Esteemed Boxing Writer Nigel Collins Keeps on Punching (the keys on his keyboard)

Nigel Collins had his first byline boxing story appear more than five decades ago and is still going strong.

There have been many changes since that 1973 story was published in The Ring magazine.

“The biggest negative has been the proliferation of the alphabet organizations, which has led to an obscene number of so-called ‘champions,’ said the 78-year-old British native who calls Philadelphia home and names local middleweight legend Bennie Briscoe his favorite fighter. “This has confused the public and media. I recall Bernard Hopkins (then undisputed middleweight champion of the world) telling me when he informs people he’s the champion, many ask, ‘which one?’”

In many ways, Collins, who has written for numerous boxing outlets and served two terms as Editor-in-Chief of The Ring, pines for the old days.

“Boxing would be greatly enhanced if we returned to the one world, one champion system,” he declared. “The alphabet cartels are guilty of many sins,” says Collins who has authored two books: “Boxing Babylon: Behind The Shadowy World Of The Prize Ring,” and, most recently, “Hooking Off The Jab: Nigel Collins on Boxing.”

Trying to keep boxers safe in a rough and tumble sport has also changed.

“Every now and then, a list of the most difficult and dangerous sports is compiled and published. Boxing is always number one. [However], medical safety has vastly improved in more jurisdictions due to the Professional Boxing Safety Act that became law in 1997. Moreover, boxers are required to have a Professional Boxers Federal Identification Card,” Collins added. “The card has a license number and a photograph that has to be presented at the weigh-in.”

In many respects, the way in which fights are covered has also changed for Collins and so many other journalists.

“Media coverage has shifted from newspapers and TV sports news to the Internet, which has thousands of boxing sites and podcasts of varying quality,” he said. “Internet screening of boxing cards has become very popular with promoters.”

The amount a boxer is compensated and the frequency in which they’re in the ring is vastly different in today’s world.

“There are great boxers and fights in every era, including the current one. Today, the top boxers earn more money than ever before. We’re talking about tens and sometimes hundreds of millions. On the other hand, boxers do not fight as often as they did in the past and the matches fans are eager to see usually take months and sometimes years to come to fruition,” notes Collins who was given the James J. Walker Award for long and meritorious service to boxing by the Boxing Writers Association of America in 2007, was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the Observers category in 2015, and was the recipient of the BWAA’s Nat Fleischer Award for excellence in boxing journalism last year.

Still, boxing boils down to one man against another in the ring and the action is often compelling and dramatic.

“Boxing is the ultimate test of combat sports, but only when it’s a competitive match,” offered Collins, who has also done television commentary for HBO, Showtime and ESPN.

Like so many who follow boxing, Collins enjoys being around the participants and their seconds.

“The majority of boxers and their handlers are good people and l enjoy their company. The topic of conversation, of course, is usually boxing,” he said. “Much of the bravado is used to sell the product. The post-fight hug is a wonderful thing, especially because moments before the boxers were trying to knock each other’s head off. It is not unusual for rivals to become good friends.”

Not everyone involved with the sweet science is on the same footing with regard to honesty. “The managers and promoters are basically salesmen,” said Collins. “They range from splendid to criminal.”

Collins gravitated to boxing through family members.

“I was hooked early in my life,” he explained. “My father and grandfather were huge boxing fans. Modern boxing was born in England in the late 17th century and is, therefore, deeply embedded in the culture.”

Going into the Hall of Fame was a highlight for Collins who especially enjoyed covering Manny Pacquiao. “When I was inducted in 2015, the main part of my speech was centered around the fact that human beings are predators,” he said. “If we were not, we wouldn’t have survived as a species and boxing is the best way to express the violence within all of us, far better than warfare and genocide.”

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