is the primary motivator…

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Jalapeño Popper—Episode 3—Debut

March 5, 2021

That first walk to the ring must feel like it takes forever. The crowd in Great Falls, Montana, was anxious for a fight, any kind of activity that would let them out of the house…

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David Benavidez, a Hawk Seeking a Meal

February 14, 2021

After Benavidez beat Dirrell he has been calling out Caleb Plant. Plant has responded with a tweet-full of excuses. “He acts like a woman on twitter,” said Benavidez…

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Adrien Broner, Falling in Love Again

February 19, 2021

Since love is war and love is blind and love is a four-letter word and a losing game, Broner professing his newfound love almost makes a weird kind of sense…

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Catch and Counter with Caryn: Berchelt vs. Valdez

February 19, 2021

It’s a highly anticipated bout, coming at a particularly opportune time for boxing fans—there has been a lull in the sport in recent months as far as high profile fights go…

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Oscar Valdez KOs Miguel Berchelt

February 20, 2021

Valdez showed a whole other layer of his skills tonight. He boxed beautifully, utilizing angles, feints, showing different looks, and showing incredible intelligence in the ring…

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Uninspired Broner Outpoints Santiago

February 21, 2021

“Broner did a nice job in there. The decision could have gone both ways. He fought a great fight. We were in it to win this fight and he got the decision…"

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Commey Stops Marinez in Six

February 13, 2021

He looked great tonight. Marinez didn’t come to lose, but he just wasn’t able to hang with Commey, a strong fighter who packs a punch and has good fundamentals…

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Ten-Count for Leon Spinks

February 7, 2021

Former undisputed heavyweight champion Leon Spinks, the one-time Olympic gold medalist, started Muhammad Ali on his long goodbye on February 15, 1978...

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One Chocolate Malt, Please

February 4, 2021

Brito stayed in Washington. With David Benavidez, Abraham Martinez, and Jose Valenzuela training in Big Bear for future fights the gym here feels fairly empty…

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Plant Puts on Clinic Against Game Caleb Truax

January 30, 2021

The angles Plant used were absolutely beautiful—he nearly always ensured he could get off with whatever he wanted while keeping Truax from letting his hands go …

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Do Not Go Gently

February 5, 2021

He has always been an in-your-face kind of fighter, a non-stop banger exciting to watch. He will exhaust an opponent by walking him down. He also hits very hard...