In the acknowledgements to his revelatory memoir – It Happened: A Uniquely Lucky Life in Sports Television – Jim Lampley thanked journalist Thomas Hauser, who Lampley called “a great friend and beloved author.”

Now Lampley has gone a step further in showing his appreciation. 

Two years ago, Hauser authored a memoir titled MY MOTHER MY MOTHER and Me that chronicles the life of Eleanor Hauser, who died in 2022 at age 96. The book was well-received and reached an audience that extends far beyond the boxing community. But while it was available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats, there was never an audio version. Until now.

Lampley read Hauser’s book, was moved by it, and said that parts of the telling reminded him of his relationship with his own mother. He then said he’d be honored to read an audio version of the book if Hauser wanted him to.

“Yes, I wanted him to,” Hauser says, remembering their conversation. “Not only is Jim a friend; there’s no one on the face of the earth who could do greater justice to the reading. MY MOTHER and Me isn’t a boxing book. But over the years, my mother met people like Muhammad Ali and Don King who filter in and out of the narrative. She’d get a kick out of having her story read by the greatest blow-by-blow commentator of all time.”