Veteran boxing publicist Bob Trieger, a lifelong New Englander, has announced that his first book, New England’s Greatest Boxers, is now on sale.
The book ranges from the pivotal crossover from bare knuckles to gloves, when John L. Sullivan was the No. 1 sports celebrity in the United States, uncrowned champions due to blacks such as Sam Langford being prohibited from fighting white world titlists, through the forties with mega-rivals Willie Pep and Sandy Saddler, to Rocky Marciano ruling the fifties, Marvelous Marvin Hagler prominence as one of the Four Kings during the eighties, up to contemporary times with the lone active fighter, Demetrius Andrade.
Discover who the 20-member selection committee picked 1 to 25, in order, as well as 10 honorable mentions.
“This was a true labor of love,” Trieger said. “I had 20 New England boxing experts – promoters, managers, fighters, lawyers, trainers, strength-and-conditioning coaches, lawyers, officials, fans, journalists, and photographers – assist me in the selections.
We did it all during the pandemic and it was a lot of fun putting it together. I realize that no two people would ever pick the same 25 fighters in order, but that was the premise for writing it. Let the debates begin!”
Also mentioned in the book is a list of elite boxers who fought in New England, major world title fights in the six-state area, N.E. boxers selected as Fighter of the Year or for their participation in the Fight of the Year, International Boxing Hall of Fame inductees from N.E., and much more about the history of New England boxing.