Introducing the panelists:

Mike Silver is an internationally respected boxing historian, award-winning author, and archival consultant whose work has helped preserve and explain the history, technique, and evolution of the Sweet Science. Widely regarded as one of boxing's foremost authorities on the sport's Golden Age, Silver is especially recognized for his analysis of the technical differences between boxing's classic era and the modern game.

Born and raised in New York City, Silver trained as a youth at the legendary Stillman's Gym, where he learned firsthand from many of boxing's great old-school trainers and fighters. That early immersion fostered a lifelong commitment to documenting the sport's history and preserving the technical traditions that defined boxing's greatest generations.

Silver later served as a boxing promoter and as an inspector for the New York State Athletic Commission, gaining firsthand experience with the professional and regulatory sides of the sport. He has also served as a historical consultant and on-air commentator for 19 televised boxing documentaries produced by PBS, HBO, ESPN, the History Channel, and Madison Square Garden Network.

He is the author of four acclaimed books: The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science, considered by many to be a landmark study of boxing's technical evolution; Stars in the Ring: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing, an authoritative photographic history of more than 170 Jewish fighters; The Night the Referee Hit Back: Memorable Moments from the World of Boxing; and When in Doubt, Stop the Bout: A Revolutionary Approach to Boxing Safety and Reform, an examination of boxing's medical, officiating, and regulatory shortcomings that proposes practical reforms to improve fighter safety.

Beyond his books, Silver has written for The Ring, The New York Times, Boxing Monthly, The International Boxing Research Journal, and numerous boxing publications and websites. He curated the landmark exhibition Sting Like a Maccabee: The Golden Age of the American Jewish Boxer at the National Museum of American Jewish History and co-curated the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival's featured program Jews, Boxing, and Hollywood. He is a member of the International Boxing Research Organization (IBRO) and the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

Combining meticulous research with firsthand experience inside the sport, Mike Silver has earned a reputation as one of boxing's most respected historians and chroniclers, helping preserve the legacy, craftsmanship, and cultural significance of the fight game for future generations.

Jack Hirsch is one of America's most respected boxing historians, journalists, and administrators, whose career spans more than four decades covering and preserving the history of the sport. A former amateur boxer who competed in the New York Golden Gloves during the 1970s, Hirsch also sparred with future world middleweight champion Michael "Vito" Antuofermo, an experience that provided firsthand insight into the craft and psychology of championship boxing.

Since 1989, Hirsch has served as the Senior American Correspondent for Boxing News, one of the world's oldest and most respected boxing publications. Throughout his distinguished journalism career, he has also written for The Fight Journal, Ring Sports Magazine, Boxing Beat, and numerous other publications, earning a reputation for meticulous historical research, balanced reporting, and deep knowledge of boxing's rich heritage.

Hirsch has been a leading figure in boxing journalism and governance. He served six terms as President of the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), one of the organization's longest-serving presidents, and later led Ring 8, New York's historic boxing veterans' association. In recognition of his lifelong contributions to the sport, he received the BWAA's Barney Nagler Award for Long and Meritorious Service. In 2020, Hirsch was inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame, and in 2024 he became President of the organization, continuing his commitment to preserving New York's rich boxing legacy and honoring the athletes, writers, officials, and pioneers who shaped the sport.

In 2026, Hirsch added author to his distinguished résumé with the publication of Michael "Jinx" Spinks: An Authorized Biography, the definitive life story of the Hall of Fame light heavyweight and heavyweight champion. The work reflects Hirsch's longstanding commitment to documenting boxing history with accuracy, context, and respect for its greatest figures.

Widely regarded as one of boxing's foremost historians, Jack Hirsch has dedicated his life to chronicling, preserving, and celebrating the sport. His unique combination of firsthand boxing experience, award-winning journalism, historical scholarship, and organizational leadership has made him one of the most trusted and influential voices in modern boxing.

Boxing film archivist, historian, and restorer, Carl Weingarten, widely known in boxing circles as “Fight Film Guy,” is one of the most respected modern archivists dedicated to preserving and restoring historic boxing footage. Through decades of collecting, studying, and digitally restoring rare fight films, Weingarten has helped safeguard important visual records of boxing history that might otherwise have deteriorated, disappeared, or remained inaccessible.

A lifelong collector and preservationist, Weingarten has worked with vintage boxing footage across multiple formats, including 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, and 35mm film. His restoration approach emphasizes careful archival methods rather than artificial enhancement, using detailed frame-by-frame adjustments of exposure, contrast, stabilization, and image quality to reveal the best possible representation of surviving fight footage.

His work is particularly noted for his restoration and analysis of the 1908 Jack Johnson vs. Tommy Burns heavyweight championship fight, one of the earliest major boxing films ever produced. Weingarten’s examination of the surviving footage helped challenge long-standing interpretations of the bout, including misconceptions about camera angles, fight sequences, and widely repeated descriptions of events captured on film. His research has been referenced by boxing historians, documentary producers, and archival researchers seeking a more accurate understanding of early fight footage.

Beyond boxing, Weingarten is also an accomplished musician, slide guitarist, photographer, and the founder of Multiphase Records. His creative background has complemented his archival work, combining technical knowledge, visual analysis, and a deep appreciation for historical preservation.

Through his FightFilmsGuy archive and online presence, Weingarten has made rare boxing films available to a worldwide audience, giving researchers, historians, and fans access to clearer and more carefully preserved versions of classic bouts. His dedication has made him an important figure in modern boxing preservation, particularly for the study of early 20th-century boxing history.

Carl Weingarten’s work represents the intersection of technology, scholarship, and passion—ensuring that boxing’s visual history remains available for future generations.

Mark Allen Baker is an American author, biographer, and historian recognized for his extensive contributions to the study and preservation of boxing history. A prolific writer of more than thirty nonfiction books and hundreds of articles, Baker has become one of the leading historians documenting the sport’s early champions, forgotten contenders, promoters, and cultural impact.

Baker’s boxing scholarship focuses heavily on the personalities and eras that shaped boxing during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. His acclaimed biographies have chronicled the lives and careers of International Boxing Hall of Fame members including Battling Nelson, Abe Attell, Lou Ambers, Willie Pep, Tony Canzoneri, Johnny Kilbane, Jack Dillon, and William A. Brady. Through extensive archival research, rare photographs, newspaper collections, personal papers, and historical records, Baker has helped restore the stories of many legendary figures whose achievements had been overlooked by modern audiences.

Among his significant boxing history works are Battling Nelson, The Durable Dane (2016), The Fighting Times of Abe Attell (2017), Between The Ropes at Madison Square Garden: The History of an Iconic Boxing Ring, 1925–2007 (2019), The World Colored Heavyweight Championship, 1876–1937 (Drawing The Color Line) (2020), Lou Ambers: A Biography of the World Lightweight Champion and Hall of Famer (2021), Willie Pep: A Biography of the 20th Century’s Greatest Featherweight (2022), Tony Canzoneri: The Boxing Life of a Five-Time World Champion (2023), Johnny Kilbane: The Boxing Life of a Featherweight Champion (2024), Jack Dillon, A Biography of Boxing’s Giant Killer (2024), and William A. Brady: The Life of a Boxing and Broadway Impresario (2026).

Baker’s relationship with the International Boxing Hall of Fame has been a defining part of his career. He has served the institution as an author, historian, chairperson, sponsor, volunteer, and biographer, contributing to the preservation and presentation of boxing history. His work has supported museum education, historical interpretation, and the recognition of boxing figures from past generations.

Beyond boxing, Baker’s historical interests extend into American cultural history, regional history, memorabilia collecting, and archival preservation. His broader body of work includes books on topics such as Connecticut history, baseball memorabilia, autograph collecting, Ernest Hemingway, and American social history. His publications are held by numerous libraries and cultural institutions, including major museums and research collections.

Baker’s historical contributions have earned recognition from organizations including the Daughters of the American Revolution, the State University of New York, the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame, and the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the Connecticut Boxing Hall of Fame in 2023 and recognized for his dedication to preserving and promoting boxing’s rich historical legacy.

Through his combination of investigative research, biography, artifact preservation, and commitment to documenting boxing’s past, Mark Allen Baker has established himself as one of the sport’s most active and respected modern historians.

Your host, Bill Calogero, widely known throughout boxing circles as “Billy C,” is a boxing historian, author, broadcaster, commentator, and longtime media personality whose career has spanned multiple sides of the sport — including promotion, fighter management, journalism, radio, television, and podcasting.

With decades of involvement in boxing, Calogero has developed a reputation as a passionate student of the fight game and one of the sport’s most recognizable independent voices. His experience inside boxing’s business world, combined with his deep appreciation for the sport’s history, has allowed him to provide commentary that blends modern analysis with lessons from boxing’s past.

Before becoming primarily known as a broadcaster and historian, Calogero worked directly within the boxing industry in roles involving fighter management and promotion. His hands-on experience with fighters, gyms, promoters, and the business realities of the sport helped shape the perspective that later became the foundation of his media career.

Calogero is the creator and host of Talkin’ Boxing with Billy C, a long-running boxing radio, television, and pioneer podcaster known for fight analysis, interviews, debates, news coverage, and historical discussions. The program has built a loyal following through Calogero’s conversational style, strong opinions, and ability to connect boxing’s current landscape with the traditions and personalities that shaped the sport.

A pioneer in boxing talk media, Calogero has interviewed fighters, trainers, promoters, historians, and influential figures from across the boxing world. His work has consistently emphasized not only major championship events and current contenders, but also the forgotten stories, overlooked fighters, and historic moments that define boxing’s legacy.

As an author and boxing historian, Calogero wrote Tom Molineaux: From Bondage to Baddest Man on the Planet, a biography exploring the extraordinary life of Tom Molineaux, the early 19th-century bare-knuckle fighter who rose from slavery in America to become one of the most significant figures in the early history of the prize ring. Through this work, Calogero helped introduce new audiences to Molineaux’s remarkable journey and his importance in boxing history.

Calogero’s dedication to preserving boxing history has earned recognition from respected boxing institutions. He was inducted into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2024 as a writer, historian, and television/radio host. He was also named among the inductees for the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame Class of 2025, recognized for his contributions to boxing media, history, and promotion.

Today, Billy C continues to serve as a distinctive voice in boxing media through Talkin’ Boxing with Billy C, bringing fans weekly discussions on major fights, rising prospects, legendary champions, boxing controversies, and the historical context that makes the sport unique.

Calogero represents a rare bridge between boxing’s past and present, combining the perspective of someone who has worked inside the sport with the curiosity of a historian and the passion of a lifelong fan.

Every fighter leaves a legacy. Every era tells a story. But one question continues to inspire endless debate among boxing fans: Who truly belongs among the greatest of all time?

Talkin Boxing with Billy C hosted by Billy Calogero, known as "Billy C" a pioneering figure in boxing podcasting and media with decades of experience providing no-nonsense commentary, deep historical insights, and passionate takes on boxing. Billy C brings unapologetic honesty and expertise to the sport and has been creating boxing content since at least 2016 through his podcast and live broadcasts.

The show first aired in the mid-1990s as a live radio and TV boxing talk program, and has now expanded into a multi-platform presence including live streams on YouTube, podcast formats, and radio broadcasts. Billy C has continuously engaged boxing fans for over 22 years, making Talkin Boxing one of the longest-running dedicated boxing talk programs. It has been a staple source for fight results, news updates, and interviews with boxing figures across different media platforms.

Bill Calogero respected former boxing manager turned media personality known for his long involvement in boxing management and media. Having managed notable fighters such as Chevelle Hallback, a female boxer known for her toughness and multiple world titles.

Billy Calogero, (shown left with SBB's own Travis "the What's Next" Smith at his NYS ceremony) a dedicated boxing purist, has received prominent recognition for his long-standing influence and contributions to the sport's media. As the host of the "Talkin Boxing with Billy C" show, his dedication was honored with his induction into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2024.

Further cementing his legacy, he will also be inducted into the Florida Boxing Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2025.

The show featuring live commentary, fight analysis and interviews with notable boxing personalities, customarily featuring side-kicks Daxx Khan and “Blast From the Past” “Blasterman” - Alex Pierpaoli, The Talkin Boxing with Billy C show airs live every Wednesday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Eastern Standard Time.

Billy Calogero is the author of the boxing history book titled "Tom Molineaux: From Bondage to Baddest Man on the Planet." This book shines a light on Tom Molineaux, one of the greatest unsung heroes of boxing history, who fought nearly two centuries before figures like Mike Tyson. Calogero's work highlights Molineaux's role as an early African American bare-knuckle boxing champion and provides detailed historical context focusing on his contributions and struggles within the sport.

The book was published around 2011 and is recognized for its meticulous research and insightful perspective on the early history of black boxing champions, including challenges such as racial discrimination they faced within the sport. 

To purchase "Tom Molineaux: From Bondage to Baddest Man on the Planet" just (click here).