#37: ‘Ringside’ by Budd Schulberg

‘Ringside – A Treasury of Boxing Reportage’ is a collection of boxing articles written by Budd Schulberg for a number of publications, including Esquire, Boxing Illustrated, Sunday Herald and Sports Illustrated.

I really like BS’s writing, which is rooted in a lifetime of fight-watching and a remarkable knack for observing the characters within the professional game, as well as an ability to befriend and gain the trust of the main players.

I knew little about Felix Trinidad before reading this book, so I enjoyed that particular section, as well as the articles about two of my favourite boxing personalities, Arturo Gatti and Ricky Hatton, who for all their skill eventually became known for stopping punches with their faces.

The book is laid out fairly chronologically, finishing with more contemporary boxers, while grouping articles about particular boxers into chapters. I understand why this was done, but it does result in the book becoming pretty heavy-handed, especially the chapter about Oscar De La Hoya, a boxer BS wrote about a lot. I found these a bit of a test of endurance to work my way through. As with all writers BS has a fondness for certain tropes and themes, so the editorial style of the book can make his writing seem a little repetitive, which of course it wouldn’t have when originally published and separated over the course of weeks, months, years and decades.