Kieran Mulvaney

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Hi. My name is Mike Soraghan. I'm a reporter for Greenwire, and I'm trying to track down a fact nugget for a story that concerns norweigan whaling. Could you point me in the right direction? msoraghan@eenews.net and 202-446-0423.



I was pleased to learn about the grey whale off Israel. We have rubbed the noses of the greys in Baja so know what a joy it is to see them. Up close is better. Since the AFP report contained the mandatory comment on the melting Arctic, I now must ask if the melting is really that bad if we repopulate the N. Atlantic with the grey whales? As my old boss said, "Every golf shot does someone some good." The second question relates to the extinction "several hundred years" ago. Is it possible that several hundred years ago the Arctic was as open as it is today and the greys went extinct because of global cooling and the expansion of the ice cap? The whales would not have been able to migrate in their usual pattern and this particular whale is simply following old instincts. Unfortunately we are spending millions to prove global warming and spending nothing to disprove it. If you want funding to follow this whale, I suggest you contact Lindblad Expeditions at www.expeditions.com and write to Lars Lindblad. Better yet, try Flip Nicklin at National Geographic who would be able to get in touch with the appropriate people. Stan Rulapaugh. Phoenix Arizona rulapaughs@cox.net

Hi Kieran,

I found an older but none the less great article the other night where you (among others I believe) ranked a Top 50 All Time Boxing list for ESPN.com.

I was just curious where Floyd fits if that list were to be updated...I believe he was at #48 prior to Hatton, Marquez, and Mosley - so where would you rank him now? or if he adds Pacquiao to that list of 3, where does he go?

Does Roy drop from 46 as well?

Thanks for your time.

- Bill
Bill, good question. As I recall, I think I said at the time that Floyd had a great opportunity than anyone else on the list to move up, depending on opponents. I think that now he is at the phase of his career where he could shoot himself up the rankings. His demolition of Mosley was very impressive. If he closed out his career with wins over, say, Pacquiao and Sergio Martinez, then he would deserve consideration for a much, much higher ranking. I don't think Roy should be punished for the shell of a fighter he has become, but I would probably drop him down a slot simply because Manny Pacquiao must now be on the list.

Kieran, Congratulations on the career move to sportswriter. Knock em' hard ...
Michael Bailey here.. in San Francisco, Let's connect.
mbailey@planetviews.com

Kieran,

this is Peter Garczarczyk from Chicago. I'm a boxing writer and would love your comment - and quote - about upcoming Adamek vs. Estrada fight. Does it matter for HV division, who wins and why. Thanks in advance
Peter: I apologize for taking so long to respond. I really like what I have seen from Adamek since he entered the HW division and I was impressed with his performance against Estrada. I actually would make him the favorite against Cris Arreola when they meet in a few weeks, too. I think it's very impressive the way Adamek has made big strides in his career lately. It looks good for Chad Dawson, too, given that he is the only man to beat him. In future, please feel free to write to me directly, at kierakvegasatgmail.com.


Kieran;

My name is Jonny and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area; and I've been following the career of Andre "SOG" Ward since he won the gold at the Olympics; and he's become my favorite boxer. For sometime he wasn't given the recognition as a great fighter; but now since he beat Kessler his name will become more well known. I liked your prediction on his win.
Hi Jonny. I am very high on Andre Ward. I thought he was very impressive against kessler, and I make him one of the favorites for the Super Six

Kieren
You have a stellar voice for radio. I NEVER miss you podcast. Only wish there was more. Waiting patiently for your comments on the recent FIGHT.
It has an abundance of intelligence and a natural dramatic flair...the pauses and how you frame your ideas. Just absolutely first rate. Hope your overlords at ESPN recognize your talent and make you work more regularly. At least for my benefit...
Cheers and I'll be looking for that podcast.
Brian McDonald
bjmgaustin@gmail.com
Brian: many thanks indeed. I really do appreciate your comments. The podcasts have been a bit sporadic of late, largely because of my schedule, but with a lot of good boxing coming up, I'm hopeful we'll have a steady stream coming along.

Your Oct 29th Heavy Hitting Boxing Podcast was one of your best to-date. Your chronicled the Rumble-in-the-Jungle fight's lesser known details. I didn't realize the fight took place two weeks after Nixon's resignation. You also gave a great synopsis of the ESPN 30/30 special as well. I thought I was the only that noticed the uncanny resemblance between Laila Ali and her beautiful mom Veronica.

Dear Mr. Mulvaney,

My name is Sharon Pieczenik and I read your wonderful story "Arctic Blast" in The Washington Post Magazine. I was raised in Chevy Chase, Maryland and my mom saved the article for me. A few years ago, I made some short videos for Polar Bears International and I wanted to share them with you since you are also a polar bear, PBI, Robert Buchanan enthusiast. If you have some time to kill, you can check them out on my website at:
http://www.wyctl.com

Sadly, my website has not been updated in years. However, PBI was the first organization ever to hire me to make videos and those are the videos on this website. I recommend watching "Ambassadors of the Arctic" - it is a fun, short, promotional piece for PBI's ambassadors program where high school students are brought to Churchill to be educated about the plight of the polar bear. Robert is in the movie! It is the first real video I ever made.

I look forward to checking out your upcoming polar bear book.

Best Wishes,
Sharon Pieczenik
sharonpieczenik@hotmail.com

Good day (from a writer to a writer),

I am not quite sure how I came across your blog... nevertheless I was enamoured by your passion for writing. I am in the beginning stages of writing my first book, while pursuing my Doctorate in Ed. I figure this will get me into the swing of writing, as I have a fairly large writing assignment to complete (the dissertation). You mentioned that you moved back to VA..how has that been for you? I moved to Hampton Roads for the purpose of focusing on the writing and studying- its necessary sometimes to get away from routine. Well, its refreshing to see individuals, such as yourself, pursue dreams and venture out into the wilderness. Many blessings and peace, Esther

Doug, thanks so much for the great story you posted below about Vernon Forrest. He was a class act and your story underlines that. Many thanks for writing, and all the best
Kieran,

About 8 years ago, I started amateur boxing in South River, New Jersey. I wasn't the fastest or strongest fighter in my gym, but I never backed down and earned the respect of everyone in my gym pretty quickly with my chin and punching power.

Skip ahead a few months, and I was on a van with a bunch of my gym-mates heading down to Trenton for a boxing show, where I was supposed to fight. I wound up getting in the ring with a guy who had a good ten pounds on me, who now fights pro. He knocked me out in about halfway through round 1, and I was completely devastated. I thought I'd gotten up before the ref counted to ten, I wasn't supposed to go out like this...etc. As soon as he waved me off, I stormed out of the ring and into the locker room, where I changed and reminded myself that my friends had fights coming up, and I had to suck it up and cheer them on.

As soon as I walked back into the auditorium, I stood near the door and took in the next fight that had started while I was in the locker room, and all of a sudden I feel a tap on the shoulder and look to my right, and lo and behold, Vernon Forrest is standing next to me.

"You're the one that got hit with the shot?"

"Yeah, that was me," I said, tentatively, almost embarrassed.

He patted me on my shoulder and gave me a pep-talk for a few minutes. Telling me not to sweat it, that it takes a lot of guts for anyone to get in the ring, and to just keep on training and enjoying the sport. His exact words escape me now, but I'll never forget the fact that a former champ took time out of his day to encourage some random person not to quit something that I'd just suffered a serious mental setback in.

I still fight to this day, and probably always will. I love boxing, because to me, there's no truer test of someone's self-worth than being in that ring. And Vernon Forrest helped me realize that.

Anyways, I thought you'd enjoy that story with the article you just wrote on him for ESPN. I was heartbroken when I heard the news, and I'll always remember Vernon Forrest in my heart for exactly the reasons you described.

Doug

HI KIERAN, MY COMMENT IS REGARDING ALEXIS ARGUELLO, WHO UNFORTUNATELY PASSED THE WAY LAST WEEK. EXCELLENT BOXER FROM NICARAGUA, WORLD CHAMPION IN 3 DIFFERENT DIVISIONS, UNDEFEATED SEVERAL YEARS UNTIL HE MOVED UP TO ANOTHER DIVISION LOOSING TWICE WITH AARON PRYOR.

ANYWAY MY QUESTION IS: IF YOU RECALL PREVIOUSLY I SENT YOU A MESSAGE REGARDING SALVADOR SANCHEZ IN YOUR 50 BEST BOXERS ALL-TIME,
SANCHEZ, FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION, DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND HE WAS PLANNING TO MOVE UP TO THE SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION CHALLENGING ARGUELLO. I BELIEVE THAT FIGHT WAS ALREADY SCHEDULED AND WOULD HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE BEST FIGHTS OF THE 80'S DECADE. WHO YOU THINK WOULD HAVE WON THAT FIGHT AND HOW ??? THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. ALEJANDRO TRUJILLO (MEXICO)(altru@email.com)

RIP ALEXIS ARGUELLO




Dear Kieran Mulvaney, My name is Valerie Bernard and I work for the Rights and Contracts department of the British Film Institute in London, a publicly funded charitable body supporting the art of film and television in the UK. I am currently pursuing rights clearances for a publicly-funded educational online project called “BFI InView”, which will be available to UK Further and Higher education users in March 2009. This project involves digitising audiovisual material and making it available free of charge to educational bodies for study, teaching and research. It is designed to facilitate access for learners, teachers and researchers to valuable primary resources that have either not been available before, or only in very restricted circumstances and will enable exploration of the central issues faced in the UK in the 20th century. It will pursue a curated and thematic approach, demonstrating how key social, political and economic issues of our time have been represented, illustrated, expressed and debated through film and television. The InView project will be available to users exclusively to UK higher and further education institutions via the internet, through a secure password-protected service. The Inview project will provide this very specific audience with a website that they can use as a portal or common interface to research, study and view material. The project plans to deliver a number of programmes drawn from the Channel 4 series of “After Dark programs”, which academic authorities consider to be an extremely interesting and useful resource. You may recall that After Dark was a British late night live discussion programme made by production company Open Media which ran on Channel 4 television between 1987 and 1997, and on the BBC in 2003. As you participated in the following program: "SAVE THE WHALE, SAVE THE WORLD?" (broadcast on 30/071988),I should like to ask for your consent to include this particular program in our project. Please do not hesitate to email me (valerie.bernard@bfi.org.uk) or to give me a call should you have any question or concern (my direct phone number is 0207 957 47 05). Many thanks in advance for your time, consideration and support. Sincerely yours, Valerie Bernard


Kieran: Your unpretentious style and great insight have made me an espn.com regular throughout the year, particularly during fight weeks. I just listened to your heavy-hitting podcast regarding the Holyfield/Valuev "fight" and I literally was laughing out loud throughout. Just a quick question-could you please throw around a few names as to whom your favorite fighters are to deal with when covering fights (I believe you've said Hatton, Malignaggi, Pacquiao, and Cotto are particularly friendly guys). Anyone else? As a die-hard fight fan, it excites me to know that there are, indeed, some genuine fighters left in the game, and I am intrigued to know who they are from someone with first-hand knowledge. Thanks again for your great work. Sincerely, Rob Greif

Rob, thanks very much for your kind words, and thanks for your contributions to my year-ending podcasts. Off the top of my head, I would have to say that the late Diego Corrales was one of the most amenable guys I worked with; he was always polite, always had time for you, and called you right back when you left a message. Ricky Hatton is normally very friendly and has a dry wit that makes him a pleasure to talk to. Manny Pacquiao is an absolute pain to pin down, and his answers are often bland but he is a genuinely very nice and shy guy. Bernard Hopkins is a joy to cover; he speaks his mind, at length, and gives you lots of quotes. Chris Byrd and Wayne McCullough are very popular members of the Las Vegas fight scene, and always have time for writers and fans. Young Victor Ortiz is going to be a star, and not just for the way he fights: He is compleely unpretentious, very open and friendly. Miguel Cotto has come a long way rom the surly, taciturn guy he once semed to be. Kelly Pavlik is a joy. Shane Mosley is completely approachable and helpful. Joe Calzaghe doesn't altogether enjoy the media, but he is always helpful; his father, although rarely comprehensible, is a hoot. Off the top of my head, those are some of my favorites, although am sure I am missing a few. Very, very few fighters are distant or unhelpful, although there are some.



Truly sorry for the loss of your father. I lost my mom this June, it was much more difficult than I thought it would be. Hope you are doing well. - Michael Gates 10/13/08



HI KIERAN, GOOD TOP 50 LIST, LOVING ALL THE FAMILY PICS, HOPE 'THE ICE BEAR' IS NEARLY FINISHED! PS COOL NAME. MICHAEL MULVANEY/NORFOLK/UK.

Many thanks Michael. Always nice to hear from a fellow Mulvaney

Kieran after reading your list of top 50 boxers of all time i suprised to see fighters who werent there and fighters who where there,For instance where is Kid Gavilan and Ike Williams or even Barbados Joe Walcott,and what is the big deal with Jcak Dempsey he would not even make my top 30 list,and another great missing of the list Pasquel Perez what is your opinion on the names av just mentioned could they make your Top 50?

You re quite correct, there are many, many fighters who could easily be on the list. I found it very hard including just 50. Gavilan especially could make a good case for inclusion

KIERAN, I just finished reading your recollection piece about Diego Corrales and immediately "Googled" you. As a causal boxing fan, I was immediately fascintated with Diego after watching him fight and hearing him speak. I was down after the Mayweather fight, sure that Diego would be able to impose himself despite the personal issues that he was experiencing, elated after the Castillo fight and seeing Diego defy gravity by getting up and then turning the tables so quickly and forcefully. I was also struck by the amount of respect and love that he conveyed after the fight, not only to Castillo, but to boxing itself. He truly felt honored to have been involved in that fight. The way his mien manifested his feelings seems to have revealed his character. All of that being said, your piece brought tears to my eyes, just as I was brought to tears hearing the news of his death and hearing Rich Morada speak about Diego. I normally would not write a post like this and I hope your article affects others in the same way. Michael Gates ps I am an aspiring writer and procrastinator(36years old) Any advice?

Hi Michael, thank you so much for your kind words and many apologies for taking so long to respond. A lot of us who knew Diego were very find of him, despite his well-known flaws. As for your question about being a writer: My only advice, obvious as it may seem, is to write. Write as much as you can, whenever you can. Find a style you are comfortable with. Read a lot, and learn what you can. Perhaps also start out by finding outlets that will publish your work but not necessarily pay, until you have a small body of work that you can show others. Best of luck.

Kieran, I've been a huge fan of your writing on Espn.com for quite some time. The piece you did in remembrance of Chico Corrales was really touching, heart felt, and had a genuine sense of "reallness". I had my dad read it and he struggled to hold back tears. I'm just getting started in my writing career and would love to get some advice from you, especially how to get involved in writing/covering boxing. Once again, great stuff and wish you the best in the future. Eddie Aponte

Eddie, many thanks and apologies for taking so long to repond. My advice would be similar to that I wrote for Michael above: Write as much as you can, to practice and learn your own style. Try writing your own reports of fights you see on TV. Compare them to those that are published and see how they stack up. Try a website that doesn't pay, and see if they will accept your pieces to start of with, and build up a body of work. Then start showing your work to other places, and see if anyone shows interest in bringing you on board. It isn't always easy, but once folks see that you are genuine and ready to work hard, it helps a lot. Best of luck.

Kieran, I've been a huge fan of your writing on Espn.com for quite some time. The piece you did in remembrance of Chico Corrales was really touching, heart felt, and had a genuine sense of "reallness". I had my dad read it and he struggled to hold back tears. I'm just getting started in my writing career and would love to get some advice from you, especially how to get involved in writing/covering boxing. Once again, great stuff and wish you the best in the future.

Kieran, I met you for lunch one day during my time with the Greenpeace Organizing Term and I just wanted to thank you for encouraging me to write. Learning about your career inspired me and gave me confidence that I could make it by following my passion. I have never been happier. All the best to you. Mande

Well Kieran I think it's just marvelous. Your picture on the homepage that is. Hey, it's Ken, your neighbor of old Bootleggers Cove. How are you? I just returned from Las Vegas and was thinking about you. Yes I lost.... forget about it I was also in Florida at my mom's. The condo in Hillsboro is completely rebuilt. It was very relaxing. Spent 10 days there on the ocean and hung around at my mom's place in Delray Beach as well. She bought a new car while I was doen there. A Mercury Marquee . Greenpeace would not approve. It’s a beautiful gas hog. I will post some new pictures on KENTOWN dot com. Check it out Keep in touch. Let me know when you go to Vegas. The Sand Bar is on the market. There is a sort of a deal going now. Might get some dough. Let's hit the tables Kieran. YES! See ya later, Ken

Ben, Many thanks for writing and for your kind comments. Although I have not seen it yet, I hear that the new book by Australian journalist Andrew Darby, whom I know well and who has covered the topic extensively for years, is probably the best new account of whaling politics. It is called "Harpoon" and is available for order via amazon.com. The short answer to your question is that yes, there is still a stalemate, although the momentum shifted back to the anti-whaling group at the last IWC meeting, in Anchorage. Again, thanks for writing and all the best. Kieran

Just wrote to you asking for an update since the Whaling Season and forgot to sign my name. Thanks again! Ben Huynh

Hi Kieran: Just finished your amazing and moving The Whaling Season. I really commend environmentalists like you for your "walk the talk" efforts...you guys are my heroes. Can you suggest any articles/stories updating the situation since the book's 2003 publication? Is there still a stalemate at the IWC (per 2002 Shimonoseki)? Or have the whalers unfortunately now gained momentum? I hope not. Much thanks and I will look forward to your Polar Bear book.

Hey Kieran, I mislaid your email again so thought I'd try this. Joining the Rainbow Warrior as electrician in NZ soon. Do you or anyone else have a contact for Ted Cassidy the Heli mechanic on "the trip from hell"? I know he was down there somewhere so would love to track him down. He might even have a good set of trackrod ends for a Ford Anglia and he owes me 5 quid. Will be on my usual email or eng3myrw as of 31 Jan, hope you're ok mate, Dave C

My family is looking to contact anyone in the public eye in boxing/sports news, ESPN, wherever -- to try to get some media overage regarding the theft of my grandfather's Golden Gloves medal while he was in the hospital last week. Here's the story: http://tinyurl.com/23jaql We just don't know where to begin. The medal is pretty much the most important family heirloom we've got on my dad's side of the family and everyone is just crushed over this, and truly afraid of what might happen when my grandfather finds out it's missing as he's not in a good way healthwise. Any idea where I might best direct an inquiry or if you might be interested in covering our story or perhaps you might have someone at ESPN who might be able to cover it? Any suggestions you can offer would be greatly appreciated. please reply to goldengloves at ginafigliuolo dot com (but format it properly - I've unformatted here to avoid spam) Thank you!!!

the faroe island pilot massacre is horrible not just because they turn the sea blood red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvXjG5Gotjc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY3Wav3TA5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYA9RmQ_yK8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOmnN1Z3vTY

By the way what acheivements did you require him to do? Olympic gold medal. Unifying belts. Historically he was the best for 10 years. Tyson made a sham out of boxing and became nothing but a circus show. I always liked Holyfield however. Great style. But again did he really accomplish anything better? Sorry thats the last! No more I promise. From Rhode Island. Been living stateside for last 8 years. Love it here! Tom.

Well he beat Holyfield and Tyson who are on your list and avenged all his defeats. But I respect your answer, though still disagree. I truly believe he was a better boxer than both of the before mentioned. He dominated the division for 10 years. Thats boxing! Thanks for your response. Boxing evokes alot of feelings but as a Brit you must admit that Lennox truly never got the respect he deserved from the American press. I know Foreman and Steward (I know he was his coach) reckon Lewis was in the top 5 heavyweights of all time. They know abit about boxing I reckon. Heres to Hatton beating Mayweather and Calzaghe beating Kessler. I hope Joe finally meets Hopkins next. Regards Tom.

The fact that you didn't have Lennox Lewis in your top 50 boxers of all time and didn't even mention him in your prolouge to your top 50 makes me laugh. George Foreman says he was one of the best heavy weights of all time and I reckon he knows what hes taking about. He defeated every single opponent that he has faced. Not great with the press sure, but one damn good boxer who beat Holyfield (more than once I might add due to the obvious corruption in American boxing) and Tyson. Please atleast mention a great British fighter. He might not be a yank but lets atleast give him credit where it is due. Boxing is the sweet science. Its not just about brawling and knock outs. He was one hell of a boxer with one of the best jabs seen in the heavy weight division. He also had a wicked knock out punch though! Lets face it, since he retired from the heavy weight division its been a joke. Please reconsider. From a british boxing fan who is biased but know you're wrong! Lets hope Hatton makes your next list in years to come! Didn't know how else to contact you and believe me i was really pissed when I saw that you didn't even mention his name. Regards Tom. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTPzQvlYLvE

Hi Tom, Thanks for your message. Believe me, I'm a huge Lennox Lewis fan, and your intimation that I didn't include him for nationalistic reasons doesn't stand up to scruiny given that I am, in fact, British. On a list of heavyweight champions, compiled solely to reflect achievements in that division, Lewis would rank ahead of Tyson, in my book. But the list is about much more than that. I agree, Lewis was one of the greatest heavyweight champions of all time. But he was almost certainly not top five, and arguably not top ten. Whether you want to admit it or ot, his one-punch knockout losses severely affect his standing. Yes, he was a great puncher and boxer, but so were the other fighters on the list. Not being included on a subjective list of the very 50 greatest fighters of all time does not by any means signal that Lewis was not great. He was. But his achievments and historical impact are not quite sufficient to lift him into the highest of the high.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR YOUR EXCELLENT RESEARCH ABOUT YOUR BOXING 50 GREATEST LIST. MY NAME IS ALEJANDRO TRUJILLO AND I LIVE IN MEXICO CITY. ABOUT THE LIST I WILL HIGHLY APPRECIATE YOU COULD REPLY AND GIVE ME YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE FOLLOWING 2 SUGGESTIONS (SINCE I AM MEXICAN, BOTH ARE RELATED WITH MEXICAN FIGHTERS): INSTEAD OF MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA (NO. 43) AND ERIK MORALES (NO. 49), I AM GOING TO NAME 2 OTHER MEXICAN CHAMPIONS, PROBABLY EVEN OR MORE RECOGNIZED THAN JOSE NAPOLES AND RUBEN OLIVARES (I AGREE THAT JC CHAVEZ HAS BEEN THE BEST MEXICAN BOXER): A) SALVADOR SANCHEZ (WBC FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION 80'S), HE IS CONSIDERED BY SEVERAL MEXICAN BOXING EXPERTS AS ONE OF THE TOP 5 MEXICAN CHAMPIONS OF ALL TIME. WHEN HE WAS CHAMPION, HE WAS RATED AS THE BEST BOXER POUND BY POUND. PERHAPS HE WAS NOT AS FAMOUS AS JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ BECAUSE HE DIED IN A CAR ACCIDENT WHEN HE WAS TRAINING FOR HIS FIGHT AGAINST ALEXIS ARGUELLO (SEEKING HIS 2ND CROWN). HIS BEST FIGHT NO DOUBTH WAS HIS KO VICTORY AGAINST WILFREDO GOMEZ (LONG TIME SUPERBANTAMWEIGHT CHAMPION FROM PUERTO RICO). HIS LAST FIGHT WAS A CLEAR VICTORY AGAINST ANOTHER GREAT FIGHTER (AZUMAH NELSON). B) RICARDO LOPEZ (STRAW CHAMPION 90'S AND 2000'S). IF I AM NOT WRONG, RICARDO LOPEZ ALONG WITH ROCKY MARCIANO ARE THE ONLY 2 FIGHTERS IN BOXING HISTORY WHO RETIRED AS CHAMPIONS WITHOUT A LOST. LOPEZ ONLY HAD A DRAW WITH ROSENDO ALVAREZ BUT WON CLEARLY AT THE REMATCH. RICARDO LOPEZ DOMINATED ITS DIVISION WITH MORE THAN 15 TITLE DEFENSES. RICARDO WAS ABLE TO WIN IN THAILAND, JAPAN, KOREA, PHILIPHINES, THESE COUNTRIES WELL KNOWN BECAUSE BACK THEN THEY PROTECT THEIR NATIVE BOXERS IN FIGHTS GOING ALL THE DISTANCE. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU CONSIDER THESE 2 BOXERS WHILE YOU WERE DOING YOUR RESEARCH. THANK YOU IN ADVANCE AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE. BEST REGARDS, ALEJANDRO TRUJILLO

Alejandro, many thanks for writing. Sanchez and Lopez are both excellent suggestions, and if anybody included them in their Top 50, I wouldn't disagree. I did not include Sanchez because, through no fault of his own, his career was cut short and he didn't have the full chance to dominate over a long period as he might have done. The knock against Lopez was that he stayed so lonbg at 105 lbs. when other challenges awaited him at 108 or 112. But he was a fine, fine champion.

Apologies for not signing my prior comment before submitting, I'm Joe Williams from Annapolis, MD.

I arrived with the intention of complaining about the exclusion of Sonny Liston and Aaron Pryor from the "50 Greatest Fighters" list, only to find that you've already addressed the omission of both fighters. I can understand the rationale when comparing their accomplishments to the other fighters on the list. Although I strongly believe that a "prime" Pryor would defeat a "prime" Julio Cesar Chavez, I cannot argue that he accomplished as much as a professional. It's too bad that Pryor's prime was cut short and Liston's ascent delayed by various external issues. Still, I did enjoy the list despite the natural disagreements that one would expect from such a subjective undertaking (even if the top 10 didn't find a place for my all-time favorite and fellow Maryland native, Sugar Ray Leonard). Thanks for the effort in putting it together.

Thanks Joe. The other unfortunate thing about Pryor, of course, is that he didn't have the opportunity, apart from Arguello, for truly great fights because many of the other great fighters of that era wouldn't fight him. Not his fault (although the early end to his career was largely his fault), but such is life, unfortunately. Sugar Ray was close to the Top 10, but I had to include my own personal all-time favorite, Sam Langford.

I recently had a look at your 50 greatest boxers of all time list, and was shocked not to see not one Puerto Rican boxer on the list. I am thoroughly confused as to why not even Wilfredo Gomez nor Felix "Tito" Trinidad was on that list. The fact that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is on the list at all and neither of those guys are is completely mind boggling. Look at the competition that Mayweather Jr. has faced and you want to call him on of the top 50 of all time, I totally disagree! Oscar De La Hoya and not Trinidad? This list is in need of some revision.

Thanks for your note. I think the nationalities of the boxers is to some extent irrelevant, although not entirely, as their mainstream appeal is a factor in their consideration, and obviously that does not just include mainstream appeal in the US. Gomez was actually much closer to making the list than Trinidad, and Wilfred Benitez closer still. Remember, this isn't an all-inclusive list of all the great boxers, but the 50 best, and given how poorly Tito fared against the very highest caliber opposition, I don't have much problem with him not making the list. I understand your point with Mayweather, and I had a hard time deciding to include him, and ended up taking a torrent of abuse for listing him so "low." Either way, I've come to realize that even by tackling this project I put myself ina lose-lose position

Kieran, You did the article of 50 greatest boxers of all time on ESPN right? I know opinions will vary, and the list is fine. But I had 2 questions I would like to ask you. 1. Why did Sonny Liston not make it? 2. Mike Tyson could've knocked the 49 men in front of him out in his prime at any time. Why the low ranking for him? Thanks for your time, and I hope to hear back from you soon. Sincerely, Nathan Harris

Nathan, Thanks for writing, and thanks for doing so in such a nice manner. I have received a lot of unpleasant vitriol for writing that list, which has prompted me not to respond to or even pay attention to many of the comments that have been posted about it and about me. You ask about Liston and Tyson, who are, of course, very similar in many ways. Tyson is at #50 because he never once in his career beat somebody who stood up to him. He faced only two fighters who could be considered elite heavyweights, and they both beat him convincingly (I don't count Holmes, who had been retired for several years before fighting Mike). Tyson had great skills and tremendous power, but his peak was very short, and during it he was never once tested against a truly worthy adversary. Similarly, Liston was an intimidating fighter and a very skilled one, but his reign was very brief and his fall very rapid. It does not mean that he was not a great fighter, but with only 50 slots to fill, some very deserving fighters were left out, including some of my very favorite boxers, such as aaron pryor. Again, thanks for asking.



Kieran, I recently read your article on steroids in boxing. Although well written, I was bothered by at as both a scientist and a boxing fan. First, you mentioned twice about the anabolic steroid clenbuterol, which it is not a steroid but a stimulant and this distinction is very important. It is a stimulant and a bronchodialator legal for use with an asthma prescription. (A prescription most of the US cycling team has) Second, what is the argument against steroids in boxing? Steroids (whose dangers are often exaggerated) certainly need not be made illegal to "protect" athletes who risk death and assure brain damage for our entertainment. Children can best be protected by not becoming boxers rather than avoiding steroids. If the saftey is the question than a movement for shorter fights, softer gloves and headgear makes more sense than steroid testing. I'd like to hear your thoughts, Mourad Ghanem.

Dr. Ghanem, Apologies for taking so long to respond. First, thank you very much for the correction re: clenbuterol. Secondly, I understand your more fundamental premise that boxing is inherently more dangerous than steroids, per se. I disagree that headgear would help: in fact, evidence suggests it allows fighters to absorb more punishment and thus results in more brain damage. The state of Nevada has introduced rules requiring heavier (i.e. more padded) gloves for lower weights.

Hi - I was just wondering - you've been deep in thought since August 2005... are you going to post another Newsletter? How have you been doing with your book? And, when you went off to Washington, did your reflection go as well? Once upon a time, the phrase that could have followed next would be "These questions - and many others - will be answered in the next episode of Soap..." But of course you'd be too young to remember that! :-)



Why boxing? You handle your reviews with the same eye for manageable detail and fluency as you have written about whales, the polar region and greenpeace. How did you get involved? It is just so... I guess, 'glitzy' is the word that springs to mind here :o) after the perceived isolation of alaska and a life that appears to have been lived thus far (via your public face, at least) at an altogether different altitude? Sue
Kieran writes: Thanks very much for the compliment. I've always been interested in boxing and found that it lends itself extremely well to the kind of writing I like. Writing the book has been a lot of fun and I hope to have it finished soon


I found this site through Ishe Smith's about the boxing book you're working on. Just want to say that everything else you've done ooks very interesting as well. Good luck finding a publisher, I'd buy the book and am reading about your others. I'm very interested in the environemt and have a minor in environmetal science. Keep up the good work

I think your work is great. It really inspires me to help and protect the environment. I would also like to take this oppertunaty to express my thoughts on this matter. I think in time due to the help of you and others, whales will repopulate and be able to live a poaching-free life. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts, and good luck with your projects.

love your site! I seem to remember a hearing about you and your work with whales over the years. All the anti-whaling actions you did in the southern ocean must be exciting. It takes real heroic, brave people to do that stuff. Cheers, Hank Scorpio

Is it really true that the moose in Alaska chase joggers down and kill them? CURIOUS, IN LA.

Weren't you on that show Northern Exposure?

I would like to see your TV and bar reviews. Cheers, Rich P.S. The Bachelor is looking for applicants.

Hello Kieran, Very nice site. I look forward to reading more. But where are all the links to the truly bizarre things you can find on the web? With your keenly developed eye for humor and idiocy, I thought for sure we'd be treated to links to your "favorite" sites! All the best, Susan

Your site can to me via Jim Welch & I think its cool and synchronicity that your focus is the envronment, another like-minded person. I will be back to join in discussions and share as am building an awareness (organization) for the Homer area, specifically diesel fuel emission issues. Nice to meet you!

I like it. Nice beginning. James P. Welch