Research - Requesting Helpful Hints for Researching Boxing History

Thank you much. Point taken. I'll make sure to cross reference to get a full feel of fighters and specific fights.

Thanks so much. I bet that archive will be helpful.

I imagine this type of thing happening frequently, where one fighter leads to another, an so on.

One thing I'm already interested in is the trainers. I like to think that a great trainer imparts his knowledge to a pupil that then imparts that knowledge to his pupil, and so on. So, I like knowing who the trainers were of fighters of yesteryear.

In terms of eras, right now I'm interested in the era between 1910 and 1935. The only problem is that some of the books I'd love to purchase, e.g. Langford's book (by Moyle?), and others, are pretty expensive. So, I'm somewhat limited by the books I can buy. But, that's fine, I keep an eye out for when older books go on sale.

Has there ever been a definite book on Ike Williams? Or even a definite biographic article? I'm interested in the lightweights and I know that he's at the top of everyone's list.

 

I don't know if there's a whole book devoted to Williams. I got most of my information from an ancient Ring Magazine Almanac I inherited from my uncle. Fleischer devoted more space to Williams than to any other fighter below heavyweight.

Definitely get your hands on the Moore book. Easily the most fascinating fighter ever.

If I were you I'd avoid wasting time and/or money on the recent Jim Clabby biography, either of the books on Ketchel, Earnie Shaver's autobiography, Aaron Pryor's autobiography, Holyfield's autobiography, and Thomas Hauser's fawning book on Ali.

 

Get yourself a copy of "In This Corner" by Pete Heller. Forty world champs tell there stories in their own words. Ike Williams is included. This book covers 60 years of boxing and changing times, a great read, specially for someone wanting to learn about the game. Like some of the fellas have said one thing will lead to another.

 

Got Heller's book. Great read. The two books on boxing trainers were great too.

 

Damn. The Ketchel book by Mora, wasn't good? I just ordered that one.

How about the life of Billy Conn by O'Toole? Ordered that one too.

 

:good

 

BOTH Conn bios were excellent, I thought.

For a Burley bio, go with Harry Otty's book.

 

There's no substitute for checking all local papers in the city in which the fight took place.
Check em all!!
This process is kwite a B Breaker however.

 

new york times has a lot of articles you can download pdf files of. you can access to all their articles they have online for 99 cents for the first month. interesting to read about fights from the actual era they took place in.

 

honestly, this is the way to go. youtube has been a boxing fans dream.

 

I'd also advise to look at the map, what the neighbor cities are. For Detroit fights it may be useful to look up Windsor, Ontario, newspapers as well, such as The Evening Record, which is at Google for free.

 

Then totally disregard it.:yep

 

I'm very impartial , I'll verbally abuse anyone.

 

Same as.

 

Good advice + the papers from neighboring cities. Thanks very much.