Pick a dead guy to write an autobiography

[Caractacus]

BTW I think there was a thread on here a few years ealier about "unpublished manuscripts of autobiographies
of some Boxers from years past that were never published for some reason or another or were lost.

[Tuan_Jim]

Sonny Liston.

Sonny Liston was scheduled to be interviewed for a chapter in the book IN THIS CORNER
but died just before the author could interview him
(also Dick Tiger was also scheduled)

I think it was Sonny's death that inspired Heller to write the book, rather than him being scheduled for an interview.

[Caractacus]

read the preface and the forward to Peter Heller's book.
because he says so himself.

[Tuan_Jim]

read the preface and the forward to Peter Heller's book.
because he says so himself.

Oh yeah it was Marciano's death rather than Liston's that prompted him to write it

[DavidKehler]

My choices are Teddy Brenner, Ray Arcel and Eddie Futch but I can't choose only 1.

Teddy Brenner's "Only the Ring Was Square" was dramatically reduced at the behest of attorneys representing the publisher.

does the publisher still have a copy of the rough draft in their vaults ?

I don't know, but I really doubt it. The best shot would be with the heirs of Teddy Brenner and/or Barney Nagler. Does anyone have any idea how to find these people?

[Tuan_Jim]

Teddy Brenner's "Only the Ring Was Square" was dramatically reduced at the behest of attorneys representing the publisher.

does the publisher still have a copy of the rough draft in their vaults ?

I don't know, but I really doubt it. The best shot would be with the heirs of Teddy Brenner and/or Barney Nagler. Does anyone have any idea how to find these people?

Try Herb Goldman?

[Bodyshot3]

Mickey Duff

[JC]

Mickey Duff

He did, ‘20 and Out’ with the great boxing writer Bob Mee

[Caractacus]

read the preface and the forward to Peter Heller's book.
because he says so himself.

Oh yeah it was Marciano's death rather than Liston's that prompted him to write it

you know if Peter Heller had started on that book in 1967 instead of 1969,
not only could he have interviewed Rocky Marciano but he could have also interviewed Jess Willard who was in good enough health
to be interviewed over the phone (it sounds like) for the Murray Worner radio boxing tournament.

[Caractacus]

Ernie Terrell
and Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams
would have been interesting to read.

[goose 5]

Whatever happened to Peter Heller ?

[Bodyshot3]

He did, ‘20 and Out’ with the great boxing writer Bob Mee

Thank you JC and that feels like a download
Duff was a fascinating character - some good, some bad - and always intrigued me.

[Stevieaber]

Harry Greb
Tony Canzoneri
Maxie Rosenbloom

[Tuan_Jim]

Harry Greb is probably the pick of the thread.

[Caractacus]

Dick Sadler
as he sounded a bit mysterious as far as his backgound went.
he was Archie Moore's manager/trainer in the late 1950's,
he also helped trained Cassius Clay for his first pro bout.
he trained and managed Sonny Liston in the mid-late 1960's.
George Foreman became really suspicious of him later on.
( his check from Foreman for Zaire is still bouncing)
He also claimed to have been a night-club performer at some point.

[Caractacus]

Charlie Goldman
Chick Ferrera

[Caractacus]

was just wondering
who in the Boxing World had managed to either publish their autobiography
or even just finish the manuscript just before they passed away
(and at what age)

[Caractacus]

Bob Satterfield

[bwu]

Macka Foley

[elmersalsa]

Sonny Liston. I think he is the headliner. There is some kind of mystery in many things that he has done.

[Petu v.d. Pajm]

Oscar Bonavena or maybe Battling Siki,

[LeRoiDuRing]

I would love to see Matthew Saad Muhammad's life adapted in some form of media. An autobiography would've been great. Pretty the stereotypical life of an old-school boxer, right ? Almost born an orphan as Maxwell Loach.

First his mother died when he was 1 and the his aunt left him at 3 in a Parking-lot named after Benjamin Franklin. Being unable to tell his name to the sisters who went to help, they ended up giving him a new identity : Matthew like the Saint and Franklin like the parking lot where he was found.

He changed name again to Matthew Saad Muhammad after he became a black muslim but still kept the christian name the church gave to him.

He became homeless for most of his later years after giving away too much money, he was able though to get a job and a little appartment and became an homess advocate just a couple of years before he died tragically at 59 years old, in 2014, from what appeared to be a sudden disease caused by the many punches he took in both pro fights he had to win with guts, sparring wars in philly's gyms and many losses he had to take later in his career, far from his best, because it was the only way he had of making enough money to survive

And in the middle of that there's of course the 2 and a half years as A WBC light-heavyweight champion, the 18 straight wins from the Eddie Mustaffa Muhammad loss to the Dwigh Muhammad Qawi loss and the 8 succesful defense of his title, 7 of them by knockout

I don't know but I'm really seeing this story as drama worthy and it would certainly made a very good movie and/or book if made with care.

[bwu]

Excellent pick.

[Caractacus]

I had read somewhere that he was a Foundling found on the Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia.

[Tuan_Jim]

Sadly Marvin Hagler has to now be added to this thread. I wonder why he never got round to one?