The eye-catching “Ring Card Girl of the Month” is just one new feature in a revamped RING magazine. Photo / THE RING

The appearance of THE RING has undergone many changes since the magazine’s debut in February 1922. Back then, it was a 24-page, newsletter-like publication. Over the ensuing decades, it grew in both size and content to become the world’s foremost boxing magazine. One of the most-significant changes came in the December 2000 issue, when THE RING became a glossy, all-color magazine. Now, with the publication of the February 2011 issue, THE RING is thrilled to present a dynamic new format.

From the sensational cover image of Manny Pacquiao by award-winning photographer Howard Schatz to the last page, the venerable publication has a brighter, bolder and fresher look than ever before.

Virtually every department has undergone a visual transformation. Moreover, we’ve added an eye-catching “Ring Card Girl of the Month” section and an “At the Fights” page, featuring many of the celebrities to be found ringside at major matches.

The redesign has given readers a lot to be excited about. Here are some of the highlights:

ÔÇó More and bigger photographs: The advent of digital photography has been a wonderful thing, and THE RING has taken full advantage of the technological advancements of this new medium. Digital images can be enlarged with far greater success that film, which has enabled us to bring the readers so close to the action that it almost feels as if you’re in the ring.

ÔÇó The Ring Stat Pack: This repackaging of regular departments brings together “The Fighter of the Month,” “Ratings Analysis,” “Pound For Pound” and THE RING’s monthly divisional rating into a cohesive, four-page section.

ÔÇó Ringside Reports: The long-running department has undergone a dramatic overhaul, which includes the introduction of a “Match Stats” box with every fight report. These mini-sidebars are chock full of pertinent information, which can be instantly gleaned without searching the actual reports. It also allows for a more free-flowing style of writing that is easier and more fun to read than the old format.

ÔÇó New type font: The switch in type style accomplishes two things: It gives the magazine a cleaner, classier look and allows us to use larger images without sacrificing any of the written contents.

ÔÇó Round One: This popular potpourri of news and reviews has been extended to six pages, which makes room for a new component – a monthly Top 10 that has absolutely nothing to do with the familiar division and pound-for-pound ratings. It is instead an esoteric rating of darn near anything boxing related. Some months the Top 10 will be serious, others months it will be humorous, and sometimes it will be totally off the wall. But regardless of what it’s about in any particular issue, a stimulating thought-provoking read is guaranteed.

ÔÇó The launch of the digital edition: Last, but far from least, is the fact that the February issue is also the first digital edition of THE RING. The on-line edition is not only free to subscribers of the paper edition, but the February issue is free to everyone by using the following link: http://thering.imirus.com/Mpowered/book/vring11/i2/p1

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