Ring Observer Boxing by Scoop Malinowski
By Scoop Malinowski
Status: Former New York Post Columnist, New York Newsday Columnist, New York Daily News Lead Columnist, New York Times reporter, NBC 1988 Olympic boxing analyst and ESPN Talk Show host. Former President of the Boxing Writer’s Association of America and ring announcer.
DOB: January 3, 1957 In: Astoria, NY
Childhood Heroes: My parents Wallace and Carmela. The chief arch of my life. Joe Frazier. Muhammad Ali. Carlos Monzon. Bennie Briscoe.
Early Boxing Memory: When I was very young my grandmother pointed him out in the window of his restaurant after we left the circus at the old Madison Square Garden. He waved to us. I had no idea who he was. Dempsey is my favorite old-time fighter and not meeting him is one of the biggest regrets of my professional life. He died when I was still in college.
Hobbies: Running, handball, fitness, weight lifting, hitting the heavy bag.
All-Time Favorite Fights: Frazier vs Ali I by far. I saw it on closed-circuit on Long Island. Arguello-Pryor I. Dempsey-Willard.
Best Book Read: Moby Dick. I liked it on one level. The struggle of man against whale. Also I like the way Herman Melville writes. I’ve read it about fifteen times.
Favorite Movies: The Maltese Falcon. 2001: A Space Odyssey. Citizen Kane. Chinatown. Goodfellas.
Biggest Sports Thrill: Being in Madison Square Garden to see Roberto Duran knock out Davey Moore in 1982. The Garden was really rockin’ that night.
Favorite Meal: Italian. Fresh angel hair pasta with fresh tomato, a little wine on the side.
Interesting Fact: I’m a vegetarian. Something I wanted to try to control my weight.
Musical Tastes: Everything from jazz to heavy metal. Fusion to rock. Frank Sinatra. Nirvana. The Smithereens. Count Basie.
(Matthews on left with boxing great Jake Lamotta.)
Favorite TV Shows: Superman. The Abbott & Costello Show.
People Most Admired: My parents. Boxers as a group.
Education: CW Post.
(This Biofile was done on May 4, 1992.)
