Boxing writer-You most hate

There was a smart arse writer called Jim Bagg (I think) who used to write for some boxing magazine years ago who really bugged me.
I can't remember anything specific but he was arrogant,rude and tasteless,basically a boxing shock-jock who made his living trashing fighters and talking himself up.
I'm sure it was mostly schtick but I thought he was a ****.

 

Two spring to mind, pretty much along similar lines.

Glyn Leach, who wrote several times for Boxing Monthly (wasn't he the Editor for a while too?) pissed me off when he had Lewis-Holyfield I scored 115-115, and then wrote a very long article moaning about how Lewis didn't deserve to be a champ because he didn't knock Holyfield out. Because we all know that points win = lame ass champ (hey Holy, give your belts back to Bowe please). Considering his other negative articles about Lewis before and after it wasn't surpising, but still lousy, myoptic journalism that would've put a smile on Colin Hart's fan.

And the second...good ol' Ron Borges. Not only unreasonably critical of Lewis throughout his career, but also guilty of lunching out on his rep as a 'major writer' due to being the only guy to pick Holyfield to beat Tyson...which was more to do with his dislike of Tyson at the time. It was the equivilent of those guys that post stuff like 'Austin will knock out Wladimir!' in hopes of getting lucky and looking smart.

 

Jesus Christ, I just tracked down an online copy of Leach's bit on Lewis-Holy I and it still makes my blood boil. Silly, isn't it? But I just found him so patronising and smug.

"The draw-scoring journalists in question, including myself and BM columnist, Harry Mullan, whose poor health prevented his covering the show from ringside for Sport First but who scored it from TV, all had it 115 apiece. Just like O'Connell, the Kentishman who is now a fully fledged British traitor of Kim Philby magnitude, according to the disgruntled. So hang me, Mullan, Richard Williams, Jeff Powell and Colin Hart, too. What do we know? The editor of Europe's best-selling boxing mag, two chief sportswriters and two of the most experienced boxing writers in the world. What do we know?

**** all is what you know, mate.

 

He wrote for World Boxing mag, the most annoying thing about him was that he always referred to himself as "The Baggster" or "The Baggerino" or the like.

 

Yes. Some of his articles are laughable looking back at them today.

 

Oh dear.

Norman Mailer annoys me to no end, but, i wouldn't classify him as a "boxing writer", per se. More of a dilletente, as it were.

 

Mailer in general or just his writings on boxing?

 

Bill Gallo was one of the worst (nice cartoons though)

 

Mailer's writing is mostly excellent, whether novels or non-fiction. He's by far my favourite American author, but his Ali worship is embarrassing.*




* Second only to his Norman Mailer worship.

 

Too true. You gotta love the crotchety old ******* though - the man has passion.

 

I've never been a huge Mailer fan anyway, but, his offerings regarding this sport have been absolutely wretched.

 

It's been a while since I read "The Fight" but I don't think I would class it as "absolutely wretched".

I know it can be difficult to remain objective about prose when you have a gargantuan ego like Mailer's to contend with but give the man his dues, The Naked & the Dead, Armies of the Night, the Executioner's Song - all of them important 20th century writings.

 

I didn't like the late Mark Kram. He tried to assasinate Muhammad Ali's character in his book Ghosts of Manilla. It's one thing to look at Ali from a different angle since most authors just hero worship him, but Kram just plain dispised Ali. What a piece of trash that book was.

Although i don't agree with how Ali was mean and sometimes cruel to Frazier in his verbal battles with him the insults and name calling etc. Ali was no angel but that guy Mark Kram made Ali out to be some kind of monster.

 

Ghosts of Manila was good I thought.

 

It would have been a good book if Kram didn't make his hatred for Ali so obvious and seek to have a go at him at every opportunity. I mean I think Kram was quite a talented writer but he is so biased against Ali. He attributes all of Ali's positive traits to those around him, while stating that all of the negative attributes were his own.