Former Light Middleweight champion and current Middleweight contender Peter Manfredo Jr. stopped by Howard Schatz’s studio for his photo/boxing book project. Howard is pleased to share with you these great photos of “The Pride of Providence.” See gallery here »

A NIGHT OF STARS »

Top: Walker Award for “Long and Meritorious service” winner, Steve Farhood and Lamar Clark of ROUND1. Center: Jo-Emma Lavin and Joe Calzaghe, honored as Best Manager. Bottom: Freddie Roach (Named Year’s Top Trainer), Manny Pacquiao (Fighter of Year 2008) and Bob Arum.

© Marty Rosengarten/RingsidePhotos.com

IN TRIBUTE: Excerpt from ‘Lords of the Ring’ by Steve Farhood (ROUND1 Winter ‘07)

Unlike Ali, Alexis Arguello didn’t challenge our preconceived notions about champions. Instead, he embodied what a champion had always been. What separated Arguello from even his most accomplished colleagues was his class and consistency. The Nicaraguan viewed boxing as his profession and conducted himself like a world-class surgeon. There were smoother fighters and plenty of faster ones, but from late 1974 through 1982, Arguello won championships at three weights and compiled a title fight record of 18-0.

What illustrated Arguello’s character more than anything else was a choice he made in 1982. Having won world titles at featherweight, junior lightweight, and lightweight, Arguello attempted to become the first fighter in history to win championships in four different divisions. Rising yet again in weight, he opted to challenge undefeated superstar Aaron Pryor instead of the weaker titlist. “I wouldn’t have proved much if I had beaten one of the easier champions,” he told me in 1986. Arguello’s back-to-back losses to Pryor were thrilling battles that will live in boxing fans’ minds forever. The lesson he taught us? Being a champion is not only about winning.

Full article here »

More MS. JULY, JESSICA here »

© Marty Rosengarten/RingsidePhotos.com

Esteemed trainer/manager and HBO commentator Emanuel Steward stopped by Howard Schatz’s studio last week for his photo/boxing book project. Howard is pleased to share with you this portrait of the man with the “golden touch.” See Howard’s galleries here » 

© Howard Schatz for Sports Illustrated (6/13/09)

Welcome to “Gloves Off”, where you will read only the truth about boxing here. At least the truth the way I see it and more importantly, the way I hear it from the boxers, the sport’s shotcallers, boxing insiders who go on record and the occasional paying fan who in his own way supports the financial purses at both the big PPV events and the local club scene. Any press release passing as an interview will be duly noted. Any boxing writer, website, or fans’ outpost will be called out for praise or as is sadly often the case, stretching the truth in lieu of THE TRUTH. I spent two years working with Joe Pistone, the real life “Donnie Brasco”, portrayed by Johnny Depp in the film. There I learned the truth has three sides: yours, mine, and the ABSOLUTE TRUTH (and the truth about “Donnie Brasco” was that Al Pacino’s character, Benjamin “Lefty Guns” Ruggerio may have been “whacked” in the film, but was healthy enough in real life to attend the film’s premiere in February, 1997.) Read more »

(Photo: REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

Part 1 »

» The Undercard: Tales From The Fight Game