*** FLASHBACK *** This article piece originally appeared on dmboxing.com on June 6, 2019
By David Martinez / Boxing Historian / dmboxing.com
Back when I was a kid in the fifties and sixties, I would come across a magazine called The Referee that was either at my father’s barber shop or at the local newsstands nearby.
It was actually in 1961 that I would start to obtain these magazines to educate myself with boxing and wrestling. It was mainly a west coast publication that was published to serve as a fight program with updates for the upcoming various events. It was available at fight venues as well as news-stands.
Although, I do not have every issue, the issues I have are certainly treasured collectables.
One of my favorite writers was a journalist from the Bay Area, Bryon “Speed” Reilly.
Although, Reilly’s expertise was actually baseball, he covered boxing with such truth and credibility that I consider him a pioneer that few today have ever heard of, let alone read any of his work.
Here’s is one of his pieces – dated February 1, 1964 – from The Referee Magazine (page 4) Volume 60 / #3 edition.
I love reading these. It’s a publication that I had never heard of until seeing your posts about the fine publication.