Last weekend, St. Paul boxer Will Grigsby travelled to St. Louis to take in the Cory Spinks-Roman Karmazin light middleweight title fight. But it wasn't just a pleasure trip for the former four-time junior flyweight belt holder. While in the Gateway City, Grigsby--who holds the distinction of being Minnesota's first boxing champ since World War I--also inked a deal to fight current IBF titlist Ulises Solis. Grigsby has been itching for the bout since January 7, when Solis got the best of him in a 12-round decision at Madison Square Garden.

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Carlo Rotella--an old friend of mine and one of the most stylish writers I know--handicapped last month's Floyd Mayweather-Arturo Gatti fight in a very funny, very insightful essay at Boxingranks.com. As it turned out, Carlo's carefully-hedged prediction of a Gatti victory was wrong. Mayweather, who is probably boxing's pound for pound best, schooled the outclassed Arturo. The mismatch ended by way of sixth round TKO.

That said, the essay--like Carlo's boxing book, Cut Time: An Education at the Fights--is worth a read. One reason: it contains what must be the richest observations ever uttered about the sordid science and its relationship to the American public. The quote comes from Evander Holyfield's trainer, Don Turner:

"I know there's a lot of bad people in boxing. Boxing is like society, and the American public is basically bad people."

St. Paul's "Steel" Will Grigsby--the best Minnsota boxer of his generation and arguably the best in several decades--will be fighting for a world title on Saturday evening. Neither the Star Tribune nor the Pi Press has seen fit to make notice of this.

This is inexplicable.

The 108-pound Grigsby is a slick and entertaining boxer and his story makes for great copy: Coming up from the rough streets of Frogtown, Grigsby won his first world title in 1998, lost that belt in a slugfest with the legendary Ricardo Lopez, and returned to win another minor belt only to have it stripped after he tested positive for pot. (Obviously, he should have purchased a Whizzinator). Then, following arrests on dog-fighting and domestic abuse charges, Grigsby was sent to prison. His career looked to be finished.

Now, after a two-and-a-half year layoff, Grigsby is poised to make his comeback, fighting on the undercard of the long awaited Winky Wright-Felix Trinidad pay-per-view card. And no one is writing about it. Well, almost no one. Minnesotaboxing.com just published a Q and A with the former champ.