Name: Arturo "Thunder" Gatti

IBF Super Featherweight Champion -- 1995 Dec 15 – 1998 Mar 13
• WBC Light Welterweight Champion --2004 Jan 24 – 2005 Jun 25.
• Defeated Richard Salazar (TKO 10).
• Defeated Tracy Harris Patterson (W 12) & (W 12).
• Defeated Wilson Rodriquez (KO 6).
• Defeated Calvin Grove (TKO 7).
• Defeated Gabriel Ruelas (TKO 5).
• Defeated Micky Ward (W 10) & (W 10).
• Defeated Leonard Dorin (KO 2).
• Defeated Thomas Dangaard (TKO 11).
• Four-Time Ring Magazine Fight of the Year: 1997 (W KO5 Gabriel Ruelas), 1998 (L 10 Ivan Robinson), 2002 (L 10 Micky Ward), 2003 (W 10 Micky Ward).
• Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year: 1997 (W KO5 Gabriel Ruelas).
• Ring Magazine Upset of the Year: 1998 (L 10 Ivan Robinson).
• Named The Ring magazine Comeback of the Year fighter for 2002.
• won 40 (KO 31) + lost 9 (KO 5) + drawn 0 = 49 rounds boxed 253 : KO% 63.27
• http://www.arturogatti.com/main/

Favorite Book: "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway

""Old Man And The Sea" by Hemingway. Lou Duva bought me that book." [Laughs] "That’s the only book I read. I finished it. Yeah, it was good."

Name: Oscar "Golden Boy" De La Hoya

WBO Super Featherweight Champion -- 1994 Mar 5 – 1994 Jul 29
• WBO Lightweight Champion -- 1994 Jul 29 – 1996.
• IBF WBC Light Welterweight Champion -- 1996 Jun 7 – 1997 Apr 12.
• WBC Welterweight Champion -- 1997 Apr 12 – 1999 Sep 18.
• WBC Welterweight Champion -- 2000 Mar – 2000 Jun 17.
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion -- 2001 Jun 23 – 2003 Sep 13.
• WBO Middleweight Champion -- 2004 Jun 5 – 2004 Sep 18.
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion -- 2006 May 6 – 2007 May 5.
• Defeated Jimmy Bredahl TKO 10).
• Defeated Jorge Paez (KO 2).
• Defeated Carl Griffith (TKO 3).
• Defeated J.J. Molina (W 12).
• Defeated Rafael Ruelas (TKO 2).
• Defeated Jesse James Leija (TKO 2).
• Defeated Julio Cesar Chavez (TKO 4) & (TKO 8).
• Defeated Pernell Whitaker (W 12).
• Defeated Hector Camacho (W 12).
• Defeated Ike Quarty (SD 12).
• Defeated Arturo Gatti (TKO 5).
• Defeated Fernando Vargas (TKO 11).
• Defeated Felix Sturm (W 10).
• Named The Ring Fighter of the Year for 1995.
• Amateur Highlights.
• Career Record: 223-5.
• 1989 National Golden Gloves Featherweight Champion.
• 1990 United States Amateur Featherweight Champion.
• Featherweight Gold Medalist at 1990 Goodwill Games in Seattle, Wash.
• 1991 United States Amateur Lightweight Champion.
• 1991 World Championships in Sydney, Australia.
• Won the 1992 Olympic Trials.
• Won the Lightweight Gold Medal for the United States at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.
• Created Golden Boy Productions.
• won 39 (KO 30) + lost 5 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 44 rounds boxed 300 : KO% 68.18
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doSXJCS3B7U

Favorite Book: "Swimming With the Sharks" by Harvey B. Mackay

"Reading this book is a huge learning experience. But of course I still love Ring magazine!"

Name: Harold Weston, Jr.

Crafty New York Welterweight in 1970s
• Defeated Bobby Melendez (W 8).
• Defeated Vito Antuofermo (TKO 5).
• Defeated Rocky Mattioli (W 10).
• Defeated Jimmy Heair (W 10).
• Wilfred Benitez (Draw 10).
• Hedgemon Lewis (Draw 10).
• Saoul Mamby (Draw 10).
• Johnny Gant (Draw 10).
• Became Madison Square Garden matchmaker in the 1980s.
• won 27 (KO 7) + lost 9 (KO 2) + drawn 5 = 41 rounds boxed 320 : KO% 17.07
• http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=000401&cat=boxer

Favorite Book: "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo

"Why did I like "The Godfather"? Because it was about people coming to America and facing their struggles. It was a very capturing book about the underdog clawing his way to the top. It was about starting from nothing and achieving something significant in American society--even though it was the mafia."

Name: Marvis Frazier

Talented Heavyweight Contender in the 1980s
• Defeated James Broad (W 10).
• Defeated Joe Bugner (W 10).
• Defeated James "Quick" Tillis (W 10).
• Defeated James "Bonecrusher" Smith (W 10).
• Defeated Philipp Brown (W 10).
• Amateur Achievements:
• 1979 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion.
• 1980 National AAU Heavyweight Champion.
• Amateur record: 56-2
• Beat future heavyweight champ Tim Witherspoon in a matchup.
• Son of World Heavyweight Champion Joe Frazier.
• After retiring from boxing, became an ordained Pentacostal minister and active participant in Prison Fellowship.
• Presently, trains boxers and runs the family's limousine business.
• won 19 (KO 8) + lost 2 (KO 2) + drawn 0 = 21 rounds boxed 129 : KO% 38.1
• http://www.championshipministries.org/

Favorite Book: "Native Son" by Richard Wright

"I found reading to be very difficult until I read the book "Native Son". It was a book that keep my attention throughout. I could not put it down because of the extraordinary character named Bigger Thomas. He was a guy like many of us today--he was simply trying to find his way in life. He was a character who wanted respect but he went about getting it the wrong way! Author Richard Wright made me a reader. P.S. Always Remember We Are Blessed By The Best!"

Name: Robert Lipsyte

American Sports Journalist and Author.
Author of over 30 books, plus the boxing classic -- "The Contender".
• Author of follow-up boxing books: "The Brave", "The Chief" & "Warrior Angel".
• Author of "Free to Be Muhammad Ali", 1978.
• Won Columbia University's Mike Berger Award for distinguished reporting.
• Finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
• In 1990 won an Emmy for on-camera achievement as the host of "The Eleventh Hour," a nightly public affairs program on Channel 13.
• Honors and awards include the Dutton Best Sports Stories Award, E. P. Dutton, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1971, and 1976.
• The Mike Berger Award, Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, 1966 and 1996.
• Wel-Met Children’s Book Award, 1967.
• New York Times outstanding children’s book of the year citation, 1977.
• American Library Association best young adult book citation, 1977.
• New Jersey Author citation, 1978.
• Inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame in 1993.
• http://robertlipsyte.com/

Favorite Book: "After the First Death" by Robert Cormier

"I love too many books to have a clear favorite (like Dick Tiger is my favorite boxer and Budd Schulberg my favorite boxing writer) but the book that knocked my socks off was "After the First Death" by Robert Cormier, a chilling study of the gray patch between good and evil in which terrorists take over a school bus and a counter-insurgency general manipulates his son's weakness to try to defeat them. I read it on a flight to the West Coast, finished as we landed, and needed to be prodded off the plane. Thirty years later, I still get chills thinking about the four main characters - the general, his son, the teen-aged terrorist and the young female bus driver."

Name: Duane Bobick

Won the Bronze Medal in the 1972 Olypmic Games.
• Won his first 19 fights by knockout.
• Defeated Mike Schutte (TKO 8).
• Defeated Scott LeDoux (TKO 8) & (W 10).
• Defeated Chuck Wepner (TKO 6).
• Defeated Bunny Johnson (TKO 8).
• Defeated Larry Middleton (W 10).
• Defeated Randy Neuman (TKO 4).
• Defeated George "Scrap Iron" Johnson (RTD 4).
• Defeated Manuel Ramos (KO 7).
• Amateur Highlights
• Amateur Record: 93-13 (61KO's).
• 1971 Pan-American Games Heavyweight champion.
• 1971 National AAU Heavyweight Champion.
• 1972 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion.
• In November 2006, Bobick was elected as a city councilman.
• won 48 (KO 42) + lost 4 (KO 4) + drawn 0 = 52 rounds boxed 226 : KO% 80.77
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ02-9XUs5w&feature=related

Favorite Book: "Sackett's Land" by Louis L'Amour

"I love Louis L'Amore. I've got 40-50 of his books on my book shelf. Zane Gray is good, too. But I get a charge reading, and re-reading, L'Amore. Tonight I finished one on The Sacketts. What I do is this: after I finish reading the book, I write the date in the inside cover, then start reading the next one. Then I do the same with that book until I finish them all. Then I go back and start reading them over again! The action, the pictures, the characters are intriguing and colorful."

Name: Keisher "Fire" McCloud-Wells

Four-Time New York City Golden Gloves Champion -- 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2008
• Three-Time Empire State Games Champion -- 2003, 2004 & 2005.
• Two-Time Metro Champion -- 2003 & 2007.
• Two-Time Ringside's World Champion -- 2005 & 2008.
• http://www.myspace.com/firetheboxingdiva

Favorite Book: "The Coldest Winter Ever" by Sister Souljah

"Sister might not be a fighter in the ring, but she's a survivor and packs one helluva heavyweight punch. I loved her book. She keeps it real."

Name: Vinny "The Pazmanian Devil" Pazienza

IBF Lightweight Champion -- 1987 Jun 7 – 1988 Feb 6
• WBA Light Middleweight Champion -- 1991 Oct 1 – 1992 Vacated (due to injury).
• Named The Ring magazine "Comeback of the Year Fighter for 1991".
• Defeated Roberto Duran (W 12) & (W 12).
• Defeated Glenwood Brown (W 10).
• Defeated Jeff Bumpus (W 10).
• Defeated Harry Arroyo (W 10).
• Defeated Roberto Elizondo (TKO 10).
• Defeated Greg Haugen (W 15) & (W 10).
• Defeated Gilbert Dele (TKO 10).
• Defeated Luis Santana (W 10).
• Defeated Lloyd Honeyghan (TKO 10).
• won 50 (KO 30) + lost 10 (KO 3) + drawn 0 = 60 rounds boxed 457 : KO% 50
• http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=288256649

Favorite Book: "Muscle & Fitness" magazine

"I'm not a book reader, but I'm a big health nut. I read "Muscle & Health" religiously, plus all the other health magazines. Like tonight, I'll go down and work out in my gym, crank up the music, and shadow-box for 10 minutes, hit the heavy bag 10 minutes, do shrugs and my shoulders, then 200 sit-ups. Tomorrow, it's the same, but I'll work my bis and tris. The next day, I'll work the chest. Hey! Like I said, I ain't much of a book reader, but look for a book coming out on me soon--it's called "Do Or Die", the biography of Vinny Pazienza!"

Name: Lou DiBella

Boxing promoter and television/film producer
• Promoted Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins, both former middleweight world champions.
• Currently promoting: Paul Malignaggi; Kermit Cintron; Monte Barrett; Chazz Witherspoon; Andre Berto; Ike "Bazooka" Quartey & Buddy McGirt, Jr.
• Graduate of Harvard Law School.
• Head of programming for HBO Sports for more than 10 years.
• Started his own promotional firm -- DiBella Entertainment.
• Established "The Leavander Fund".
• Owns the San Francisco Giants affiliate & the Connecticut Defenders
• Acted as himself as a boxing promoter in "Rocky Balboa".
• http://www.dbe1.com/

Favorite Book: "The Heart of the Matter" by Graham Greene

"My favorite book?...Well...ah,...that's food for thought...Can I go with a tie?...Okay, I got it..."The Heart of the Matter" by Graham Greene and "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck. I love both writers. If I had to say why these two books, it's simply because both men are two of the greatest authors of the 20th century. Both are able to get down in print what it is to be human."

Name: LeRoy Neiman

Coloristic & Impressionistic Painter of Boxing
• 1953 1st Prize, Oil Painting, Twin City Show.
• 1954 2nd Prize, Oil Painting, Minnesota State Show.
• 1957 Clark Memorial Prize, Oil Painting, Chicago Artists and Vicinity Show.
• Most Popular Painting Prize, Chicago Arts and Vicinity Show.
• 1958 Municipal Art Award, Chicago Artists and Vicinity Show.
• Hamilton & Graham Cash Prize, Ball State Teacher's Show, Muncie, Indiana.
• 1961 Gold Medal, Salon d'Art Moderne, Paris, France.
• 1976 AAU, Award of Merit, Outstanding Sports Artist.
• Honorary Doctor of Letters Degree, Franklin Pierce College, New Hampshire.
• 1977 Gold Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement.
• 1980 Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree, St. John's University, New York.
• 1985 Gold Medal Award, St. John's University, New York.
• 1986 Lifetime Achievement Award, Mucular Dystrophy Association.
• 1997 Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree, Hofstra University, New York 1998.
• 1998 Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree, St. Francis College, New York.
• 1999 Honorary Doctor of Arts Degree, St. Bonaventure University, New York.
• Inducted into Las Vegas Hall of Fame.
• 2000 Receives Lifetime Achievement Award for contributions to golf and sport art at the Art of Golf Festival, Pinehurst, North Carolina.
• Inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame.
• 2003 Recipient of the Victor Award, Las Vegas, Nevada.
• 2004 Recipient of Ellis Island Medal of Honor.
• 2006 Honorary Doctor of Arts, School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
• Paul Newman Award Recipient for Services to the Arts and Children
• The Sport Artist of the Year award presented by ASAMA.
• Named official artist of the Ryder Cup to be held in Louisville.
• Listed in: Art Collector's Almanac.
• Who's Who in American Art.
• Who's Who in America.
• Who's Who in the World.
• http://www.leroyneiman.com/core.htm

Favorite Book: "Don Quixote" by Cervantes

"I think this might be the best book ever written. It's a masterpiece you read again from time to time. It was written a while back, but the themes embedded within are eternal. "Don Quixote" is a big, beautiful book that's still contemporary. Talking about beautiful--remember that fight in Madison Square Garden a while back between Buddy McGirt and Pernell Whitaker? Larry Hazzard was the referee, and just watching those three graceful entities up there in the ring was memorable. Boxing today? I'm not knocking it, but today's fighters seem to be just tough guys. We seem to lack the artists of the past--the Alis, the Larry Holmes, the Sugar Ray Leonards."

Name: Joe Dwyer

Vice President & Championship Chairman, North Amaerican Boxing Federation (NABF) and Governor, World Boxing Council
• Chief Inspector in the New York State Athletic Commission in 1983, where he served for ten years.
• Licensed as a Judge in 1996, until July 2000.
• Served the NYC Police Department for 34 years in patrol and undercover in Organized Crime.
• Received 14 citations for valor.
• New York City Golden Gloves Finalist in Middleweight Division.
• http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.iproofficials.com/sitebuilder/images/Joe-DwyerARTICLE-98x152.jpg&imgrefurl=ht

Favorite Book: "Don't Quit! The Autobiography of Wayne McCullough"

"The book, "Don't Quit" is the life story of Wayne Mc Cullough. Wayne was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Small in stature, he could not make it in baseball or football, so he pursued boxing. He won many national amateur titles and the World Boxing Council Bantamweight title. He is still fighting at 37 years of age. His determination and tenacity shoud be an influence on any young man interested in pursuing a boxing career."

Name: Jesse James Leija -- "The Texas Tornado"

WBC Super Featherweight Champion -- 1994 May 7 – 1994 Sep 17
• IBA Lightweight Champion.
• NABF Lightweight Champion.
• NABF Featherweight Champion.
• Defeated Ivan Robinson (W 10).
• Defeated Azumah Nelson (W 12) & (W 10).
• Defeated Joel Perez (W 12) & (W 12).
• Defeated Jeff Mayweather (W 10).
• Defeated Louie Espinoza (W 12).
• Defeated Troy Dorsey (TKO 6).
• Defeated Steve McCrory (W 10).
• won 47 (KO 19) + lost 7 (KO 5) + drawn 2 = 57 rounds boxed 381 : KO% 33.33
• http://www.jessejamesleija.com/

Favorite Book: "The Power of Positive Thinking" Norman Vincent Peale

"In 1988, when I started my pro carer, my friend Tomas got me reading this book, and I'm telling you, from that day on, it changed my life. It started me thinking in a more positive way. It changed how I treated people and how they treated me. The book definitely changed my life. In fact, I think reading helped prolong my career. Boxing is a tough game. It kills brain cells. But reading helps grow them back. I continue to read, usually inspirational and motivational books. Joe Olsteen is good, too. Reading feeds the mind."

Name: Robert "Preacherman" Daniels

WBA Cruiserweight Champion -- 1989 Nov 27 – 1991 Mar 8
• IBA Super Cruisereight Champion.
• IBC Cruisereight Champion.
• IBO Cruisereight Champion.
• WBF Super Cruisereight Champion.
• Defeated Dwight Muhammad Qawi (SD 12).
• Defeated Kenny Keene (W 12).
• Defeated Mike Sedillo (W 10).
• Defeated Don Diego Poeder (KO 10).
• won 49 (KO 41) + lost 9 (KO 2) + drawn 1 = 60 rounds boxed 310 : KO% 68.33
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFjKMNJBWkU

Favorite Book: "Marshall Keeble: Biography & Sermons" by B. C. Goodpasture

"This book is about a humble preacher-man limited in education but wealthy in wisdom. He didn't allow his lack of education to stop him from winning souls for Christ. I read this biography around 2003 and couldn't put it down. It's about 102 pages and I read it in one day."

Name: Sandro Mazzinghi

WBA Light Middleweight Champion -- 1963 Sep 7 – 1965 Jun 18
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion -- 1968 May 26 – 1968 Nov.
• Defeated Don Fullmer (TKO 8).
• Defeated Wilfy Greaves (KO 5).
• Defeated Ralph Dupas (TKO 9) & (TKO 13).
• Defeated Gaspar Ortega (TKO 7).
• Defeated Isaac Logart (W 10) 7 (TKO 5).
• Defeated Wally Swift (TKO 6).
• Defeated Ki Soo Kim (SD 15).
• Defeated Gomeo Brennan (W 10).
• won 64 (KO 42) + lost 3 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 69 rounds boxed 470 : KO% 60.87
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2aMi1-VngY

Favorite Book: "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" by Jules Verne

""20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was a fascinating book! I read it as a child and when reading it, my young mind entered the dark, mysterious abyss of the sea!"

Name: Paulie Ayala

WBA Bantamweight Champion -- 1999 Jun 26 – 2001
• NABF Bantamweight Champion.
• Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year 1999.
• Defeated Mario Diaz (W 12).
• Defeated Johnny Tapia (W 10).
• Defeated Johnny Bredahl (W 12).
• Defeated Clarance "Bones" Adams (W 10) & (SD 10).
• won 35 (KO 12) + lost 3 (KO 1) + drawn 0 = 38 rounds boxed 305 : KO% 31.58
• http://www.paulieayala.com/

Favorite Book: "Think & Grow Rich" by Napolean Hill

"I picked this book up in high school. I was about 15 or 16. It was my older brother's--he was always into self-development. He left it hanging around so I picked it up and read it. Awesome book. You know, I really didn't like to read in school. School stuff didn't appeal to me. But if I knew something would help me grow as an individual, then I got interested."