Five decades of sports writing furnish the backbone of this book, material I’ve gathered from my diary of more than half a century of reporting and collecting. During my many years of association with sports, I’ve studied the likes and dislikes of champions; their eccentricities and fighting qualities, as they compare with those great fighters of another era. It is part, I suppose, of the capacity for hero worship that is more or less inherent in us all. I’ve found champions in boxing a different breed from the average person who engages in sports as a recreation. When I asked a newly crowned champion how he felt when he finally reached the heights, “No different,” was usually the answer I would get. Anticipation always exceeds realization. I recall an interview with Freddy Welsh after he had won the world lightweight crown; “Somehow, now that I’ve won the championship, it doesn’t look so big,” he told me. I was present at a dinner at which Gene Tunney, retired undefeated heavyweight king, and I were the guest speakers, and when I asked Gene the same question, he answered: “In human endeavor, the most important thing is not so much the realization of the goal; the effort of the chase is worth more to the hunter than the actual capture. I cherish the crown. But my greatest thrills came not in winning it but in my climb to the top. Now that the goal has been reached, it is just another incident in my boxing career.” There is no rosy road to success. But once it has been obtained, the hero worship begins. In boxing there are those whose names typify crashing power; others whose cleverness and defensive skill place them in the category of great ringmen. Still others are remembered for their intriguing personalities, their humor, wisecracks, and _color_. In these pages you will find the human side of these vivid personalities; first hand information on fights and fighters that is authoritative; the elements in boxing that made ring history; the never-to-be-forgotten incidents that make boxing the fascinating sport it is. * * * * * My work as a journalist has brought me in contact with sportsmen the world over. I have interviewed presidents and kings, promoters, managers, and fistic celebrities from the four corners of the globe. I have received _La Medaile d’honneur d’or de education physique et des sports_ from France; the _Constantine Ordine Militare de San Georgie di Antioche_ and the _Commandatore della Stella al Merito Sportivo_ from Italy; and the Order of the White Elephant from King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand for my work on behalf of international boxing.