A Goodreads user asked Gene Pantalone:

Gene, just wondering, who is your favourite fighter from the Golden Era and why? Thanks Iain

Gene Pantalone Hard to answer, there were so many good ones. One of the most compelling stories--the reason I wrote the book on him--was Lew Jenkins. He will never be regarded as one of the best boxers, but he may have had the hardest punch of any lightweight ever. From the poorest of upbringings in Texas, he rose to a world title, and squandered it on woman, liquor, and high-speed motorcycles. If you like stories about sports' bad boys, he outdid any of those of today. Ostracized from boxing because of his antics, he redeemed himself during WWII and the Korean War he may have been one of the bravest sports figures in military service, receiving a Silver Star in the the Korean War for holding off an entire North Korean battalion with a small squad the allowed a trapped American battalion to escape. From a pure boxing standpoint, Joe Louis had to be the best heavyweight; he so dominated. The under rated Gene Tunney at 65-1-1 was one of the most skilled boxers and really set the foundation of how people fight today. He was so smart in the ring, and his only loss to Harry Greb he avenged several times. Again, I could list so many others, but those three stand out to me.

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