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Associated Press It was typical Teddy Blackburn. The Boxing Writers Association of America had honored him with another award, and Blackburn didn't want to talk about himself. He was already thinking of ways to use the award to help fallen fighter Gerald McClellan. "I don't do stuff for awards," Blackburn said. "I don't even enter photography contests." Blackburn may not do things for awards, but boxing writers have thought enough to honor him with two. He won the Marvin Kohn Good Guy Award in 2001 for his work in helping McClellan, and this year is being honored with the James J. Walker Award for Long and Meritorious Service. "It's an honor because it's unexpected," Blackburn said. "I take pictures, and to get recognized for something else is kind of special." Blackburn does take pictures, and he takes them well. He has been around boxing for more than two decades, specializing in capturing boxers behind the scenes through his lens. His photos have been featured in numerous publications, and his business card features shots of Mike Tyson on the covers of the New York Post and Daily News. The 47-year-old native of Ann Arbor, Mich., lives now in New York but has traveled the country shooting various fighters and those who hang around the fight game. A collection of some of those best photos is in Blackburn's new book "In the Other Corner: A Tribute to Gerald McClellan," which features not only McClellan, but almost anyone else involved in boxing over the last 20 years. Blackburn's book is good enough to make himself some money. But, typical of the photographer, he is donating all the proceeds from it to helping McClellan's family meet his ongoing expenses. Blackburn's relationship with McClellan goes back to the boxer's days in the Kronk Gym. He's one of the few people in the boxing industry who visits McClellan at his home in Freeport, Ill., where he is blind and brain-damaged. The experience of his first visit had a profound effect on the photographer. "When I first went to visit him in 1996 he took a piece of my heart with him," Blackburn said. Blackburn made arrangements to bring McClellan and his sister, Lisa, to New York in 2002 when he received the Good Guy award, and believes McClellan was touched by the ovation and attention paid to him there. There's nothing more Blackburn would want than to have McClellan at his side in Las Vegas for his second award, but the boxer cannot fly on airplanes. "He deserves to be there with me," Blackburn said. Meanwhile, Blackburn wants to use his award to draw attention to the plight of McClellan and raise more money for him. You can buy his book by writing a check for $50 to Fighters Need a Hand, 2985 Botanical Square Suite 6E, Bronx, N.Y. 10458. "I'm trying to sell the book, which hasn't been easy," he said. "But it's all for Gerald and the G-Man." Sharing his moment in the sun with someone who needs help. It's typical of Teddy Blackburn. |
James J. Walker Award
1940 -- James J. Walker 1941 -- Gene Tunney 1943 -- Nat Fleischer 1944 -- John J. Phelan 1945 -- James J. Johnston 1946 -- Mike Jacobs 1947 -- James A. Farley 1948 -- Dan Morgan 1949 -- Abe J. Greene 1950 -- Wilbur Wood 1951 -- Edward P.F. Eagan 1952 -- George A. Barton 1953 -- Dr. Vincent A. Nardiello 1954 -- James J. Braddock 1955 -- Harry Mendel 1956 -- Frank Graham 1957 -- Jack Dempsey 1958 -- Sam Taub 1959 -- Marv Jensen 1960 -- Ned Brown 1961 -- Dr. Alexander Schiff 1962 -- Dr. Mal Stevens 1963 -- Harry Markson 1964 -- Mickey Walker 1965 -- Jack Cuddy 1966 -- Nat Fleischer 1967 -- Joe Louis 1968 -- John Condon 1969 -- Murray Goodman 1970 -- Don Dunphy 1971 -- Teddy Brenner 1972 -- Dr. Edwin Campbell 1973 -- Barney Nagler 1974 -- Bobby Gleason 1975 -- Daniel M. Daniel 1976 -- Duke Stefano 1977 -- Chris Dundee 1978 -- Ray Arcel, Freddie Brown 1979 -- Bobby Goodman, Marvin Kohn 1980 -- Nat Loubet 1981 -- Bill Gallo 1982 -- Eddie Futch 1983 -- Tom Kenville 1984 -- Muhammad Ali 1985 -- Irving Rudd 1986 -- Dick Young 1987 -- Jack Fiske 1988 -- Arthur Mercante 1989 -- Marty Cohen 1990 -- Jay Edson 1991 -- Howard Albert 1992 -- Ralph Citro 1993 -- Lou Duva 1994 -- Willie Pep 1995 -- Floyd Patterson 1996 -- Angelo Dundee 1997 -- Mills Lane 1998 -- Steve Acunto 1999 -- Al Gavin, Bob Jackson, Russell Peltz 2000 -- Gil Clancy 2001 -- Don and Lorraine Chargin 2002 -- Hank Kaplan 2003 -- Jimmy Glenn 2004 -- Marc Ratner 2005 -- Teddy Blackburn |
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