Regarding Thomas Hauser's Role With HBO, and TSS

Published

13 years ago

March 7, 2012

Thomas-Hauser---Schatz-photo-NEW photo by Howard Schatz

Any real boxing fan who has even a slight familiarity with modern-day boxing journalism knows that Thomas Hauser, the esteemed Ali chronicler and HBO gadfly, took a job with HBO, as a consultant.

On February 29, Hauser, who has written for TSS since December 2010, and who I am friendly with, wrote me this email:

As of this week, I’ve undertaken a new role. I’ve agreed to serve as a consultant to HBO Sports. I will have no decision-making authority at HBO. I’m not authorized to represent the network to third parties in business matters. I’ll continue to write about boxing for various websites and print publications. To the extent that my by-line appears less frequently this year than it has in the past, it will be because I’m currently engaged in the time-consuming task of writing a novel about Charles Dickens. I’m grateful to the leadership at HBO Sports for giving me this opportunity.

One of my first thoughts was: This is like Bob Woodward taking a job in the Nixon administration. The more I pondered, and I did ponder, and am still pondering, because I always question what I do, and my role, and my behavior, and my ethics and boundaries, and the ethics and boundaries found in fightwriting and journalism in general, I dismissed that analogy. Bob Woodward yes, Nixon administration, no. I don't think that's fair to the current administration at HBO, and maybe even the past one, led by Ross Greenburg, of whom Hauser was no fan.

I never gave more than a half second thought to telling Hauser that I'd rather he no longer contribute to TSS. Even when the pundits, and fellow members of the fraternity weighed in, many harshly, I didn't reconsider. Mainly because I acknowledge that everyone who does this for a living has conflicts. Everyone. And if they choose not to acknowledge that, then that's on them. Was part of me disappointed that Hauser will now not be in a position to publicly dissect the most powerful organization in the sport? Absolutely. That's a huge loss. The contacts he had in HBO, who could and would share with him details of the sausage-making enterprise, the passion and intensity and skill he exhibited in his critiques, his lobbying on behalf of fans who simply want to watch the best fight the best…Hauser's jump to HBO leaves a gaping void in our game which cannot be understated and will not be filled. Boxing got lucky when Hauser chose to apply his talents to our sport. His tenacity and skill as an investigative reporter are unmatched in the boxing realm, and I suspect could be applied to the same effect in any sphere.

But the man is allowed to follow his own path. And I'm certain that the same traits and desires which were evident in his annual critiques will be applied, just in a different way, and sadly, not for our consumption. Hauser, I think, will still lobby for what is best, what is right, but he will do so sitting across from the decision makers, instead of through the keyboard.

In an attempt to clarify what I think about this development, and also how Tom sees the arrangement, and his place in the fightwriter fraternity, and in the journalism world, I offer this question and answer back and forth I did with Tom.

Q) When you told me that you were taking a job at HBO, one of my first thoughts was: This is like Bob Woodward taking a job in the Nixon administration. Is that a poor analogy?

A) As you said in a phone call, Nixon has left the White House. I've always had a great deal of respect for the many things that HBO does well and I've maintained friendships with a number of people at HBO Sports. I’ve been a “talking head” on several HBO Sports documentaries and written numerous articles for the HBO Sports website. I think my appointment speaks to HBO’s commitment to give its subscribers the best programming possible and to remain a positive force in boxing in the years ahead. It's a signal to the boxing community that HBO Sports is willing to listen to constructive criticism and is open to new ideas.

Q) I tend to think that just about no one is free from conflicts of interest when they work most any journalistic beat, so I try to be quite judicious when I sling arrows in this arena. But some folks, some of whom themselves have to negotiate conflicts of interest from various masters they serve, were not shy about slinging arrows at you. And part of me gets that; many of us have looked to you over the years as the Seymour Hersh of the fightwriter set. Your reporting on the inner workings at HBO, for me, was something I looked forward to every holiday season like I do the Grinch cartoon. You held them to a high standard, and you set a high standard of behavior. Did you think long and hard about accepting this HBO gig, because you are seen as the ombudsman of the sport?

A) I'd much rather be part of a team and help the team get things right than criticize after the fact.

Q) Usually you write about the fighters and the suits and such. A bunch of columns have come out touching on your news. Any assertions, or contentions, or accusations that you want to address? Did all the writers get it right, or do you want to use this forum to offer a correction or clarification?

A) Some of the columns were responsibly written and raised concerns that were honestly felt. Others were wildly inaccurate and silly —
[John, Chapter 8, Verse 7]: “He that is without sin among you, let him cast the first stone.”

Q) If I may read between the lines. My perception is that you mainly took issue with how Ross Greenburg ran the show at HBO. I understand Ken Hershman hired you. He's had a good track record at Showtime, and so far so good, I guess, at HBO. But what if you perceive him to be going off the rails? Would you write about that, for TSS, or some other publication? How would you handle that?

A) I certainly plan to write about fights that are on HBO and other networks and also about other matters of interest to the boxing community. Readers can make their own judgment regarding the credibility of what I write, knowing that I'm a consultant to HBO Sports. In the past, I wrote one or two lengthy investigative reports about HBO each year. I don't think that's consistent with my new role, and I won't do it. If other journalists feel that my becoming a consultant to HBO Sports has created a void, then they should fill it.

Q) Can you touch on your role with the BWAA, as one of the stories focused on that?

A) I resigned today (Tuesday) as chairman of the six-person BWAA membership committee. One of the other committee members will assume that role.

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Michael Woods

Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welter Week in SoCal

Published

15 hours ago

April 18, 2025

David A. Avila

Avila-Perspective-Chap-322-Super-Welter-Week-in-SoCal

Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.

One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.

Take your pick.

The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.

Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.

Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.

If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.

He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.

During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.

Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.

Fundora

Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.

Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.

Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.

Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.

Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?

When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.

This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.

Commerce Casino

Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.

Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.

It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.

Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?

That’s a question for another day.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).

Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).

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TSS Salutes Thomas Hauser and his Bernie Award Cohorts

Published

3 days ago

April 16, 2025

TSS Press

TSS-Salutes-Thomas-Hauser-and-his-Bernie-Award-Cohorts

The Boxing Writers Association of America has announced the winners of its annual Bernie Awards competition. The awards, named in honor of former five-time BWAA president and frequent TSS contributor Bernard Fernandez, recognize outstanding writing in six categories as represented by stories published the previous year.

Over the years, this venerable website has produced a host of Bernie Award winners. In 2024, Thomas Hauser kept the tradition alive. A story by Hauser that appeared in these pages finished first in the category “Boxing News Story.” Titled “Ryan Garcia and the New York State Athletic Commission,” the story was published on June 23. You can read it HERE.

Hauser also finished first in the category of “Investigative Reporting” for “The Death of Ardi Ndembo,” a story that ran in the (London) Guardian. (Note: Hauser has owned this category. This is his 11^th first place finish for “Investigative Reporting”.)

Thomas Hauser, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame with the class of 2019, was honored at last year’s BWAA awards dinner with the A.J. Leibling Award for Outstanding Boxing Writing. The list of previous winners includes such noted authors as W.C. Heinz, Budd Schulberg, Pete Hamill, and George Plimpton, to name just a few.

The Leibling Award is now issued intermittently. The most recent honorees prior to Hauser were Joyce Carol Oates (2015) and Randy Roberts (2019).

Roberts, a Distinguished Professor of History at Purdue University, was tabbed to write the Hauser/Leibling Award story for the glossy magazine for BWAA members published in conjunction with the organization’s annual banquet. Regarding Hauser’s most well-known book, his Muhammad Ali biography, Roberts wrote, “It is nearly impossible to overestimate the importance of the book to our understanding of Ali and his times.” An earlier book by Hauser, “The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing,” garnered this accolade: “Anyone who wants to understand boxing today should begin by reading ‘The Black Lights’.”

A panel of six judges determined the Bernie Award winners for stories published in 2024. The stories they evaluated were stripped of their bylines and other identifying marks including the publication or website for which the story was written.

Other winners:

Boxing Event Coverage: Tris Dixon

Boxing Column: Kieran Mulvaney

Boxing Feature (Over 1,500 Words): Lance Pugmire

Boxing Feature (Under 1,500 Words): Chris Mannix

The Dixon, Mulvaney, and Pugmire stories appeared in Boxing Scene; the Mannix story in Sports Illustrated.

The Bernie Award recipients will be honored at the forthcoming BWAA dinner on April 30 at the Edison Ballroom in the heart of Times Square. (For more information, visit the BWAA website). Two days after the dinner, an historic boxing tripleheader will be held in Times Square, the logistics of which should be quite interesting. Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez share top billing.

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Mekhrubon Sanginov, whose Heroism Nearly Proved Fatal, Returns on Saturday

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2025

Arne K. Lang

Mekhrubon-Sanginov-whose-Heroism-Nearly-Proved-Fatal-Returns-on-Saturday

To say that Mekhrubon Sanginov is excited to resume his boxing career would be a great understatement. Sanginov, ranked #9 by the WBA at 154 pounds before his hiatus, last fought on July 8, 2022.

He was in great form before his extended leave, having scored four straight fast knockouts, advancing his record to 13-0-1. Had he remained in Las Vegas, where he had settled after his fifth pro fight, his career may have continued on an upward trajectory, but a trip to his hometown of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, turned everything haywire. A run-in with a knife-wielding bully nearly cost him his life, stalling his career for nearly three full years.

Sanginov was exiting a restaurant in Dushanbe when he saw a man, plainly intoxicated, harassing another man, an innocent bystander. Mekhrubon intervened and was stabbed several times with a long knife. One of the puncture wounds came perilously close to puncturing his heart.

“After he stabbed me, I ran after him and hit him and caught him to hold for the police,” recollects Sanginov. “There was a lot of confusion when the police arrived. At first, the police were not certain what had happened.

“By the time I got to the hospital, I had lost two liters of blood, or so I was told. After I was patched up, one of the surgeons said to me, ‘Give thanks to God because he gave you a second life.’ It is like I was born a second time.”

“I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It could have happened in any city,” he adds. (A story about the incident on another boxing site elicited this comment from a reader: “Good man right there. World would be a better place if more folk were willing to step up when it counts.”)

Sanginov first laced on a pair of gloves at age 10 and was purportedly 105-14 as an amateur. Growing up, the boxer he most admired was Roberto Duran. “Muhammad Ali will always be the greatest and [Marvin] Hagler was great too, but Duran was always my favorite,” he says.

During his absence from the ring, Sanginov married a girl from Tajikistan and became a father. His son Makhmud was born in Las Vegas and has dual citizenship. “Ideally,” he says, “I would like to have three more children. Two more boys and the last one a daughter.”

He also put on a great deal of weight. When he returned to the gym, his trainer Bones Adams was looking at a cruiserweight. But gradually the weight came off – “I had to give up one of my hobbies; I love to eat,” he says – and he will be resuming his career at 154. “Although I am the same weight as before, I feel stronger now. Before I was more of a boy, now I am a full-grown man,” says Sanginov who turned 29 in February.

He has a lot of rust to shed. Because of all those early knockouts, he has answered the bell for only eight rounds in the last four years. Concordantly, his comeback fight on Saturday could be described as a soft re-awakening. Sanginov’s opponent Mahonri Montes, an 18-year pro from Mexico, has a decent record (36-10-2, 25 KOs) but has been relatively inactive and is only 1-3-1 in his last five. Their match at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California, is slated for eight rounds.

On May 10, Ardreal Holmes (17-0) faces Erickson Lubin (26-2) on a ProBox card in Kissimmee, Florida. It’s an IBF super welterweight title eliminator, meaning that the winner (in theory) will proceed directly to a world title fight.

Sanginov will be watching closely. He and Holmes were scheduled to meet in March of 2022 in the main event of a ShoBox card on Showtime. That match fell out when Sanginov suffered an ankle injury in sparring.

If not for a twist of fate, that may have been Mekhrubon Sanginov in that IBF eliminator, rather than Ardreal Holmes. We will never know, but one thing we do know is that Mekhrubon’s world title aspirations were too strong to be ruined by a knife-wielding bully.

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