By Thomas Hauser: Sugar Ray Robinson’s knockout victory over Jake LaMotta captured the imagination of America. Baseball and boxing were the country’s two national sports. Robinson had now entered the ring for 124 fights, losing once. This was his fifth victory over the man who’d defeated him. And thanks to television, thirty million people had witnessed him in his prime. He was handsome, telegenic, and lethal.

By Clive Bernath: One would have to think back a good few years in order to relive the last exciting and entertaining match-up in the heavyweight division. In this writer’s opinion the last time an exciting and evenly contested match-up took place was on June 26, 2003 when Lennox Lewis defeated Vitali Klitschko via six round tko.

By Thomas Hauser: Sugar Ray Robinson is the gold standard against which all fighters are judged. “He had everything,” legendary trainer Eddie Futch said after Robinson died. “Boxing skills, punching power, a great chin, mental strength. There was nothing he couldn’t do. He knew almost everything there was to know about how to box. When Ray was in his prime, he owned the ring like no fighter before or since.”

Budd Schulberg died this week at the age of 95. To honor his memory, Secondsout is re-posting Thomas Hauser’s profile of this remarkable man. The profile first appeared on January 3, 2005.

By Matthew Hurley: The stunning news that junior middleweight champion Vernon Forrest had been shot and killed Saturday night during an apparent car jacking left an already dazed and confused boxing community collectively looking up to the heavens and asking, “Why?” The month of July in 2009 will long be remembered as one of the most tragic months in the history of boxing.

By Thomas Hauser: Jessica won my heart completely, totally, and without reservation when she was three years old. I was forty-two at the time. My brother, Jim, had come east from Oregon, where he lived with his wife and daughters (Cathy and Jessica). They were visiting my parents, who lived in the suburbs of New York. Cathy was seven and too sophisticated for the game that Jessica and I were playing.

By Thomas Hauser: Like most boxing writers, I receive an endless stream of press releases. Recently, one caught my eye. It was for a celebrity boxing event to be held in Pennsylvania on July 24th.

By Matthew Hurley: There isn’t much I can say about Alexis Arguello’s ring accomplishments that haven’t already been articulated in much better prose than I am capable of. He was simply a magnificent fighting machine. A technician who studied his opponent until he noticed a weakness and then exploited it, usually with a laser beam of a right cross.

By Thomas Hauser: On June 27th, HBO televised what was supposed to be Victor Ortiz’s coronation as the WBA “interim junior-welterweight champion of the world.” The 22-year-old Ortiz has been groomed for stardom and still might make it there someday. But at a point in his career when the competition should have been stepped up to harden him for a championship run, he was put in soft.

By Matthew Hurley: For a little over five rounds Victor Ortiz and Marcos Maidana put on a fireworks display in front of a raucous crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. After five knockdowns and concussive back and forth action the young rising star with the Dickensian back story told the ringside physician that he’d had enough and Maidana walked away with a sixth round technical knockout and the interim WBA super lightweight championship belt.

By Thomas Hauser: Barney Frank has been in Congress since 1981 and is chairman of the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. That makes him one of the most powerful people in government. His career is also notable because, in 1987, he was only the second member of Congress to openly acknowledge being gay. What does Barney Frank have to do with boxing?

By Thomas Hauser: A lot of people liked Arthur Curry. Almost everyone else loved him. Artie’s mind was filled with wonderful thoughts and his feelings were founded on love. He was about giving. He enjoyed doing things for people and took care to never hurt anyone. He was a man of integrity who radiated truth. He spoke his mind and didn’t hide his feelings. “Being real,” he called it. But he was always kind.

By Matthew Hurley: The news that Israel Vazquez was cleared to fight by the California State Athletic Commission after undergoing surgery for a detached retina came as a relief. After his epic third fight with Rafael Marquez, both fighters were riding a wave of public and media adulation. Their trilogy, with Marquez taking fight one, RTD 7 and Vazquez taking fights two and three, TKO 6, W 12, ranks among the great fistic three fight series in the history of boxing.

By Jason Pribila: Due to some scheduling conflicts and a battle with the worst cold I’ve experienced since the “Blizzard of ‘94”, I have been away from live boxing and more importantly my laptop for too long. Fortunately, fellow boxing scribes have kept me entertained by reporting the buzz that will shape the sport’s second half of 2009.

By Thomas Hauser: HBO is the dominant player in boxing today. It wasn’t always that way. In the mid-1980s, the broadcast television networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) ruled the ring. The man most responsible for upending that hierarchy was Seth Abraham, the architect of HBO’s boxing program.

By Thomas Hauser: On May 2nd, Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton engaged in battle for the right to be called boxing’s “pound-for-pound” champion. Pacquiao and Hatton have aggressive relentless ring styles. They are two of the most exciting fighters in the world. Each man has stayed close to his roots, geographically and in terms of character. Both have special meaning to their constituents. No two fighters are more loved in their native lands.

By John Lumpkin: Last Saturday night, Manny Pacquiao, the consensus pound for pound champion, obliterated Ricky Hatton. Going into the fight, most of us were at least somewhat uncertain as to what the outcome would be. It was not an easy fight to pick because there was such a disparity in relative weights which these two fighters spent the bulk of their career and there was every possibility that Pacquiao was reaching too high up the scale.

By Matthew Hurley: Even those of us who anticipated an eventual beat down of Ricky Hatton by Manny Pacquiao never truly anticipated a complete blowout of the junior welterweight champion. Once again the ‘Pac Man’ not only proved his greatness as a fighter but also elevated his stature among the all time great fighters.

By Thomas Hauser: This is the first in a series of articles that will appear over time. Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought three fights that are the pyramids of boxing. Dave Wolf was in the Frazier camp for each of them. Dave was a gifted writer who later gained recognition as the manager of Ray Mancini and Donny Lalonde. He died last December.

By John Lumpkin: Being the pound for pound best in the world does not necessarily translate to being able to beat anyone at any weight. It is simply the recognition of capability relative to weight, so this does not mean that Pacquiao should be favored to win.

By Matthew Hurley: “To be a champion requires total commitment of mind and body. There is no second place when they call you a champ. It’s because you don’t lose.” - Rocky Marciano -

By Matthew Hurley: “It’s always better to win as the underdog.” So says Ricky Hatton as he winds down preparations for his May 2nd mega-fight with current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao. Hatton’s easy charm has been tested in the buildup to this fight as Pacquiao’s ascension to superstar status in the aftermath of his December destruction of Oscar De La Hoya has reduced ‘The Hitman’ to the B-side of this number one record. But in that vein Hatton remains one helluva B-side.

By Clive Bernath: Nobody can accuse British fighters David Haye and Carl Froch of failing to publicise their respective upcoming world title fights or lacking in self confidence.

By Thomas Hauser: Danny Jacobs is being groomed for stardom. Outside the ring, Jacobs is easy-going with a natural, almost disarming, quality about him. He likes to talk. “And I love to cook,” he offers. “Chicken, pasta, different sauces. Bread pudding is my favorite. I make it well.” He’s also a talented young fighter, who says without false modesty, “I’m capable of being the best in the world. I can make a big mark in this game.”

By Matthew Hurley: When Manny Pacquiao forced Oscar De La Hoya to retire on his stool after eight ridiculously one-sided rounds the vast majority of people who had picked against the ‘Pac Man’ that night sat up, blinked and began comparing the Filipino whirlwind to all time greats like Henry Armstrong.

By Thomas Hauser: There was a time when New York City was a breeding ground for elite fighters. Those days are long gone, but prospects still surface in the Big Apple. Will Rosinsky is one of them.

By Matthew Hurley: When I sat down this past Friday night to watch a come-backing Samuel Peter take on rising contender Eddie Chambers I didn’t know quite what to expect.

By Thomas Hauser: In the past, I’ve recounted the memories of boxing notables who spoke fondly of their greatest moment in a sport other than boxing. Since then, I’ve received several emails asking what my own “moment in the sun” was. Here goes:

In September 2001, Roy Jones Jr was the undisputed light heavyweight boxing champion of the world, holding the WBC/WBA/IBF/IBO world titles. SecondsOut’s Paul Upham sat down and spoke to Jones about Bernard Hopkins’ then recent win over Felix Trinidad to become the undisputed middleweight champion of the world and the chances of Jones Jr and Hopkins meeting in a rematch.

By Thomas Hauser: In the past, I’ve recounted the memories of fighters who spoke fondly of their greatest moment in a sport other than boxing. The recollections of some notable non-combatants follow:

By Matthew Hurley: He’s brash, he’s exciting to watch and now that he’s entered the heavyweight ranks he’s potentially vulnerable. That vulnerability coupled with his hard-hitting, take-no-prisoners style has made David ‘The Hayemaker’ Haye a welcome addition to a division desperate for someone to shake things up.

By Thomas Hauser

Don’t get carried away by the title of this article. It would be a stretch to liken Bob Arum to Gary Cooper in High Noon. But in recent weeks, there has been talk of a new economic model in boxing. And Arum, in tandem with Todd DuBoef (his stepson and the president of Top Rank) might be charting a path out of the wilderness that the sweet science has wandered through in recent years.

By Clive Bernath: Chris Finnegan, the former British, European and Commonwealth light-heavyweight champion, has died at the age of 64. His death comes just four months after his younger brother Kevin was found dead at his Hillingdon home.

By Matthew Hurley: After losing a split decision to Manny Pacquiao in a spirited rematch of their 2004 draw Juan Manuel Marquez was understandably livid. Once again the master boxer proved a near unsolvable puzzle for the Filipino whirlwind.

By Thomas Hauser

One night next month, moments before the opening bell, ring announcer David Diamante will take the microphone for one of the many fight cards he works in the New York metropolitan area. Diamante is tall and slender with a gaunt face, aquiline nose, and piercing blue eyes. His voice is a gift and he uses it well.

By Clive Bernath

Joe Calzaghe’s decision to retire undefeated was as much a surprise as it was expected. In terms of the expected the Welsh boxing hero hinted many times following his win over Roy Jones Jr last November that retirement was a real possibility.

By Matthew Hurley

In light of the recent controversy surrounding the hand wraps of Antonio Margarito and whether or not chief cornerman Javier Capetillo applied a “plaster-like” substance to the wraps before Shane Mosley’s trainer Naazim Richardson demanded they be rewrapped, subsequently discovering the apparent transgression, thoughts of many turned to a shameful boxing night in a packed Madison Square Garden back in 1983.

By Thomas Hauser

A fighter sacrifices. He tortures his body; he hardens his mind. And all the while, he’s surrounded by people, some of whom give him their heart and soul while others view him as prey. Depending on those associations, the business of boxing can be profitable for a fighter or worse than any physical beating that he suffers. John Duddy is learning that hard lesson now.

By Jason Pribila: In June of 2000, I found myself at an engagement party for a couple that never quite made it to the altar. What made the day memorable was that I convinced the not-to-be bride’s father to allow me to purchase that evening’s Pay Per View between Oscar De La Hoya and “Sugar” Shane Mosley.

By Thomas Hauser

Hi. It’s me again.

Yeah; I figured that would make you happy.

Anyway; HBO seems to be struggling with its boxing programming. Your ratings for boxing last year looked like polls tracking the national approval rating for George Bush’s handling of the economy. So I thought I’d pass along a few thoughts.

By Matthew Hurley

When last we saw Shane Mosley he was capping off a sloppy fight against unorthodox Ricardo Mayorga with a wicked last ditch assault that saw him knock out the wild swinging Nicaraguan with a vicious left hook at the one second mark of the final round.

By John Lumpkin

There have been a lot of criticisms about the various boxing organizations that provide championships and rankings, so much so that many boxing publications and television stations have been promoting the idea that we ignore these organizations.

By Thomas Hauser

I’ve lost a good friend. Dave Wolf died in his sleep last night.

When I say “good friend,” I mean it.

By Thomas Hauser

One of the joys in covering a big fight is that I never know what “extras” fight night will bring. Earlier this year, I was in the press room at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City readying for Kelly Pavlik vs. Bernard Hopkins when Joe Frazier came in.

By John Lumpkin: There have been several articles floating around criticizing Oscar De La Hoya’s recent escapades; describing him as an “Event Fighter” in reference to his rather sporadic schedule. It is an accurate criticism, but somewhat unfair because boxing today is an event sport.

By Thomas Hauser

It’s hard to know how future generations will evaluate Oscar De La Hoya.

Oscar is more than a name. He was once a very good fighter, but that time has come and gone. He has lost four of his last seven fights. One can argue that he hasn’t beaten an elite opponent since a split-decision victory over Ike Quartey on February 13, 1999.

By John Lumpkin

Whenever an organization loses its leader, there is always doubt amongst the public as to whether or not the organization will regain its stature.

By Matthew Hurley

There was a dichotomy at play when Wladimir Klitschko pounded out an impressive victory over perennial contender and former heavyweight boxing champion Hasim Rahman. At first glance, Dr Steelhammer’s many detractors had to nod in approval at the systematic way the hulking Ukrainian went about his business.

By Thomas Hauser

Each year during the holiday season, I publish a “top forty” list of what I consider to be the best books on boxing. That list, updated to accommodate recently published titles, follows. Some of these books are now out of print. But with the proliferation of online services like Abebooks.com and Amazon.com, all of them can be found.

By James ‘Smitty’ Smith

The purpose of this column is to call out ‘Pretty Boy’ Floyd Mayweather Jr from his sabbatical and do what he knows and does best.