TQBR Radio 4/29: Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana Preview, With Tim Starks and Matt Swain

That image attached to the article is of Lucas Matthysse sledgehammering John Molina, courtesy of Jae C. Hong/AP, and probably depicts what happens when two men enter a boxing ring under “Loser doesn’t get to listen to TQBR Radio this coming week” rules. It gets brutal, because the show is in high demand…among bloggers.

Throwback Thursday - Tommy Loughran Narrowly Outpoints Harry Greb

Tommy Loughran; Source

Many of the greatest fighters in history had some sort of rival or antithesis that helped define their careers. Obvious examples would be Muhammad Ali having his Joe Frazier, or Tony Zale his Rocky Graziano. The list goes on. 

Why, though, are there pairs of men who faced each other numerous times without any sort of higher meaning being assigned to their interactions? 

That said, if one was unlucky enough to have to measure guts against Harry Greb in a ring multiple times, there was a good chance he would only manage one win. Tommy Gibbons, Battling Levinsky, Billy Miske, Soldier Bartfield, Gene Tunney and more had, at a minimum, a terrible time simply sticking around in the same ring as Greb. Getting a legitimate win over the man was rare enough that it could be a cause for celebration. 

Loughran's only official win against Greb in six total bouts happened on October 11, 1923. Call it a personal holiday of sorts. 

TQBR Radio 4/22 - Bernard Hopkins vs. Beibut Shumenov Recap, Much More

If Bernard Hopkins were to go parasailing, we imagine him floating about to the tune of Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind.” Because he’s old. …because that’s what everyone wants to talk about when he fights.

But thankfully us boxing fans seem to be barreling into a period of unrest for the sport, in a good way. There’s a bit of a potential groove coming up, so let’s all pretend to be Stella and get it back.

Throwback Thursday - Battling Siki Dusts Georges Carpentier, Becomes Champ

Battling Siki, hoisted on the shoulders of his corner and supports after defeating Georges Carpentier; Source

A repetitive, yet ever important theme in the world of boxing is how fights unfold parallel to the history of the times. Boxing fed off the momentum of social movements and vice versa, and it still does, with race being perhaps the easiest of fuels to ignite.

One of the more obvious examples covered here on TQBR was the Mike Weaver vs. Gerrie Coetzee showdown, which included racial tensions that were ridden and manipulated in order to generate more buzz, and more money. But not to be forgotten, Larry Holmes vs. Gerry Cooney was a monster story in its day, around the same time. 

Sometimes the obvious and unexpected meet, though. For instance, France is still in the midst of racial and ethnic issues that have carried on for decades. Where once were the front lines of one of the globe's most shocking and bloody conflicts in World War I, now the current population face similar yet separate choices of color, religion and ethnicity. 

The September 24, 1922 bout between Amadou M'Barick Fall and Georges Carpentier figures has its own connection there, believe it or not. 

TQBR Radio 4/8: Tim Bradley vs. Manny Pacquiao II Preview, with Scott Christ

Kathy Willens/AP

What does it say about boxing, as a whole, that the first really big, meaningful fight of 2014 is happening about a quarter of the way through the calendar year? Really. That’s not a rhetorical question, and the answer probably won’t be in this post.

Whatever quasi-philosophical approach you take to figuring out how this year’s barren schedule relates to the broader ills in boxing, we have previewing to do. More specifically, James Foley of Bad Left Hook and TQBR’s Patrick Connor take a look at the rematch between Tim Bradley and Manny Pacquiao scheduled for this weekend. We wish there were more about the Pay-Per-View worth mentioning, but unfortunately, there’s… really not. The good news: joining the pair of screwballs this week is Bad Left Hook founder and editor Scott Christ.

Click this link to tune in live at 12:30 p.m. Pacific/3:30 p.m. Eastern, or download the episode later via iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Throwback Thursday - Pancho Villa Irons Out Jimmy Wilde, Makes History

Pancho Villa, left, shakes hands with Jimmy Wilde before their bout; Source

The 1920s spirit flowed freely in 1923. The "roar" of the decade was being protected by low unemployment rates, jazz and dance clubs crawled with frantic activity, and New York -- a city that embodied the decadence of the decade -- was graced with ambiguous Prohibition laws that lubricated the mind and spirit.

And boxing breathed fire.

When Al Smith became the governor of New York, threats to ban boxing seemed to dissipate. Nathan Miller, notoriously cardiolithic anti-boxing advocate, could no longer force promoters to seek out venues in neighboring states, and the adoption of the Walker Law all but ensured boxing's survival. More importantly, Miller's exit paved the way for the business of boxing to flourish in New York City and surrounding locales. 

On June 18, 1923, the door was opened, and history was shoved through the threshold by the grating gloves of Filipino legend Pancho Villa.