Boxing to Return to the Maccabiah Games?

Calling All Jewish Boxers for the 2026 Maccabiah Games!

Boxing was a staple of the Maccabiah Games from its inception in 1932 until 1977, when memorable fighters such as Kenny Bogner, Bruce Strauss, and Haim Zilberschmidt competed. Beginning in 1981, boxing has been out of the Jewish Olympics, though.

Currently, there is a push to get boxing reinstated for the 22nd Maccabiah Games, to be held from July 1 until July 22, 2026 in Israel. The Jewish Boxing Blog has been asked to help compile of list of boxers who might be interested in competing. 

If you're a Jewish boxer, or know of one, please contact The JBB by either emailing JewishBoxing at yahoo dot com or DMing the Jewish Boxing Instagram account.

The committee is particularly looking for boxers who will represent countries other than the United States or Israel. However, if you will represent the U.S. or Israel, please feel free to contact The JBB.

David Malul vs Colin Huntington: Four-rounder of the Year?

Welterweight "King" David Malul is scheduled to face Colin "The Hunter" Huntington at the Melrose Ballroom in Queens, New York, USA on November 13. This main event between two come-forward power punchers could be tremendously explosive.

Malul, 22, is a 3-0 New Yorker with 2 KOs. He last fought in March. A bout scheduled in August was scrapped when Malul busted his nose in training. David boxed more in his last fight against Shaq Rushing, but he has already developed a reputation as a frightful puncher after scoring two terrifying knockouts in his first two fights.

Huntington, a 23 year old father of a three-year old daughter, signifies a step-up for Malul. The native of Kalamazoo, Michigan is 3-6 with 2 KOs. An aggressive southpaw, Huntington has not been matched advantageously throughout his career. Since turning pro in 2021, the opponents he has lost to held a combined record of 23-5-1 when they face Huntington. Conversely, his wins have come against three opponents with a combine record of 2-22.

Huntington took his debut on one-day's notice, moved up several weight classes, and was stopped in the second round. He gained his first win in his third fight with a devastating knockout of Marlon Hardnick Jr in the second. Hardnick has been knocked out in all nine of his fights, including eight by first round stoppage.

The Hunter came out boxing against Jaime Cuesta in their fight two years ago. He countered from the outside in the first. Cuesta's aggression and punch variety inside trapped Huntington in the corner where he mostly had to cover up. In the third, Cuesta gave himself some space and landed two rights at range. The full extension of the first right almost separated Huntington from his senses and the fight was stopped.

Against fellow southpaw Lance Smith in May, Huntington started the fight landing crisp shots while pressing forward. Smith floored him twice with counter lefts and took control of the fight. Smith managed to pin Huntington against the ropes for most of the next two rounds until the man from the 'zoo retired after the third.

Both men have power and have been knocked down in their pro careers. Huntington has the height and experience advantages. He's no pushover and his southpaw stance could give Malul problems. Huntington leaves himself open when pushing forward and can become a sitting duck while against the ropes. Malul should get inside, negating Huntington's southpaw advantage and then find openings as the Michigander can be be touched up in a phonebooth. It's setting up to be a memorable fight.

This four-rounder will mark Malul's promotional debut.

Lev Jackson to Fight on November 22 in Mexico

Lightweight Lev Jackson is scheduled to fight on November 22 in Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico. The promotor is Teofista Boxing. Jackson is 4-1-1 with 2 KOs.

Lev is a 33 year old from Vancouver, Canada. He recently became a father and was looking for a stay-busy fight. He fought in Mexico in April, ending a year and a half layoff. Though he acknowledges this is a tune-up fight, he knows it won't be easy. If he can get past his as-of-yet unnamed opponent, he's looking for a bigger fight in 2026.

Review of The Baddest Man

Baddest Man: The Making of Mike Tyson
By: Mark Kriegel

Penguin Press, 2025

When I heard that one of the most prominent boxing writers going today wrote a biography on the well-trodden topic of Mike Tyson, I rolled my eyes and figured it was simply an attempt at a cash grab.

I was wrong.

Kriegel's Baddest Man travels down the same lane as David Halberstam's Breaks of the Game. Tyson is so well-known, there's no way to produce completely new information, but Kriegel manages to find unique angles that truly illuminate Mike Tyson's personality, providing context to his warts, his successes, and everything in between.

In the process of retracing Tyson's early life until his demolition of Michael Spinks in 91 seconds, Kriegel challenges such lazy narratives as Cus and the kid and Robin Givens as gold digger. D'Amato and the great Jewish handball player and fight film collector, Jimmy Jacobs, were less saviors than self-interested enablers. That's not to say they didn't care for the young Tyson, just that they helped mold him into the heavyweight champion of the world at the expense of personal growth. Tyson was merely another in a series of high-profile relationships in Givens's life. If her mother made a mistake, it was bringing Don King into the family's orbit as she tried to put distance between Tyson and his managers, particularly the unlikeable Bill Cayton.

Interviews with a myriad of people who knew Tyson, particularly lesser known folks from his early years, present a fuller picture of the often-caricatured champ. We all know he grew up in a very difficult situation, but it's important to discover just how amoral his upbringing was. That isn't to excuse his often harmful behavior but to show there was nothing innate in Tyson's path. He was a product of his environments: from the drug-pushers and pimps of Brownsville to the bloodsuckers of boxing.

If there's a criticism of this book it's that the author needlessly inserts himself into the narrative on occasion. Certain figures such as D'Amato, Jose Torres, and some writers come across, perhaps unfairly, as villains. Even Tyson's eventual ear-biting incident against Evander Holifield can be traced back to D'Amato, who loved recounting the story of protégé Artie Diamond, a Jewish boxer who bit the ear off the toughest inmate upon his arrival in prison. Former light heavyweight champion Jose Torres, the chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission at the time, acted more like Tyson's protector than a regulator. Other New York scribes are usually deemed as bootlickers or enablers.

As with Matt Bai's retelling of the Gary Hart scandal in All the Truth is Out, Mark Kriegel's Baddest Man deals with a salacious subject in a responsible manner. It corrects false perceptions and adds new information about a globally famous figure. Baddest Man is a must read for the countless legions of Mike Tyson fans.