With The Ring I Thee Wed
When Golden Boy Promotions purchased The Ring a few years ago, many fight fans were wary. The thought that The Ring, the one-time Bible of Boxing, would be owned by a promoter implied that its objectivity, such as it was, would be compromised.
But despite The Ring’s illustrious history, it’s ups and downs over the decades and the scandals it weathered and endured, combined with indifferent management and leadership, had already turned the magazine into a bit of a laughingstock.
The Ring had grown old and tired and was in desperate need of a makeover. The Ring improved under its new ownership. Having some capital behind the magazine sharpened its presentation. But something at the heart of The Ring, perhaps even at the soul of The Ring, felt empty and uninspired.
According to mediabistro.com, The Ring’s parent company, Golden Boy Promotions, concluded that enough is enough and has decided to shake things up. The magazine’s longtime editor-in-chief Nigel Collins and managing editor, Joseph Santoliquito, have reportedly been sacked, along with a handful of writers. The Ring’s offices in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, not exactly a hotbed of boxing activity, are being shuttered and its base of operations moved to L.A.
Those of us who grew up with The Ring and have precious memories perusing its pages see this shakeup as long overdue. The Ring had grown stale, predictable, and, worst of all, just plain boring. The magazine has been treading water, not breaking new ground, for as long as anyone can remember. The Ring has needed fresh blood—and now it’s hopefully going to get it.
If Golden Boy can think outside the box and hire the leadership the magazine deserves, The Ring can be transformed into something as dynamic, compelling and durable as the sport it represents. But if The Ring settles for the familiar and humdrum, I fear we can expect more of the same.
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