Category — Sport

I traveled to the Argentine capital for the homecoming of Sergio Martinez, the middleweight champion who hadn’t fought on home soil in more than decade. The fight, reportedly made possible by a $5 million guarantee from the government, took place at the Estadio José Amalfitani, the 50,000-seat home of Vélez Sársfield football club. I had a chance to spend time in Martinez’s penthouse suite two nights before the fight, which had commanded the attention of the city of three million, then covered the bout itself, which took place amid a violent thunderstorm.

I also wrote a feature for Boxing News magazine in the U.K., the iPad edition of which appears below.

I collaborated with the photographer Lauren Caulk for this multimedia piece on WrestleMania’s return to the New York area. It was my first time attending pro wrestling’s showcase event and the atmosphere, captured brilliantly with Lauren’s images, surpassed even my wildest expectations.

It took me a long time to corner Gucci Mane for an interview, but I finally caught up with the elusive, enigmatic Atlanta trap rapper and it was worth the chase. The Spring Breakers star talked about working with Harmony Korine, his unlikely friendship with NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin, his thoughts as a Falcons fan on the Michael Vick saga and why he thinks college athletes shouldn’t be paid.

Looking back at Andy Murray’s breakthrough at the U.S. Open in a video hit for SI.com to launch the 2012 Moments of Glory series.

Sports Illustrated asked a select group of people from outside the staff to offer nominations for Sportsman of the Year. I caught up with a range of artists and entertainers to find out their selections:

• Kendrick Lamar on Serena Williams

• Michael Vick on Gabrielle Douglas

• Bob Weir and Phil Lesh on Tim Flannery

• Tyler Perry on Oscar Pistorius

• Ricky Hatton on Manchester City F.C.

My prediction on the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez fight for HBO.

Spent nine days in London writing about Wimbledon for SI.com, filing stories on Venus Williams’ upset loss on Day 1, Francesca Schiavone’s shrewd opening-round victory over Laura Robson, Ryan Harrison’s ennobling defeat to Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer’s dramatic comeback from two sets down against Julien Benneteau. I wrote about watching the English national team’s deflating loss to Italy in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals at a pub in Wimbledon Village, and looked ahead to the Olympic tournament which takes place at the All England Lawn Tennis Club less than three weeks’ time.

Formula 1 is coming to the New York area in June 2013 and I had a chance to drive the 3.2-mile course with Sebastian Vettel, the 24-year-old German who’s captured the past two championships.

My report for SI.com on Manny Pacquiao’s highly controversial loss to Timothy Bradley (with a Storify of my impressions from ringside). Earlier in the day, I attended pre-fight mass with Pacquiao at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

I collaborated with the photographer Michael M. Koehler on an multimedia photoessay for SI.com called “Day Of The Fight,” which documented middleweight boxer Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin throughout the day leading up to his June 2 bout with Winky Wright using still photography and audio interviews. The concept was loosely based on a photo feature Stanley Kubrick shot for Look magazine in 1949.