James & Ian

JimStone · Post by **JimStone** » 22 Feb 2005, 10:46

You two were involved in "Uppercut", I believe. I was glancing through some pictures on Getty the other day and came across one of Riddick Bowe leafing through a French boxing magazine called....you guessed it..UPPERCUT. It is from a good few years back. Did you know it existed?

I'll link to the image (I think Getty have stopped allowing remote linking).

http://editorial.gettyimages.com/source ... 8499&cdi=0

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:21

Uppercut: who was that editor? He once kindly picked me up and gave me a lift to Cardiff, but his ideas on what a boxing magazine should entail were doomed to failure. He was telling me he wanted to appeal to the masses, and I was telling him he should target the diehards to get off the ground. We got to Cardiff, bumped into Ian Darke, and Darke said exactly the same thing.
I don't think the editor was listening.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:31

To say the editor was a chocolate teapot is an understatement, he wasn't exactly big on listening to anything, no matter who the advice came from. To be honest even if the mag had targetted the diehards, I still think it was an uphill battle as it's an extremely competitive market in magazines these days and margins are tight as a flea's fanny. The editor was advised as much by numerous people, including people who had been involved with boxing news over the years.

However, It was a good experience to be involved in nontheless, and despite the amazing aggro it caused, time and effort wasted am still glad I gave it a go. Nothing ventured, and certainly nothing gained for my 20,000+ words....ah well, the folly of age.

I wasn't aware of the french magazine, I was aware of a west coast US magazine, but that wasn't a problem as it was a strictly local affair.

The editor never got as far as actually trademarking or even setting up a firm business, it was all a crack-pipe dream built on a fabric as thin as a silkworm's knitting needle.

If anyone knew the whole truth of the whole sordid and farcial affair, then I think they would have a great hollywood script on their hands.

My guess is that the french magazine went the same way as ours, to be big warehouse in the sky.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:35

Please post the full tale, name and shame all those involved I could do with a laugh.

bennie · Post by **bennie** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:37

One had to laugh at the first issue (I heard the second issue was much better). They had a photo of Ken Buchanan, except it wasn't Ken Buchanan, it was former British welterweight champ Ralph Charles.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:37

I've tried my best to put it all behind me. Myself and Ian were pushing a turd uphill from the start, we just didn't realise it until an avalanche of crap landed in our laps.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:39

bennie wrote:One had to laugh at the first issue (I heard the second issue was much better). They had a photo of Ken Buchanan, except it wasn't Ken Buchanan, it was former British welterweight champ Ralph Charles.

Well you can thank the editor for that one. Myself and Ian were not involved in such matters.

MightyWarrior · Post by **MightyWarrior** » 22 Feb 2005, 11:44

jamesmcdonnell wrote: If anyone knew the whole truth of the whole sordid and farcial affair, then I think they would have a great hollywood script on their hands.

UPPERCUT CONFIDENTIAL.

SEE!! THE AWFUL TRUTH IN LURID TECHNICOLOR!!

THEY COULDN'T ESCAPE THE TERROR!!

MOST TERRIFYING STORY THE SCREEN HAS EVER TOLD.

dondada · Post by **dondada** » 22 Feb 2005, 14:47

The editor only had a few jobs to do and, to my knowledge, fucked them ALL up.

The mag did get better but one issue got a picture wrong of a rather obscure boxer. 1930s American guy. Oh yeah, Joe Louis.

The fornicating 'editor' had to pick the images and couldn't even recognise Louis. I kid you not.

nickd · Post by **nickd** » 22 Feb 2005, 15:00

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote: The fornicating 'editor' had to pick the images and couldn't even recognise Louis. I kid you not.

Say no more.

jamesmcdonnell · Post by **jamesmcdonnell** » 22 Feb 2005, 15:48

Ian 'Mr' McNeilly wrote:The editor only had a few jobs to do and, to my knowledge, fucked them ALL up.

The mag did get better but one issue got a picture wrong of a rather obscure boxer. 1930s American guy. Oh yeah, Joe Louis.

The fornicating 'editor' had to pick the images and couldn't even recognise Louis. I kid you not.

there were many jobs he didn't fornicate up though....

Only because he never did them at all....