Theme: Ringmasters ... The circles in the corners of the "boxing ring" grid contain the names of four professional world champions.
We've got:
Max BAER - American heavyweight champion in the 1930's. Famous for defeating Max Schmeling, who was Hitler's favorite fighter and promoted as an example of the superiority of the Aryan race. He lost his title to James Braddock in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Muhammad ALI - no introduction required for a second American heavyweight world champion. He defeated the next corner occupant for the title in 1964, and retained the title in their 1965 rematch. This photograph, by Neil Leifer for TIME magazine stands as one of the most famous sports images of all time. I've got a monochrome reproduction on my wall.
Sonny LISTON - a third American heavyweight world champion in the 1960's, beating Floyd Patterson for the title in 1962 before Ali took his place.
And finally, a fourth American heavyweight - no wait, we've got Roberto DURÁN, a Panamanian fighter who held world titles in four weight divisions in his career, from lightweight to middleweight, He was famous (or notorious) for quitting during his 1982 title defense against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in the 8th round, saying to the referee "No más". That was his 74th fight. He retired after 119 fights, so seemingly there was "poquito más" left in him.
There are four companion entries to the corners
25A. Prize for today's puzzle's circles : CHAMPIONSHIP
52A. Introductory words for each set of puzzle circles : IN THIS CORNER
5A. With 71-Across, event for today's puzzle's circles : TITLE and
71A. See 5-Across : FIGHT
This looks like an LAT debut for Bill, so congratulations for that achievement.
Now I'm going to rain on the parade - I didn't like this much - I can't see any connection between the boxers other than they won a world championship. Only LISTON "fills" his corner - it just seems so inconsistent. Throw in a slew of three-letter abbreviations and partials and prefix/suffix stuff and the whole thing seems forced.
There is some nice stuff in the downs, so let's go look at what we've got.
Across:
1. Beginning of space? : AERO
10. Sea that's a shrinking lake : ARAL
14. Jazz Age toon : BOOP. Betty. Boop-boop-be-doo.
15. Comes (from) : HAILS.
16. Roast, in Rouen : RÔTI. Rouen has a magnificent cathedral, and a belfry full of very loud bells, as I discovered when I stayed at a little hotel in the shadow of the spires and was woken up on Sunday morning.
17. __ about : ON OR
18. "Miss __ Playhouse": jazz CD for kids : ELLA'S. Learning moment. Miss Fitzgerald.
19. Fishing, perhaps : ASEA
20. Outlaw Belle : STARR. Convicted of horse theft in 1883. New to me.
22. PBS funder : NEA
24. Tally : SUM
29. Org. with a snake in its logo : A.M.A.
31. Detestable sort : TOAD
32. Late 19th-century presidential monogram : CAA. Chester A. Arthur. President from 1881 to 1885.
33. Family babysitter : NANA
35. Cut : SLICED INTO
40. Dignify : EXALT
42. Fireworks reaction : OOH!
43. Starters : A-TEAM
44. Curaçao's capital : WILLEMSTAD. Another learning moment. The former capital of the Netherlands Antilles, betraying the Dutch origin of the name.
47. Conclusion preceder : IF SO ..
48. Andean tuber : OCA
49. Turkmenistan neighbor : IRAN
51. Want-ad letters : E.E.O. Equal Employment Opportunity.
56. Titled rapper : DRE. Dr. Dre.
57. Radical '70s org. : S.L.A.
58. Teen superhero's family : KENTS. Superman.
60. Pupil's place : UVEA
62. "You __ one!" : OWE ME
65. Nantes nothing : RIEN.
67. Disencumbers : RIDS
68. Sacks : FIRES
69. Conductor Klemperer or an emperor : OTTO
70. Reformed demon on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" : ANYA. Thank you, crosses. I'm not up on my "Buffy" characters.
72. Place to find bullets : LIST
Down:
1. Blood system letters : ABO. This fill probably wouldn't fly in Australia.
2. Ages : EONS
3. Ordeal at the dentist's office : ROOT CANAL
4. Oxygen network co-founder : OPRAH
5. Soup container : THERMOS
6. Proverb ending? : IAL
7. Up to, commercially : TIL
8. Southwestern plain : LLANO
9. Perfume : ESSENCE
10. Altar in the sky : ARA
11. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role : ROSSI. Thank you, crosses. I only saw one episode because one of my friends was guest-starring.
12. Really enjoyed : ATE UP
13. Singer Payne of One Direction : LIAM. Boy Band fave. He's apparently planning to go solo, according to the Brit tabloids. Stop the presses!
21. Proverbial deserter : RAT. I'm not sure that you can blame the rats when the ship is sinking.
23. Grilled, in Mexican fare : ASADA. Food! Usually skirt steak presented as carne asada.
26. California's __ Verdes Peninsula : PALOS. Pete Sampras learned his tennis at a club here.
27. Beyond silly : IDIOTIC
28. Golfe de la Gonâve country : HAITI. WAG with "H" in place, but I couldn't come up with many other french-speaking countries beginning that way.
29. From the top : ANEW
30. Modest skirt : MAXI
34. Mete out : ALLOT
36. "Cuchi-cuchi" celebrity : CHARO. María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza to her friends.
37. Akhenaten's queen : NEFERTITI. I can't think of any alternative Egyptian queens, to be honest. Oh wait, Cleopatra!
38. Subdue, perhaps : TASE
39. Melville novel : OMOO.
41. Staffers of Apple's Genius Bar : TECHS.
45. Send : MAIL OFF
46. Least lit : DARKEST
50. Butte-to-Helena dir. : N.N.E.
52. NFL Network analyst Michael __ : IRVIN. Legendary Dallas Cowboys receiver who won three Superbowl rings in the 90's.
53. Unable to make ends meet : NEEDY
54. Slasher film sequel of 2005 : SAW II
55. Become a member, in Manchester : ENROL. One "L" in the British spelling. There's a very (very!) short street in Manchester named for my paternal grandfather, apparently.
56. Commercial prefix meaning "long-lasting" : DURA-
59. Places : SETS
61. Hard-rock link : AS A
63. Unit of work : ERG
64. Verbal shrug : MEH. Keeping quiet on this one.
66. "Tricked you!" : NOT!
That about does it for me. In the United Airlines in-flight magazine they've started publishing a New York Times Sunday puzzle - the one I found a couple of days ago on the way to Honolulu was missing about 25 of the "Down" clues. Made finishing it something of a challenge!
Aloha, and Mele Kalikimaka!
Steve
We've got:
Max BAER - American heavyweight champion in the 1930's. Famous for defeating Max Schmeling, who was Hitler's favorite fighter and promoted as an example of the superiority of the Aryan race. He lost his title to James Braddock in one of the biggest upsets in boxing history.
Muhammad ALI - no introduction required for a second American heavyweight world champion. He defeated the next corner occupant for the title in 1964, and retained the title in their 1965 rematch. This photograph, by Neil Leifer for TIME magazine stands as one of the most famous sports images of all time. I've got a monochrome reproduction on my wall.
Sonny LISTON - a third American heavyweight world champion in the 1960's, beating Floyd Patterson for the title in 1962 before Ali took his place.
And finally, a fourth American heavyweight - no wait, we've got Roberto DURÁN, a Panamanian fighter who held world titles in four weight divisions in his career, from lightweight to middleweight, He was famous (or notorious) for quitting during his 1982 title defense against "Sugar" Ray Leonard in the 8th round, saying to the referee "No más". That was his 74th fight. He retired after 119 fights, so seemingly there was "poquito más" left in him.
There are four companion entries to the corners
25A. Prize for today's puzzle's circles : CHAMPIONSHIP
52A. Introductory words for each set of puzzle circles : IN THIS CORNER
5A. With 71-Across, event for today's puzzle's circles : TITLE and
71A. See 5-Across : FIGHT
This looks like an LAT debut for Bill, so congratulations for that achievement.
Now I'm going to rain on the parade - I didn't like this much - I can't see any connection between the boxers other than they won a world championship. Only LISTON "fills" his corner - it just seems so inconsistent. Throw in a slew of three-letter abbreviations and partials and prefix/suffix stuff and the whole thing seems forced.
There is some nice stuff in the downs, so let's go look at what we've got.
Across:
1. Beginning of space? : AERO
10. Sea that's a shrinking lake : ARAL
14. Jazz Age toon : BOOP. Betty. Boop-boop-be-doo.
15. Comes (from) : HAILS.
16. Roast, in Rouen : RÔTI. Rouen has a magnificent cathedral, and a belfry full of very loud bells, as I discovered when I stayed at a little hotel in the shadow of the spires and was woken up on Sunday morning.
17. __ about : ON OR
18. "Miss __ Playhouse": jazz CD for kids : ELLA'S. Learning moment. Miss Fitzgerald.
19. Fishing, perhaps : ASEA
20. Outlaw Belle : STARR. Convicted of horse theft in 1883. New to me.
22. PBS funder : NEA
24. Tally : SUM
29. Org. with a snake in its logo : A.M.A.
31. Detestable sort : TOAD
32. Late 19th-century presidential monogram : CAA. Chester A. Arthur. President from 1881 to 1885.
33. Family babysitter : NANA
35. Cut : SLICED INTO
40. Dignify : EXALT
42. Fireworks reaction : OOH!
43. Starters : A-TEAM
44. Curaçao's capital : WILLEMSTAD. Another learning moment. The former capital of the Netherlands Antilles, betraying the Dutch origin of the name.
47. Conclusion preceder : IF SO ..
48. Andean tuber : OCA
49. Turkmenistan neighbor : IRAN
51. Want-ad letters : E.E.O. Equal Employment Opportunity.
56. Titled rapper : DRE. Dr. Dre.
57. Radical '70s org. : S.L.A.
58. Teen superhero's family : KENTS. Superman.
60. Pupil's place : UVEA
62. "You __ one!" : OWE ME
65. Nantes nothing : RIEN.
67. Disencumbers : RIDS
68. Sacks : FIRES
69. Conductor Klemperer or an emperor : OTTO
70. Reformed demon on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" : ANYA. Thank you, crosses. I'm not up on my "Buffy" characters.
72. Place to find bullets : LIST
Down:
1. Blood system letters : ABO. This fill probably wouldn't fly in Australia.
2. Ages : EONS
3. Ordeal at the dentist's office : ROOT CANAL
4. Oxygen network co-founder : OPRAH
5. Soup container : THERMOS
6. Proverb ending? : IAL
7. Up to, commercially : TIL
8. Southwestern plain : LLANO
9. Perfume : ESSENCE
10. Altar in the sky : ARA
11. Mantegna's "Criminal Minds" role : ROSSI. Thank you, crosses. I only saw one episode because one of my friends was guest-starring.
12. Really enjoyed : ATE UP
13. Singer Payne of One Direction : LIAM. Boy Band fave. He's apparently planning to go solo, according to the Brit tabloids. Stop the presses!
21. Proverbial deserter : RAT. I'm not sure that you can blame the rats when the ship is sinking.
23. Grilled, in Mexican fare : ASADA. Food! Usually skirt steak presented as carne asada.
26. California's __ Verdes Peninsula : PALOS. Pete Sampras learned his tennis at a club here.
27. Beyond silly : IDIOTIC
28. Golfe de la Gonâve country : HAITI. WAG with "H" in place, but I couldn't come up with many other french-speaking countries beginning that way.
29. From the top : ANEW
30. Modest skirt : MAXI
34. Mete out : ALLOT
36. "Cuchi-cuchi" celebrity : CHARO. María del Rosario Mercedes Pilar Martínez Molina Baeza to her friends.
37. Akhenaten's queen : NEFERTITI. I can't think of any alternative Egyptian queens, to be honest. Oh wait, Cleopatra!
38. Subdue, perhaps : TASE
39. Melville novel : OMOO.
41. Staffers of Apple's Genius Bar : TECHS.
45. Send : MAIL OFF
46. Least lit : DARKEST
50. Butte-to-Helena dir. : N.N.E.
52. NFL Network analyst Michael __ : IRVIN. Legendary Dallas Cowboys receiver who won three Superbowl rings in the 90's.
53. Unable to make ends meet : NEEDY
54. Slasher film sequel of 2005 : SAW II
55. Become a member, in Manchester : ENROL. One "L" in the British spelling. There's a very (very!) short street in Manchester named for my paternal grandfather, apparently.
56. Commercial prefix meaning "long-lasting" : DURA-
59. Places : SETS
61. Hard-rock link : AS A
63. Unit of work : ERG
64. Verbal shrug : MEH. Keeping quiet on this one.
66. "Tricked you!" : NOT!
That about does it for me. In the United Airlines in-flight magazine they've started publishing a New York Times Sunday puzzle - the one I found a couple of days ago on the way to Honolulu was missing about 25 of the "Down" clues. Made finishing it something of a challenge!
Aloha, and Mele Kalikimaka!
Steve
