One of the standout years for boxing in terms of its literary impact has an entrant from boxing writer and historian Louis Joshua Eisen, who has penned the book “Boxing's Greatest Controversies: Blunders, Blood Feuds, and Mob Corruption.”

“I was inspired to write the book by my love for my mentor and surrogate father, Angelo Dundee,” Eisen told The Ring in an interview. “I first met Angelo when I was 13, and I wanted to be a boxer. I wasn’t good enough. So, he suggested I combine my two favorite school subjects, English and history, and write about boxing … Controversy is the one constant through boxing history, so I decided to investigate the genesis of some of these controversies which still are discussed and debated even today.”

As a member of the International Boxing Research Organization and the Old Timer selection committee for the International Boxing Hall of Fame, the Toronto, Canada native Eisen leans on his lifelong passion for the sweet science to serve his readers with a bulge of backstories for the following fights:

“The most revealing part of my work was the fact that not everything that has been written about some controversial fights is true and should never be accepted as such,” said Eisen, who also appeared in the Academy Award-nominated film Cinderella Man, portraying trainer Ray Arcel in 2005.

“Some controversies in boxing history were based on deliberately false narratives … I also learned that some controversies were not premeditated or nefarious.

“Sometimes the fights influenced the era and other times, the era influenced the fight. And sometimes, they influenced each other. The question becomes harder to answer when discussing boxing today. I believe that because of the phenomenal purses available to fighters today and the fact that there are multiple world champions in every weight division, the era is most definitely shaping the goals and personalities of each fighter and their respective ambitions and outlooks on boxing.”

Although Eisen focuses on the storylines from yesteryear in his book, he says that plenty of mishaps still need to be fixed in boxing today.

“The biggest blunders and controversies in boxing today stem from inept boxing judges and referees adversely affecting the outcomes of so many fights,” said Eisen. “There needs to be a universal standard for judging fights in every jurisdiction. Incompetent judges and referees are never punished and always continue to work. This works to boxing’s disadvantage as it drives away casual fans that the sport cannot afford to lose. This problem is fixable but still remains elusive.”

“Boxing's Greatest Controversies: Blunders, Blood Feuds, and Mob Corruption” is available via Dundurn Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indigo in both Kindle and paperback.

The calendar year is shaping up to be a strong one for the sweet science in the books department. The following projects are just some of the books that have already been released or are set to be available throughout the year. (Listed in alphabetical order by author).

As for his next project, Eisen is working on a book about African-Canadian first cousins and world champions George Godfrey and George “Budge” Byers.

"Both men exuded class, dignity, and respect," said Eisen. "Godfrey retired a very wealthy man while Byers ended up training the immortal Sam Langford. Both Godfrey and Byers were born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island during the 1800s and overcame systemic racism and dire poverty to become world champions. It’s an inspirational story of tragedy and triumph that still resonates today."