In 1996, Muhammad Ali and I co-authored a short book about bigotry and prejudice that was keyed to religious and racial divisions. To spread the message, we visited schools in a half dozen cities across the country, talking with students about the need for tolerance and understanding.

Thomas Hauser

David Tua was an elite and world class heavyweight, I believe David Tua would have knocked Joseph Parker out in a handful of rounds.

Thomas Hauser

A boxing ring looks different from the inside, particularly when it's shared with another man who is intent upon rendering you unconscious. There's no place to hide. Once a fighter climbs the stairs, he's roped in, unable to leave until his night's work is done.

Thomas Hauser

Most people have been on a baseball diamond and a basketball court. At least once in their life, they've walked across a football field. But relatively few people have ever set foot inside a boxing ring.

Thomas Hauser

For thousands of years, the most physically imposing buildings on earth were temples, churches, and mosques. But in the 20th century, new houses of worship came to dominate the landscape. Yankee Stadium is the most storied of these contemporary shrines.

Thomas Hauser

Baseball is a game of tradition. It lives, in large measure, on its past.

Thomas Hauser

Marciano was an idol in a simpler era, when professional athletes were heroes and sportswriters were complicit in building legends rather than exposing them. To the public, all that really mattered was that Rocky had 49 wins in 49 fights and retired in 1956 as the undefeated heavyweight champion of the world.

Thomas Hauser

It's not fun to get punched in the face. It's hard, and there's no glory in it.

Thomas Hauser

Presidential election campaigns offer a unique opportunity to educate the public and engage in an intelligent dialogue on issues of national importance.

Thomas Hauser

As a general rule, Las Vegas sports books take boxing bets only on major fights.The same is true of most Internet gaming sites. Within that framework, not only does boxing allow participants to bet on their own bouts, it sometimes encourages them to do so.

Thomas Hauser

Three of my childhood dreams went unfulfilled. I never saw a no-hitter, never saw a triple play, and never caught a ball that had been hit into the stands. But I did see the Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in a World Series game when I was 10.

Thomas Hauser

It's unlikely that Arturo Gatti will ever be in a boring fight.

Thomas Hauser

Interest in a sport peaks during its championship season. That's when even casual observers turn on their television sets, and lifelong fans are born.

Thomas Hauser

Not voting is disrespecting the best of what this nation stands for.

Thomas Hauser

In the 1940s, boxing was a mainstream sport and deeply ingrained the fabric of Harlem. Joe Louis ruled the world, but the local icon was Sugar Ray Robinson.

Thomas Hauser

When something in the sweet science doesn't look right, most likely it isn't.

Thomas Hauser

There's a difference between world-class fighters and club fighters. It's similar to the distinction between a Grammy Award nominee and a guy who sings in Holiday Inn cocktail lounges.

Thomas Hauser

Trinidad is a great fighter; he's exciting, and he goes in tough. His roster of opponents includes Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, David Reid, Fernando Vargas, and Hopkins. It's hard to imagine Felix being in a boring fight.

Thomas Hauser

To make it big, a fighter needs power. Otherwise, sooner or later, he'll fall victim to opponents who force the issue and take two or three punches to land one.

Thomas Hauser

As a general rule, the only way people pay $7,500 a table for club fights is when a significant portion of the proceeds is earmarked for charity.

Thomas Hauser

Crossroads fights are an important part of boxing. The winner goes on to bigger and better things, while the loser squanders a significant career opportunity.

Thomas Hauser