Mike Howerton & Billiards Buzz

Mike Howerton and Billiards Buzz have been selected for the Best Billiards Magazine in American History Award, honoring an influential publication and a journalist whose work has helped document, promote, and preserve the modern game for players throughout the United States and around the world.

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As the founder and chief executive officer of AZBilliards, Howerton has spent decades building one of the most important news and information platforms in cue sports. He launched AZBilliards in 1998 to cover the Arizona pool scene, but the website quickly expanded into an international destination for tournament reporting, player profiles, industry announcements, historical records, discussion, and breaking billiards news.

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That experience provided the foundation for Billiards Buzz, a free digital magazine created to bring professionally presented billiards content directly to the worldwide pool community. Under Howerton’s editorial leadership, the magazine has featured champions, emerging competitors, instructors, promoters, manufacturers, tournament directors, room owners, and many of the personalities who make the game unique.

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Each issue combines tournament coverage, in-depth interviews, instructional columns, equipment news, player profiles, historical features, industry commentary, and stories from throughout the billiards world. By making the magazine freely accessible online, Billiards Buzz has removed the geographic and financial barriers associated with traditional print subscriptions and allowed pool enthusiasts everywhere to remain connected to the sport.

The magazine has provided valuable exposure for competitors and organizations that might otherwise receive limited attention from mainstream media. Its pages document not only world champions and major professional events, but also regional players, instructors, junior competitors, industry contributors, and individuals working behind the scenes to strengthen the game.

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Howerton’s contribution extends far beyond publishing a monthly magazine. Through AZBilliards, he helped transform how billiards news is reported, archived, and distributed. Tournament results that once appeared only in local publications or disappeared entirely can now be preserved and accessed by players, fans, journalists, and historians around the world.

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He has also promoted and operated billiards tours and events, including the Olhausen Arizona All-Around Tour and the Diamond Pool Tour. His continuing work in reporting, broadcasting, tournament promotion, digital media, and historical preservation has made him one of the most influential behind-the-scenes figures in modern American pool.

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In 2019, Howerton was inducted into the Arizona Billiards Hall of Fame, recognizing his contributions to the sport as the creator of AZBilliards and as a promoter of Arizona competition. In 2024, he received the prestigious Billiard Congress of America President’s Award, one of the industry’s most important service honors, recognizing his extraordinary dedication and lasting contributions to billiards.

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Howerton has never limited his coverage to a single organization, tour, manufacturer, or group of players. His platforms have provided a meeting place for the entire billiards community, allowing different generations and disciplines to exchange information, debate important issues, celebrate accomplishments, and preserve the stories of the game.

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Billiards Buzz represents the best qualities of modern sports journalism: accessibility, consistency, variety, historical value, and a genuine appreciation for its subject. It has introduced readers to the people behind the championships while giving respected writers and instructors a platform to share their knowledge.

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For creating a publication that informs, educates, entertains, and connects the billiards community—and for more than a quarter-century of service through digital journalism—Mike Howerton and Billiards Buzz are recognized with the Best Billiards Magazine Award for America’s first 250 years.