Who do you collect -- and why?
 

In boxing there's none of the "team loyalty" that drives many collectors to focus on their favorite players in other sports, so I'm curious about the individual fighters you collect -- and why.
My primary focus is longtime Canadian heavyweight champ and Top 10 contender George Chuvalo. We've been friends for 30 years, and in 2013 I co-wrote his autobiography, which was published by HarperCollins in Canada, the US and Britain. I own on-site posters for 33 of Chuvalo's 93 bouts (8 headliners at MSG), as well as more than 40 programs (both matches against Ali and his 1965 WBA title bid vs. Ernie Terrell), tickets, media passes, wirephotos and a dozen of his fight contracts (including vs. Foreman, Frazier, Quarry and a cancelled bout vs. Bob Foster). I also collect Luther McCarty, because his tragic death while defending his World White Heavyweight title against Arthur Pelkey (1913) took place in Calgary, close to my home base in Alberta. Over the years I've managed to acquire several vintage McCarty postcards, cabinet photos ... and one of his business cards ...

I am from MASS so I like to collect New England fighters and being from the Boston Area and having relatives from Brockton ( Peter and Rocky Marciano) I enjoy the history so much, just like Baseball

I know I am a collector/dealer - but the history is what got me started with the early vintage boxing and baseball items

Jimmy

Benny Leonard, Joe Louis, Jim Jeffries. Those are my big three. By default I also collect Jack Dempsey since he is on so many type cards.