Thomas Hauser
148 articles · SecondsOut.com
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Mayweather-Pacquiao, PEDs, and Boxing
Two days before Manny Pacquiao fought Miguel Cotto, I talked with Alex Ariza, who has been Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach since early 2008. When I asked what it was like to…
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Boxing Gives Thanks for Manny Pacquiao
Thanksgiving and Christmas came early for boxing this year. The November 14th mega-match between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto was the biggest and most important fight of 2009. Think of it as…
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New York Times and Boxing
There was a time when big fights were chronicled in the New York Times with banner headlines in large type that stretched across the front page. Those days are long ago. Newspapers…
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HBO and Boxing – At a Crossroads
HBO and boxing are at a crossroads. The first draft of the network’s overall budget for 2010 was presented in July. It called for a US$15,000,000 reduction for HBO Sports; a cut…
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Tina Meets Pacquiao
When the bell rings, Manny Pacquiao’s eyes turn to burning coals. His ring skills have made him what Steve Kim calls “the Filipino version of Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, and the Beatles.”…
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Sugar Ray Robinson Revisited – Part Two
Sugar Ray Robinson’s knockout victory over Jake LaMotta captured the imagination of America. Baseball and boxing were the country’s two national sports. Robinson had now entered the ring for 124 fights, losing…
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Sugar Ray Robinson Revisited – Part One
Sugar Ray Robinson is the gold standard against which all fighters are judged. “He had everything,” legendary trainer Eddie Futch said after Robinson died. “Boxing skills, punching power, a great chin, mental…
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The Lesson of Ortiz-Maidana
On June 27th, HBO televised what was supposed to be Victor Ortiz?s coronation as the WBA ?interim junior-welterweight champion of the world.? The 22-year-old Ortiz has been groomed for stardom and still…
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Manny Pacquiao: A Fighter for the Ages
On May 2nd, Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton engaged in battle for the right to be called boxing?s ?pound-for-pound? champion. Pacquiao and Hatton have aggressive relentless ring styles. They are two of…
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Forget P4P — These guys are TME
Earlier this year, Eduardo Perez (an ESPN.com reader) sent me an e-mail that made an interesting point. Many boxing Web sites have "pound-for-pound" lists. "Guys like Bernard Hopkins and Joe Calzaghe are…
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HBO, Floyd Mayweather Jr, and July 11th
July 4th is the traditional date for fireworks in the United States, but a battle is shaping up over who fights on HBO one week later. Golden Boy and Main Events have…
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Top Rank Goes It Alone
Don?t get carried away by the title of this article. It would be a stretch to liken Bob Arum to Gary Cooper in High Noon. But in recent weeks, there has been…
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Memorandum for Ross Greenburg: HBO 2009
Hi. It?s me again. Yeah; I figured that would make you happy. Anyway; HBO seems to be struggling with its boxing programming. Your ratings for boxing last year looked like polls tracking…
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De La Hoya-Pacquiao and the Business of Boxing
It?s hard to know how future generations will evaluate Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar is more than a name. He was once a very good fighter, but that time has come and…
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De La Hoya-Pacquiao is a weighty issue
The promotional spots for the Dec. 6 mega fight between Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao proclaim, "Pacquiao is younger and faster. De La Hoya is stronger and more experienced." There's…
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The Vice Presidential Sweepstakes
Most people don?t know it, but Republican Party insiders say that Sarah Palin was the ?safe? choice as John McCain?s running mate. Some McCain strategists opposed her selection on grounds that America…
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The Perfect Punch
It?s a feeling that most people never experience in their lifetime; the feeling of landing a punch that separates an opponent from his senses and leaves him lying unconscious on the ring…
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When the legend becomes the truth
Perhaps John F. Kennedy said it best: "The enemy of the truth is often not the lie - deliberate, contrived, dishonest - but the myth - persistent, persuasive and unrealistic." While Kennedy…
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In the aftermath of Pacquiao-Marquez II
The rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez was a great fight, but several questions linger in its aftermath. Marquez suffered two cuts during the fight. The first, a small cut…
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24/7 and Countdown: Docudrama or Infomercial ?
The line between programming and marketing in sports is often blurred. Two HBO offerings -- 24/7 and Countdown ? exemplify this circumstance. 24/7 is the four-part ?reality-TV? series that preceded the De…
