Steve Farhood
Boxing Analyst for Showtime and former Editor-in-Chief of The Ring magazine
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Steve Farhood
“Mike Silver is the go-to guy when boxing historians need information. His eye-opening book argues strongly that boxing ain’t what it used to be. Argue back if you want, but not before considering his opinions and the facts. A must-read for all fight fans, especially the young ones who think the sport started with Mike Tyson.” (from Amazon)
Are today's boxers better than their predecessors, or is modern boxing a shadow of its former self? Boxing historians discuss the socioeconomic and demographic changes that have affected the quality, prominence and popularity of the sport over the past century. Among the interviewees are world-renowned scholars, some of the sport's premier trainers, and former amateur and professional world champions. Chapters cover such topics as the ongoing deterioration of boxers' skills, their endurance, the decline in the number of fights and the psychological readiness of championship-caliber boxers. The strengths and weaknesses of today's superstars are analyzed and compared to those of such past greats as Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Jack Dempsey and Jake LaMotta.