Canfield author and former boxer Craig Snyder continues to promote his new book, “The Boxers of Youngstown, Ohio: Boxing Capital of the World,” with a series of local engagements this summer.
Since its February release, Snyder has been hitting the press circuit.
Last month, Barnes and Nobles hosted Snyder, who was joined by several boxing legends profiled in the book. Around 100 friends and fans crowded the venue with proceeds benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Youngstown.
According to Snyder, the storied history of Youngstown boxing traces back to 1891 with fighter Mike Farragher. When boxing became legal in Youngstown in the 1920s, the number of local fighters greatly increased. In total, Snyder cited 1,600 boxers from the Mahoning Valley. His book details their careers, titles and achievements.
Hungarian immigrant Dick Evans became the first local fighter to claim a world championship after the sport was legalized in Youngstown. His background was similar to many of those Snyder profiled.
“We’re all raised by immigrants and second or third generations. Guys who’ve worked nine-to-five labor-type jobs in the mills. Being boxers, we were trying to make a better living.”
The author, who also boxed professionally from 1985-1998, earned a regional IBC Junior Middleweight title in 1994.
“I trained myself to death,” said Snyder, who was also working 10-hour days in advertising. “Afterwards, I’d train two or three hours at one gym and kill myself training two or three more hours at another.”
“After a boxing career spanning 20 years, Snyder took up an interest in the local history of the sport. Beginning in 2004, he started compiling boxing lore.
Snyder said he rifled through the archives at the Youngstown Public Library, thumbing through articles filled with pictures, news clippings and other vital pieces of information.
“I spent four or five hours of my days researching. Once I started reading about what these boxers had done, it made me feel obligated,” he said.
Paired with articles from his father-in-law who is also an author, Snyder accumulated around 187,000 words in just two years. Snyder began writing the book in 2013 when he was originally compiling data for a book on a history of Youngstown.
Snyder ultimately took his boxing history manuscript to Page Publishing, which published the book earlier this year.
Upcoming appearances: 6 p.m., Saturday, June 30, Ukrainian Orthodox Center, 1025 N. Belle Vista Ave., Youngstown (amateur boxing show); 9 a.m., Saturday, July 7, Mill Creek Golf Course, Boardman (Till Open Golf Outing); noon, Thursday, July 19, Tyler History Center, 325 W. Federal St., Youngstown as part of its noontime “Bites and Bits” lecture series.
“The Boxers of Youngstown Ohio: Boxing Capital of the World,” 280 pages, 42 images. Paperback: $17.95; eBook: $9.99. Available through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and GooglePlay.
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