Considering the span and depth of Ray Arcel's career as trainer, handler and promoter in boxing, one might imagine an entire library's worth of articles, photographs and memorabilia documenting the over fifty years of involvement in the sport. However, despite the relatively small size of this collection, one will come to view a surprsingly prodigious portrait of Mr. Arcel. The character, class, skill and professionalism that Ray Arcel brought to the boxing world are unanimously documented by the clippings and photographs collected here, which span across seven decades of commitment and dedication. The articles and clippings that comprise this collection are predominantly divided between those in which Ray Arcel was the main focus and those where his name, along with the occasional quote or comment, was merely mentioned. The photographic aspect of this collection provides insight into his relationship with his fighters, both in the ring and in the middle of training. In light of the length of time of Mr. Arcel's involvement with the sport, the scope and depth of the articles and photographs in this collection provide more of a buckshot effect than a thorough documentation. However, the amount of press surrounding the last two fighters he trained, Roberto Duran (1972-1980) and Larry Holmes (1982), along with an almost complete photographic journey of his time training Joe Baksi (1947), gives one a deeper sense of the various levels of commitment Mr. Arcel was notorious for making to his fighters. A couple of the more surprising aspects of this collection are the articles penned by Arcel himself from 1943, 1958 and 1980. Since trainers are habitually, and rightly so, regarded as existing "behind the scenes, " these articles provide three very different, though equally rare, opportunities to hear directly from Ray Arcel himself. Overall, the combination of articles, clippings and photographs, along with the oral history cd, provides an unexpectedly well-rounded glimpse in to the professional life of the legend known as Ray Arcel.
