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Literary Notes: Jerry Izenberg and More (Book Reviews by Thomas Hauser)
Literary Notes: Jerry Izenberg and More (Book Reviews by Thomas Hauser)
Long after he retired from baseball, Ted Williams (possibly the greatest hitter who ever lived) was stopped by a security guard and asked for identification as he entered Fenway Park in Boston. Williams (the story goes) responded disdainfully, “I may be old. And I may be fat. But I’m still Ted Williams.”
Jerry Izenberg (the dean of American sportswiters) will be 92 in September. He may be old. His legs might not carry him around the playing fields as surely as they once did. But he’s still Jerry Izenberg. And he can still write. Baseball, Nazis & Nedick’s Hot Dogs: Growing Up Jewish in the 1930s in Newark (published by The Sager Group) is his latest book.
Izenberg’s father was born in Lithuania and came to the United States at age seven. Baseball was his first real connection to America. “I became an American the first time I hit a baseball,” Harry Izenberg later reminisced. He dropped out of school in fourth grade after his father died and economic necessity required that he get a job. Later, he played minor league baseball before finding work in a dye factory.
When Jerry married, his father’s wedding gift to him and his bride was an American flag.
Jerry inherited his father’s passion for baseball. Harry Izenberg was an avid New York Giants fan. Detroit Tigers slugger Hank Greenberg (mixed metaphor coming up) was a patron saint in the Izenberg home, as he was for many Jewish fans. But Jerry didn’t inherit his father’s athletic genes. He was a lousy baseball player as a kid and didn’t improve with age.
He was also a “problem child,” both in and out of school. Money was scarce but Harry and Sadye Izenberg felt that a change in direction was necessary to save their son. With the help of an aunt, they pieced together the funds to send Jerry to a four-year military academy in Virginia.
“This is not a punishment or a test,” Jerry’s father told him. “It’s simply what you make of it. You need to understand the way life works. You can’t even think of breaking the rules until you understand what the rules are. You can’t do things only because you want to do them. It’s time you learned how to be responsible. It won’t be easy but you need to do it.”
Jerry had been Bar Mitzvahed at age thirteen, but religion was never at the core of his life. “My father,” he notes, “defended his religion more than he practiced it.” So yes, Jerry knew that his father’s family had left Eastern Europe to escape the threat of pogroms. He knew about Hitler, although the full horror of The Holocaust had yet to be revealed.
At the military academy, anti-semitism was a reality. Not deadly but akin to a hundred tiny paper cuts. At one point, Jerry was struggling with his studies and asked the commandant if he could have an extra hour after “lights out” to work on his homework.
“Why is it the Jewish boys always want an extra piece of pie?” the commandant responded.
Military academy was followed by college at Rutgers-Newark. Jerry began writing about sports. The book ends with his induction into the United States Army on November 6, 1952.
Baseball, Nazis & Nedick’s Hot Dogs is an entertaining memoir. The stories flow smoothly and evocatively. More than any of Izenberg’s previous books, this one comes from the heart. His first thirteen books are on a shelf in my library. Number fourteen is a welcome addition.
****
Glyn Rhodes was an average club fighter; a British super-lightweight who compiled a 33-27-5 (20 KOs, 14 KOs by) ring record between 1979 and 1993. After retiring as an active combatant, he turned to training fighters. Beyond Good and Evil (written with Mark Turley and published by Pitch) is his story.
Rhodes was a classic opponent. He had eight fights abroad and lost all of them. He fought five men who became British champions. Other ring adversaries claimed European, Commonwealth, and French titles. Eamonn Loughran (who decisioned Rhodes in 1991) later won the World Boxing Organization welterweight crown.
“I occupied a little niche and was known to be erratic,” Rhodes acknowledges. “A guy who could give anyone a battle on my day, but also someone who could not be relied on to turn in a good performance.”
Brendan Ingle trained and managed Rhodes for much of the fighter’s ring career. Rhodes acknowledges the contributions that Ingle made on his behalf but paints a portrait of his mentor as a snake who often cajoled him into the ring without adequate time to prepare. On one occasion, Ingle put him in a fight on short notice pursuant to a “special arrangement.”
“I was to make it look good, go the distance, and help pad out the card,” Rhodes writes.
“We’re all in it together,” Ingle told him.
Except the opponent went for the knockout.
There are places where Beyond Good and Evil is repetitious and moves slowly. There are too many descriptions of fights that mattered to the people who were involved but won’t matter much to readers.
That said; there are places where Rhodes’s story is worth reading. This is particularly true when he recounts Scott Westgarth’s tragic death from a subdural hematoma suffered in a fight that he won on points with Rhodes in his corner.
After Westgarth died, Rhodes went into psychotherapy to deal with a lifetime of pain. What he learned about himself in the journey of self-exploration that followed is worth repeating:
“I saw and acknowledged that boxing had done me harm in a lot of ways. Boxing can be a harmful thing. Anyone that denies that just isn’t dealing with reality. What’s hard to acknowledge for people in and around the sport is that you can’t change or dilute that harm because it’s built into boxing and the culture which surrounds it. Turning up to a gym and getting punched in the face every day changes the way you see the world. It changes your relationship with violence. Some people want to condemn boxing. I get that. Others want to glorify it, which I can understand too. I don’t do either. I accept the lot because you can’t make boxing safe without destroying what makes it special. It’s not part of regular society, so people who live only in that world don’t understand it. But those who have laced on a pair of gloves, even if only for a spar, they know.”
Thomas Hauser’s email address is thomashauserwriter@gmail.com. His most recent book â In the Inner Sanctum: Behind the Scenes at Big Fights â was published by the University of Arkansas Press. In 2004, the Boxing Writers Association of America honored Hauser with the Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence in boxing journalism. In 2019, Hauser was selected for boxing’s highest honor – induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
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Avila Perspective, Chap. 296: Canelo vs Berlanga and More
Avila Perspective, Chap. 296: Canelo vs Berlanga and More
Never underestimate the Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry.
Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul âCaneloâ Alvarez of Mexico has fought Puerto Ricans before and should know it is never easy. But this time he chose to toe the line against a young hungry Boricua.
Will this fight be his reckoning?
Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) defends the WBA, WBC, and WBO titles against Edgar Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) on Saturday Sept. 14, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Â PPV.com along with Jim Lampley will stream the loaded TGB Promotions card. Itâs also on DAZN and Amazon Prime.
Mexicoâs Canelo has been the face of boxing ever since Floyd Mayweather officially retired. And though he lost to Mayweather in 2013, the dividends from that experience have boosted the redhead to a skill level not seen since Salvador Sanchez.
Not many Mexicans or Puerto Ricans fight at super middleweight. So, this is a first for the rivalry at this weight class. But in the lower weights war has been ongoing between the two countries for decades.
My up-close introduction took place with Wilfredo âBazookaâ Gomez against Sanchez in Las Vegas in August 1981. At the time the Puerto Rican was considered the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world with 32 wins and 32 knockouts.
Gomez was a Mexican killer and dispatched two future Half of Fame fighters in Carlos Zarate and Lupe Pintor. Only Sanchez could beat the Boricua and he was an underdog to the mustached fighter from Santurce, Puerto Rico when they met.
Never underestimate anyone.
Now Berlanga is attempting to do what no other Puerto Rican has been able to accomplish in defeating Canelo.
Itâs a big task for the taller fighter.
âI could be the face of Puerto Rican boxing after Saturday night,â said Berlanga, 27, who hails from Brooklyn, New York.
The taller Berlanga has yet to face anyone that compares to Canelo, Heâs defeated contenders like Jason Quigley and Padraig McCrory who formerly held the IBO light heavyweight title. But a killer like Alvarez heâs never faced before.
But heâs eager to find out.
âThis is the opportunity of a lifetime for Team Berlanga,â Berlanga said at the press conference.
As a professional fighter he needs to take the opportunity.
âWeâre gonna make history and become legends,â said Berlanga.
Alvarez has been in this situation dozens of times before. Heâs heard all the rhetoric and the boasts and the predictions over the years. After facing the likes of Mayweather, Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin and so many others, heâs almost immune to the itchy nervousness of potential danger.
The Mexican champion has his jacket of confidence woven over the years from dozens of battles endured since the age of 15. Now heâs 34 and has he passed his limit?
âI always put 100 per cent into my fights and into training, no matter who Iâm fighting. Itâs the same mentality every fight. This is no exception,â said Alvarez, who is fighting on Mexican Independence day for the 11th time in his career.
This, however, is different. This is Mexico versus Puerto Rico and the history between the two countries is fraught with upsets and fierce bloody battles in boxing that have mesmerized the boxing world.
Berlangaâs trainer said it best:
âBelieve me, we are grateful to Team Canelo for the opportunity, because itâs the opportunity to knock the king off the throne,â said Marc Ferrait. âas I told Edgar, heâs not going to want to give it to no Puerto Rican, and if we think Canelo doesnât have it, oh heâs coming. We want the best of him.â
Itâs power versus power. All it takes is one punch.
Other Bouts
WBA middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara (30-3-3) defends against Philadelphiaâs Danny âSwiftâ Garcia (37-3) in the semi-main event at T-Mobile Arena. Itâs been four years since the Cuban southpaw faced elite competition. Now 41, does he still have it?
Garcia, 36, a former welterweight and super lightweight world titlist, has only fought once above 147 pounds but found success when he defeated Jose Benavidez at 153 pounds two years ago.
Both are experienced, skilled and dangerous.
Super middleweight contenders Caleb Plant (22-2) and Trevor McCumby (28-0) meet in a 12-round clash for the interim WBA title. Whenever Plant fights there is always extra personal incentive thrown in. McCumby knows it.
âI just go in there and handle business,â McCumby said.
Plant seems eager to return to the ring.
âWeâll see on Saturday,â said Plant.
Another former world titlist performing is Rolly Romero (15-2, 13 KOs) meeting Manuel Jaimes (16-1-1, 11 KOs) in a super lightweight match set for 10 rounds. Itâs the first time I recall seeing Romero against someone bigger. Interesting.
A super bantamweight battle between former unified world titlist Stephen Fulton (21-1) and Carlos Castro (30-2, 14 KOs) is set for 10 rounds in a featherweight match. Fulton was stopped by Japanâs Naoya âMonsterâ Inoue a year ago. Heâs eager to return.
Fights to Watch
Thurs. DAZN 5 p.m. Ardreal Holmes (15-0) vs Hugo Noriega (10-2).
Fri. DAZN 5 p.m. Eduardo âRockyâ Hernandez (35-2) vs Thomas Mattice (22-3-1).
Sat. DAZN 3 p.m. Roiman Villa (26-2) vs Ricardo Salas (19-2-2).
Sat. PPV.COM, Prime ppv, DAZN ppv 5 p.m. Saul Alvarez (61-2-2) vs Edgar Berlanga (22-0); Caleb Plant (22-2) vs Trevor McCumby (28-0); Erislandy Lara (30-3-3) vs Danny Garcia (37-3); Stephen Fulton (21-1) vs Carlos Castro (30-2).
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Canelo vs Berlanga Battles the UFC: Hopefully No Repeat of the 2019 Fiasco
If one happens to be fan of both traditional boxing and MMA, then one has a choice to make this Saturday. Canelo Alvarez will be in action at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas defending his lineal 168-pound world title against Edgar Berlanga and two miles away in a competing Pay-Per-View card, the first-ever sporting event will be staged inside The Sphere, a UFC card bearing the title Riyadh Season Noche 306.
This wonât be the first time that a boxing card featuring the red-headed Mexican superstar went head-to-head with a UFC event. On Nov. 2, 2019, Canelo Alvarez fought Sergey Kovalev at the T-Mobile and 2,500 miles away, MMA stars Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal locked horns at Madison Square Garden. Both cards were PPV. Alvarez vs Kovalev was live-streamed on DAZN; Diaz vs Masvidal on ESPN+.
We donât know which event generated the most profit, but the way things played out, this was a symbolic win for the UFC. On this night, the venerable sport of boxing and its adherents were reduced to a second-class citizen.
The fault lay with the nitwits at DAZN. They thought it prudent to postpone the start of Alvarez-Kovalev until the Diaz-Masdival fight was finished. What resulted was an interlude that dragged on for a good 90 minutes after Ryan Garcia knocked out Romero Duno in 98 seconds in the semi-wind-up. Then came the ring walks, the National Anthems (there were three), and the long-winded introduction of the combatants. When the bell finally sounded to signify the start of the bout, it was 10:18 inside the arena and 1:18 am for the bleary-eyed folks tuning in back in the Eastern Time Zone. The backlash was fierce.
The competing shows this coming Saturday coincide with Mexican Independence Day Weekend. One might assume that this will give the PBC promotion at the T-Mobile a leg up as Canelo Alvarez is a must-see attraction within the Mexican and Mexican-American communities. However, the UFC card has something going for it that T-Mobile lacks. The venue is itself an allurement. The newest addition to the Las Vegas skyline, The Sphere has the WOW factor. Even long-time Las Vegas locals, supposedly jaded by a surfeit of architectural wonders, are mesmerized by the constantly changing light show on the exterior of the big globe. Inside, visitors will find the worldâs highest resolution LED display.
Customizing the interior for UFC 306 was an expensive proposition. UFC honcho Dana White has pegged the cost at $20 million and concedes that without Saudi money it would not have been feasible. He says that Saturdayâs show will be âone-off,â not merely the first combat sports event at The Sphere, but also the last because it would be too expensive to replicate. If that be true, attendees are advised to keep their ticket stubs. Years from now, they might command a nice price in the sports memorabilia marketplace.
The T-Mobile has Canelo, but The Sphere has Alexa Grasso who, akin to Canelo, hails from Guadalajara. Ms. Grasso, 31, just may be the second-most-well-known fighter in Mexico. In addition to holding the UFC flyweight title, she is an analyst for the UFCâs Spanish-language broadcasts.
Grasso will be defending her belts against Russiaâs Valentina Shevshenko in the co-main. In the featured bout, bantamweight belt-holder Sean OâMalley will defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili.
The T-Mobile card on Prime Video comes with a suggested list price of $89.99 for U.S. buyers without a Prime Video account. That tab has been widely assailed as a rip-off. âItâs gouging fight fans, plain and simple,â says Kevin Iole who covered both boxing and MMA for Yahoo. (For the record, the UFC show on ESPN+ comes with a list price of $79.99, $10 cheaper if bundled with an ESPN+ subscription. The UFC folks are holding their breath that the event can be translated to the small screen without compromising the clarity of the picture. The logistics are daunting.)
The main bouts on the UFC card will be far more competitive based on the prevailing odds, but when it comes to combat sports, this reporter is a traditionalist. Agreed, that can be interpreted as an old fuddy-duddy stuck in his ways, but in my eyes boxing, a sport that rests on a far more arresting historic foundation, trumps the Johnny-come-lately that is the UFC.
Check back later this week as TSS West Coast Bureau Chief David A. Avila offers up a closer look at Alvarez vs Berlanga and some of the supporting bouts.
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Niyomtrong Proves a Bridge Too Far for Alex Winwood in Australia
Today in Perth, Australia, Alex Winwood stepped up in class in his fifth pro fight with the aim of becoming the fastest world title-holder in Australian boxing history. But Winwood (4-0, 2 KOs heading in) wasnât ready for WBA strawweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong, aka Knockout CP Freshmart, who by some accounts is the longest reigning champion in the sport.
Niyomtrong (25-0, 9 KOs) prevailed by a slim margin to retain his title. âAt least the right guy won,â said prominent Australian boxing writer Anthony Cocks who thought the scores (114-112, 114-112, 113-113) gave the hometown fighter all the best of it.
Winwood, who represented Australia in the Tokyo Olympics, trained for the match in Thailand (as do many foreign boxers in his weight class). He is trained by Angelo Hyder who also worked with Danny Green and the Moloney twins. Had he prevailed, he would have broken the record of Australian boxing icon Jeff Fenech who won a world title in his seventh pro fight. A member of the Noongar tribe, Winwood, 27, also hoped to etch on his name on the list of notable Australian aboriginal boxers alongside Dave Sands, Lionel Rose and the Mundines, Tony and Anthony, father and son.
What Winwood, 27, hoped to capitalize on was Niyomtrongâs theoretical ring rust. The Thai was making his first start since July 20 of 2022 when he won a comfortable decision over Wanheng Menayothin in one of the most ballyhooed domestic showdowns in Thai boxing history. But the Noongar needed more edges than that to overcome the Thai who won his first major title in his ninth pro fight with a hard-fought decision over Nicaraguaâs Carlos Buitrago who was 27-0-1 heading in.
A former Muai Thai champion, Niyomtrong/Freshmart turns 34 later this month, an advanced age for a boxer in the sportâs smallest weight class. Although he remains undefeated, he may have passed his prime. How good was he in his heyday? Prominent boxing historian Matt McGrain has written that he was the most accomplished strawweight in the world in the decade 2010-2019: âIt is not close, it is not debatable, there is no argument.â
Against the intrepid Winwood, Niyomtrong started slowly. In round seven, he cranked up the juice, putting the local fighter down hard with a left hook. He added another knockdown in round nine. The game Winwood stayed the course, but was well-beaten at the finish, no matter that the scorecards suggested otherwise, creating the impression of a very close fight.
P.S. â Because boxrec refused to name this a title fight, it fell under the radar screen until the result was made known. In case you hadnât noticed, boxrec is at loggerheads with the World Boxing Association and has decided to âde-certifyâ the oldest of the world sanctioning bodies. While this reporter would be happy to see the WBA disappear â it is clearly the most corrupt of the four major organizations â the view from here is that boxrec is being petty. Moreover, if this practice continues, it will be much harder for boxing historians of future generations to sort through the rubble.
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