Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things

Col. Bob chasing 1,000, back in the swing of things
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
September 19, 2013


There's Pete Rose's 4,256 career hits. Cal Ripken Jr.'s "iron man" streak of 2,632 consecutive games played. Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points in a single game. All of these records are considered largely unbreakable.

But perhaps the record least likely to be broken resides in the sweet science. It doesn't have to do with the guys landing the blows, either, but the man calling them.

Colonel Bob Sheridan has called 952 world championship fights through this past Saturday’s huge pay-per-view card headlined by Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Saul Alvarez. Even in an era where world titles are handed out like call-girl flyers on the Las Vegas Strip, the likelihood of anyone approaching that number is extremely slim.

Sheridan has endured a number of ups and downs, most of them related to his health. The Colonel has bounced back nicely from his sixth heart attack and has a new lease on life after undergoing a triple bypass in mid-July. He now has his sights set on calling an unprecedented 1,000 championship fights.

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Famous Fight Fan: Rosie Perez

Famous Fight Fan: Rosie Perez
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
June 12, 2013


There are famous boxing fans, and then there is Rosie Perez.

Made a household name by movies such as Do the Right Thing and White Men Can't Jump, and nominated for an Oscar for her role in Fearless, the actress has embraced boxing as much as any celebrity and has an impressive following of fight fans on Twitter.

She even served as grand marshal of this past weekend's International Boxing Hall of Fame parade, an honor that caught her off guard.

"I was beyond surprised," Perez told RingTV.com.

"Steve Farhood contacted me and said (Showtime Sports executive VP) Stephen Espinoza gave him my e-mail. He told me they were throwing around names for this and my name came up. I asked, 'Why me?,' and he said he thinks I'm great for boxing."

This year's list of inductees included the late Arturo Gatti, Virgil Hill, Myung-Woo Yuh, referee Mills Lane, ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr., and journalist Colin Hart.

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Lane makes overdue entry into Boxing Hall of Fame

Lane makes overdue entry into Boxing Hall of Fame
Mark E. Ortega
RingTV.com
May 28, 2013


It's hard to believe that longtime Nevada-based referee Mills Lane is just now getting his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

As far as boxing officials go, nobody achieved the mainstream appeal that the retired referee earned over the course of his career. Since Lane first said “Let's get it on!” prior to the Larry Holmes-Gerry Cooney heavyweight championship in 1982, nearly every top referee has tried to come up with his own catchphrase prior to the opening bell.

But it was Lane’s phrase that caught on with boxing fans, often igniting an extra helping of excitement to the usual buzz that accompanies a major bout. More often than not, Lane was the referee for the biggest prize fights – and for good reason.

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