A look at the career of Eddie Machen, a gifted heavyweight who never reached his potential because of a shaky psychological make-up. He died, in mysterious circumstances, at the age of 40 - by Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport.

Perhaps he crossed the path of a black cat once too often, or was given to recklessly overturning saltshakers. Whatever he did, Eddie Machen, a top heavyweight in the late fifties and early sixties, was the personification of bad luck in a business–prizefighting–where bad luck is an accepted occupational hazard. A naturally gifted boxer, Machen had a habit of bringing more than just his gloves into the ring; he also dragged with him the kind of bad juju common to characters in a Cornell Woolrich novel or a particularly bleak film noir.

Eddie Machen was born in Redding, California on July 15, 1932. During the midst of the Depression, Redding was an anomaly: a Boom Town–or at least as close as you could get to one in those lean days. The construction of the Shasta Dam, which began in 1936, nearly doubled the population of Redding, and brought in its wake a blue collar workforce as well as the rough and tumble atmosphere typical of hard laborers during lean times.

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The turbulent life and strange career of 1950s welterweight champion Don Jordan, who ran with street gangs as a kid, partied with mobsters, and carried a bow and arrow with him through the streets of Los Angeles - by Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport.

"Chaos" is the only suitable word to describe the career of Don Jordan. Fifty years after he first won the welterweight title, Jordan remains a mystery without a solution. Not only did Jordan bewilder spectators with his desultory performances, he also mystified trainers, sports writers, police officers, mobsters, and historians, few of whom have bothered to trace a career that reads more like a case study than the narrative of a boxer. Welterweight champion only long enough to make two defenses and accidentally TKO nefarious Frankie Carbo, Jordan left behind a legacy as befuddling as that of Iron Eyes Cody or D.B. Cooper. Like many fighters in the 1950s, Jordan was dogged by ties to mobsters, but it was his own instability that ultimately led to his spectacular crash.

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The life and times of Johnny Saxton, mob-controlled welterweight who went from the championship of the world to an insane asylum - by Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport. 

Johnny Saxton, who died on October 4, 2008 at 78, was one of the most controversial champions of the post-war era. Gifted, but ultimately baffling, Saxton trailed skullduggery—and worse— wherever he went. If Primo Carnera can be considered a dreadful symbol of gangland regulation of boxing in the 1930s, then Saxton may very well be poster boy of the Mafioso-controlled 1950s. Although he won the welterweight championship twice, no one can be certain about his accomplishments in boxing. His connections to mob figures Frankie Carbo and Blinky Palermo resulted in several peculiar situations, and his career was later overshadowed by tragic circumstances beyond the ring.

Born in Newark, New Jersey, on Independence Day, 1930, Johnny Saxton lived a life of nearly impossible symbolic significance. As a child, the luckless Saxton was bounced from relative to relative before being sent to the Colored Orphan Asylum in the Bronx. The Colored Orphan Asylum, founded in 1836 in Manhattan, was eventually torched to the ground during the Draft Riots of 1863; it then reappeared in Riverdale in the early 1900s. Its orphanage wing was closed after World War II in part due to neglectful conditions.

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Corey Erdman takes a look at ten of the greatest rematches in boxing history.

One of the wonderful things about the sport of boxing is that it has the ability to create, and recreate magic. Want to see the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies go at it again? Better hope they're both still around next October. Think Peyton Manning's Indianapolis Colts could best Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints if given a second try? They may never get one.

Granted, "boxing" doesn't make its own decisions either—promoters, managers, sanctioning bodies, venues, television networks and fighters do—which means there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong. In the age of rematch clauses, we've seen our fair share of utterly forgettable rematches thanks to either contractual obligation, or greed, designed to fool the casual fan, with a wink and a nod to those in the know. But for every Chad Dawson-Antonio Tarver II, there are wisely chosen second attempts at closely contested bouts, designed to determine a conclusive winner.

On Saturday, lineal lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KO) will wage war with Juan Diaz (37-3-0, 17 KO) for a second time, following their 2009 Ring Magazine Fight of the Year.

In all, twenty second meetings have been given Fight of the Year honors, with another hopeful just days away.

Let's take a look at 10 of the top rematches in the history of the "sweet science."

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By Carlos Acevedo of The Cruelest Sport.

"A man cannot jump over his own shadow." Yiddish proverb

     Of all the Jewish fighters regarded as potential heirs to Benny Leonard in the late 1920s--a shortlist includes Solly Seeman, Ruby Goldberg, and Sid Terris--only Abraham "Al" Singer actually managed to win the lightweight title. For a while, Singer even fought under the imprimatur of "The Ghetto Wizard." Today Singer is little more than a historical footnote, regarded as lightly, perhaps, as Jimmy Goodrich or Rocky Kansas, but at his peak, from 1928 to 1930, Al Singer was a bona fide sensation.

     "It makes no difference who he fights," Madison Square Garden promoter Jimmy Johnston once said, "a bum off the streets or the champion, we will sell out." Indeed, Singer, who fought 65 of his 73 bouts in New York City, was one of the greatest attractions ever to step into a Big Apple ring. Some of the box office numbers are astonishing. Both of his fights with ferocious Roaring Twenties hangover Bud Taylor drew 20,000 spectators; 19,000 watched him decision Stanislaus Loayza; and 21,630 amassed for his first brawl with Tony Canzoneri in 1928. Even bouts with less distinguished figures overworked the turnstiles: sellout crowds gathered to see Singer outpoint Davey Abad and annihilate Jersey City hero Young Zazzarino. Those were heady days for Al Singer, "The Next Benny Leonard," but they did not last for long.

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By Andrew Fruman

Given the phsyical demands and punishing nature of the sport, it's not surprising just how few boxers have been able to post significant wins in their forties. Glen Johnson will be looking to do just that tomorrow night in Hartford, and in honor of his bid, let's take a look at the fights that earned boxing's grizzled veterans exclusive membership in the over 40 club.

40 - Forty

Dick Tiger UD 10 over Andy Kendall – November 14, 1969 – age 40 (3 months)

Entering the bout as the world’s #1 light-heavyweight contender, the long time Madison Square Garden favorite pounded out a 10 round victory over #2 ranked Andy Kendall. Tiger staggered Kendall early in the fight, but the 31 year old from Oregon hung tough and while the judges’ scores were wide – 9-1 twice and 8-2 – the rounds were competitive. At one stage in the late going, Tiger brought the crowd to their feet with his impression of the Ali shuffle, explaining afterward, "I wanted to prove that I’m still young."

Tiger fought once more, losing a 10 round decision to Emile Griffith the following June, before being diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He was just 42 years old when he passed away in December of 1971.

Carl Thompson TKO 5 over David Haye – September 10, 2004 - age 40 (3 months, 15 days)

Thompson was expected to bring nothing more than some name value to the list of the big punching upstart’s knockout victims. Instead, the tough as nails 16 year pro soaked up all kinds of punishment, before stopping the brash youngster - who had run out of gas - via 5th round TKO.

Bob Fitzsimmons W 20 over George Gardner – November 24, 1903 – age 40 (5 months, 29 days)

The former heavyweight and middleweight champion added light-heavyweight honors with his victory over Gardner. While historically significant, the bout provided few sparks with the 26 year old Gardner unwilling to exchange, and Fitzsimmons – who claimed to have broken both his knuckles early in the bout - fighting cautiously the whole way. The lack of action prompted referee Eddie Graney, the sole arbiter in the contest to call it the worst bout he’d ever seen.

41- Forty One

Bernard Hopkins UD 12 over Antonio Tarver – June 10, 2006 - age 41 (4 months, 26 days)

While Tarver was only a few months short of his 38th birthday, the one sided nature of Hopkins victory still makes it one of the more impressive performances on the list. From start to finish, Hopkins was in complete control of the bout, with Tarver - a 3 to 1 favourite - barely landing a significant punch.

Archie Moore KO 11 over Yvon Durrelle – December 10, 1958 – age 41 (11 months, 27 days)

Arguably the most impressive come from behind win of all time – and that much more astounding when the man that came back from the brink was a few days shy of 42nd birthday. Showing remarkable resolve, a badly shaken Moore somehow made it out of the first round despite being put down 3 times. After tasting the canvas again in the 4th, the ageless wonder managed to find his footing in the bout, eventually wearing the rugged Canadian down with an 11th round stoppage.

The two light-heavyweights met again the following year, with Moore knocking Durelle out in the 3rd round.

42 - Forty Two

Virgil Hill UD 12 over Valery Brudov – January 27, 2006 – age 42 (9 days)

Hill retired after his most impressive post-40 performance, a narrow points loss in 2004 to Jean Marc Mormeck, the class of the cruiserweight division at that time. Two years later, he returned to the ring to face the undefeated Russian. It was an easy victory for the 42 year old, who used his superior footwork to stay at long range, while moving in and out of his ponderous opponent on the way to a lop-sided decision victory.

Larry Holmes UD 12 over Ray Mercer – February 7, 1992 – age 42 (3 months, 4 days)

Before the bout, Holmes had pointed out Mercer’s lack of head movement being easy pray for his ancient, but still precise skills, but with the younger man coming off a vicious stoppage victory over Tommy Morrison, there were few believers in his chances. It turned out old Larry was on the money, as the 4 to 1 underdog made Mercer looking foolish at times, as he pounded his way to a unanimious decision win.

Holmes parlayed the win into a title shot against Evander Holyfield 4 months later. He made it competitive, especially in the early going, but had no answers when Holyfield chose to fight at long range. After the bout when asked if he would have done anything differently, the ex-champ drew some laughs when he answered, "I would have fought this fight in 1980."

43- Forty Three

Bernard Hopkins UD 12 over Kelly Pavlik – October 18, 2008 – age 43 (9 months, 3 days)

Having struggled over the late rounds in his loss to Joe Calzaghe, this was the bout that was finally going to send The Executioner into retirement. Instead, Hopkins put forth one of his most masterful performances, using his superior ring smarts to completely neutralize his 26 year old opponent's offensive talents, while responding with a steady stream of hard counters.

45 - Forty Five

Archie Moore TKO10 over Alajandro Lavorante – March 30, 1962 – age 45 (3 months, 17 days)

This was Moore’s last great performance, and perhaps the most impressive result for the over 40 crowd, as the 45 year old former light-heavyweight champ handed the world’s 3rd ranking heavyweight a one sided battering. Giving away 20 years, 4 1/2 inches in height and 14 pounds, Moore consistently got inside his bigger opponent, steadily breaking Lavorante down over the course of 10 one sided rounds.

George Foreman KO10 over Michael Moorer – November 5, 1994 – age 45 (9 months, 26 days)

Having been away from the ring for a decade, Foreman’s remarkable return from a 10 year ring absense had appeared to have run its course with his 12 round defeat at the hands of Evander Holyfield 3 years earlier. Yet the big man stayed active and kept plugging away, before getting another crack at the crown - and this time, made the most of it. It wasn't easy, as Moorer appeared in complete control until a left jab, right hand combination flattened the 27 year old for the 10 count.

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