Pittsburgh Boxing: A Collected History

Book one of this series—Pittsburgh Boxing: A Pictorial History—showcased the numerous champions, contenders, clubfighters, and behind the scenes movers and shakers that the “Steel City” spawned over the decades. In this follow-up piece, the memorable events and rich local culture they all contributed to takes center stage:

• Harry Greb’s blistering series with Philadelphia’s boxing master Tommy Loughran.
• Billy Conn’s battles with Joe Louis and Solly Krieger inside of the ring, Gene Tunney and his own father-in-law outside of it.
• The hilariously colorful (mis)adventures of Fritzie Zivic, welterweight champion and the proudly self-proclaimed “dirtiest fighter in the world.”
• The Titanic disaster, which claimed the lives of two boxers en route to Pittsburgh to pursue their ring careers.
• The disallowing of the “color line” that encouraged many African Americans, including Henry Armstrong and John Henry Lewis, to seek their fistic fortunes in Pittsburgh.
• The impact of visiting stars like Muhammad Ali, Sonny Liston, Joe Frazier, Jack Johnson, Sam Langford, Ezzard Charles, Willie Pep and the incomparable Sugar Ray Robinson.

In addition, local luminaries such as Art Rooney, Gus Greenlee, Red Mason, Jake Mintz and brawling baseballer “Greenfield” Jimmy Smith make memorable appearances inside these pages, not to mention a visit from two of the most colorful boxing characters to ever blow in from New York, “Howling“ Hymie Caplin and his mysterious cohort, “Evil Eye” Finkle.