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)

By Eric Silverstadt 

Artie Curry died suddenly yesterday, seven weeks after his 49th birthday. In the boxing world, his official duties were: “Director of Boxing Talent Relations” at HBO Sports. To me, it was a quasi-title that underplayed his role in boxing and in life itself. Artie was the liaison between the network and the boxers, but Artie could have been a liaison for any number of causes that involved humans outside of the ring. “La Bete Humaine” as Malraux wrote in the 1930’s, the human condition was what Artie Curry knew best. Read on »

(Photo by Holger Keifel)