Hank Kaplan is dead.

Sammy Mendelson · Post by **Sammy Mendelson** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:31

Hank Kaplan was editor of Boxing World magazine and Wide World of Boxing Digest. Arguably the highest ranking boxing authority in the world and nicknamed "Lord of the Ring", Kaplan has been boxing consultant to Sport Illustrated (24 years), the London Times, Der Stern and numerous other publications. Kaplan owns and maintains the world’s largest private boxing library and most extensive collection of boxing photographs and research resources. He was the first elected president of the World Boxing Historians Association, and is permanent Chairman of the International Boxing Hall of Fame Selection Committee. Kaplan was elected to the World Boxing Hall of Fame in 1999. he died of liver and lung cancer on 14 Dec 07 in Miami, Florida. RIP.

Photograph and article taken (in part) from Jewishsports.net

Southpaw Stylist · Post by **Southpaw Stylist** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:33

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:34

R.I.P to a real boxing legend.

I was priviledged to have one of my first pieces I ever wrote featured on the cyberboxing zone which was run by Hank Kaplan and Jim Trunzo.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:37

RIP certainly. :(

DavidPayne · Post by **DavidPayne** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:40

A real loss. Great fella. Steve Bunce said he remained as sharp as a tac when he featured on one of his pieces a year or so ago.

Sammy Mendelson · Post by **Sammy Mendelson** » 14 Dec 2007, 11:41

From the IBHOF:

Born in Brooklyn, NY, Kaplan's introduction to boxing came as a teenager at Camp Wakitan in upstate New York when a smaller boy bloodied his nose. A life-long obsession with the sport and its intricacies was born. He engaged in several amateur bouts and one professional fight, which he won. With the onset of WW II, Kaplan joined the Coast Guard because one of his idols, Jack Dempsey, did the same, and served in the South Pacific as a chemical warfare specialist. After the war, Kaplan earned a biology degree from the University of Miami and worked for 30 years at the Center for Disease Control as a quarantine officer. In the 1950s he met Angelo and Chris Dundee at Miami's famous Fifth Street Gym and was soon serving as their public relations consultant. At the same time, Kaplan began amassing the largest private collection of boxing archives. Over the next 50 years he would become recognized as the foremost historian in the world. In addition to his archives, Kaplan is the founder and editor of Boxing Digest magazine, editor of Boxing World and served as consultant to such media outlets as Sports Illustrated, London Times, Der Stern and HBO. For over two decades Kaplan was The Ring's Florida correspondent and has written and published boxing features and historical pieces for boxing journals all over the world. Authors, filmmakers, researchers and sportswriters often seek Kaplan's expertise and opinions. Kaplan served as technical director for the Marciano vs. Ali computerized bout in 1970. He has 254 credits in GOAT, the Ali compendium and the biggest boxing book ever published. In 2002 Kaplan received the James J. Walker Award from the Boxing Writers Association of America for “Long and Meritorious Service to Boxing.” Based in Miami, Kaplan worked daily, until his death, preserving the legends and lore of the “sweet science.”

A true legend of the sport; especially for those who also love the journalistic aspect of boxing.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 14 Dec 2007, 12:13

R.I.P. Hank Kaplan. A great loss.

Rocky Balboa · Post by **Rocky Balboa** » 14 Dec 2007, 12:45

Only the other day I was reading an article by Hank covering a Salvador Sanchez bout in 1981. I think it was Sanchez vs Roberto Castanon.

Needless to say, I enjoyed reading the piece of writing on the bout.

RIP, Hank!

Scrap · Post by **Scrap** » 14 Dec 2007, 14:19

Spent time with the man, Loved it. A Legend and a Gentleman with a great sense of Humour, He will be missed R I P.

WildWaylon · Post by **WildWaylon** » 14 Dec 2007, 16:00

Sad loss, RIP - Anyone know his age?

BBN · Post by **BBN** » 14 Dec 2007, 16:10

The front page on here has 1919 as his year of birth, but imdb.com has 15/04/1920

WildWaylon · Post by **WildWaylon** » 14 Dec 2007, 17:28

BBN wrote:The front page on here has 1919 as his year of birth, but imdb.com has 15/04/1920

Thanks mate - Late eighties is a good age, but still a sad loss to boxing and of course his family.

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 14 Dec 2007, 17:42

RIP - hank was a total boxing legend, absolutely adored our sport.

Al Savani · Post by **Al Savani** » 14 Dec 2007, 18:49

harrygreb · Post by **harrygreb** » 14 Dec 2007, 20:39

what a great picture that is .....fantastic!!

Boxingmad · Post by **Boxingmad** » 15 Dec 2007, 14:24

They used to say that what he didn't know about boxing wasn't worth knowing anyway. He was one of the old-school, the best boxing historian around.

RIP.