THE TIBBS LEGACY PART 1 - JIMMY TIBBS
By Paul ZanonJimmy Tibbs - Photo courtesy of Nicola Collins“I was helping my dad’s mate out to put a fence up in Stratford. All of a sudden one of my best mates pulled up in his car and said, ‘Jim,...
"So we leave this game which was hard and cruel. And down at the show on a ringside stool. We’ll watch the next man, just one more fool." Randolph Turpin When you mention Randy Turpin in conversati...
By Paul Zanon “He fought like a Tiger. He just tore into anyone. People loved that.” Harry CarpenterMurder or suicide? These are often the first questions people mention when Freddie Mills comes up...
By Paul ZanonHe turned professional at 14 years of age, was world champion by 20 and lived a furious life inside and out of the ring. Ladies and gentlemen, I present you Judah Bergman. You perhaps ...
MARCEL CERDAN - 'LE BOMBARDIER MAROCAIN'
By Paul Zanon“48 DIE IN BLAZING FRENCH AIR-LINERMOUNTAIN CRASH IN THE AZORESGINETTE NEVEU AND MARCEL CERDAN AMONG THE VICTIMS”The Guardian, London, 29 October 1949People spend far too much time tal...
By Paul ZanonI never stole nuttin unless it began with an ‘A.’ A truck, a car, a payroll, a bicycle, a watch. Anything.’Thomas Rocco Barbella. Sound familiar? You probably know him as Rocky Grazian...
By Paul Zanon “Prizefighting ain’t the noblest of arts and I ain’t the noblest artist.”Harry GrebFrom welterweight to heavyweight, the 5ft 8inch orthodox Pennsylvanian was a ferociously fearless fi...
ALL STARS GYM - THE SPIRITUAL HOME OF BOXING
By Paul Zanon / Interview with Jamal Akay“All Stars is not like a gym that you just come in, train and walk out. There’s a lot of structure using African discipline where you have to have respect f...
By Paul Zanon“As a West Side kid fooling around with boxing gloves, I had been, for some reason of temperament, more interested in dodging a blow than in striking one.”Gene Tunney James Joseph Euge...
HENRY COOPER Blog Competition Co-Winner - Ewan Breeze
Authored by Ewan Breeze It would be easy to walk past “Elias and Co” estate agents on the corner of Ealing Road and Wembley High Road without giving it a second look. It’s an ordinary estate agent ...
HENRY COOPER Blog Competition Co-Winner - David Payne
Authored by David PayneTwo minutes into the opening round of Henry Cooper's first fight with Muhammad Ali, then Cassius Clay, the proud Englishman snorts hard and draws deeply, he is beyond Clay's ...
By Paul Zanon“Joe Louis is a credit to his race – the human race.”Jimmy Cannon, JournalistTwenty six consecutive heavyweight world title defences. Let that sink in. The record set by Joseph Louis B...
THE TYLORSTOWN TERROR - The Jimmy Wilde Story
By Paul Zanon “Wilde’s strength and his hitting power, considering his size and weight, were simply amazing. He was a highly skilled boxer and the power of his punches was almost magical,” The Rin...