Writing is not an easy field to find a niche in, and getting that first piece published can be a huge challenge for a fledgling scribe. Even the most famous writers look back on how their careers began and describe a difficult road leading up to their first big break. Steve Farhood is no exception. He knew very little about boxing when he landed his first writing gig.
?I graduated college with a journalism degree, and I wanted to get any job I could in journalism,? Farhood explained. ?And I applied to about 150 newspapers for a job, and I got about 150 rejections. So, the next stop was magazines, and I ended up getting a job as a copy editor with London Publishing which put out boxing and wrestling magazines. That was 33 years ago, and I got a little taste of boxing, I loved it, and I?ve done nothing but boxing ever since.?
These days Farhood?s expertise keeps ShoBox: The New Generation viewers entertained and educated as they watch the cable network?s broadcasts that typically feature up and coming boxers looking to establish themselves in the fight game. Farhood also continues to write regularly and is recognized as one of the best reporters in the boxing media business. He?s been editor-in-chief of The Ring and KO Magazine in addition to serving as the first Vice President of the Boxing Writers Association.
?Those of us lucky enough to work in boxing, we all get there one way or the other,? Farhood said about his experience. ?The stories are usually never the same. If you told me 33 years ago when I was 21 years old that I?d be making my living in boxing journalism for 33 years, I would have said you?re crazy, what are you smoking,? but I can tell you this, I?ve never been bored a day in my life.?
Farhood recently lost a great friend and broadcast partner in Nick Charles, but he cherished the time he spent on the ShoBox announcing crew with Charles. ?It was such a pleasure to work with Nick, because he had such a passion for boxing, and he was such a professional,? said Farhood. ?As an announcer, he was established long before ShoBox.?
He went on to explain when it comes to television ?you are what you are? and ?you can?t fake it.? Being part of a live broadcast is what the analyst loves most about his work. ?To me that?s very, very exciting. I mean, you just can?t replace that with anything else. If I sit at a keyboard and write an article, well, in a half hour if I don?t like what I wrote, you know, I change it, and I make it better,? he said. ?In television you don?t get a second chance to say what you want to say and make observations. Knowing you?re making the first impression in the viewers?consciousness is a lot of fun.?
Like many boxing fans, Farhood is convinced the sport needs the Pacquiao vs. Mayweather fight to happen now more than ever. He feels the fact that the super fight hasn?t materialized yet is another example of how ?boxing, unfortunately, is the type of sport that shoots itself in the foot quite a bit.? He is convinced putting off the fight just hurts the sport and the fan base. ?The way great fighters think, they don?t worry about losing,? Farhood explained. ?They don?t think about ?This guy might beat me.? They don?t say to themselves, or Mayweather doesn?t say to himself, ?Well I have an undefeated record, and I might lose that record against Manny.? You know what, if he?s so worried about his legacy and what an undefeated record means, he will fight Manny, because if he doesn?t fight Manny that?s one of the first things people are gonna remember when they look at Floyd Mayweather?s career. They?re not gonna look at the fact that he won titles in multiple divisions. They?re gonna look at the fact that he never fought Manny Pacquiao.?
Farhood counts one fight he saw early in his career as the best boxing match he ever witnessed in person. He was lucky enough to be in the audience at the Orange Bowl in Miamifor the first Alexis Arguello vs. Aaron Pryor bout in November of 1982. Pryor was 31-0 going into the match against a 72-5 Arguello. Pryor won by TKO in the 14th round. ?That was absolutely amazing,? said Farhood. ?First of all, the stakes were tremendous. Arguello was trying to become the first fighter in history to win titles at four different weights. Arguello was the big favorite, so the underdog won. The way they took each other?s punches was incredible, and then it had a very, very violent and conclusive ending, so you put all that together and it was just an amazing fight.?
Though he understands why Showtime invested heavily in Mixed Martial Arts, Farhood is not impressed himself with MMA and insists ?it?s not my cup of tea.? He is convinced the sport appeals mostly to younger people while boxing is bigger with folks 45 and older. He claimed he tried to become a fan of MMA but just couldn?t get into it.
Being able to focus more on broadcasting for networks like ESPN, CNN, SportsChannel, USA, and Showtime intrigued and sustained Farhood over the years. Looking back, he wouldn?t change anything about the path he chose in life. ?It?s very different, and it?s kept me very, very hungry and motivated and excited,? he said. ?I have no complaints. I love what I do.?
