They called him 'Hands of Stone'. In his own words, and for the first time, Roberto Duran tells his unbelievable story in I Am Duran: The Autobiography of Robert Duran. From the mean streets of Panama to the bright lights of Las Vegas, blazing a trail through the golden decade of boxing, Duran, in unflinching form, dispels myths and lays bare the cost of conquering the world. He also returns to the debacle that entered sporting folklore during his rematch with Sugar Ray Leonard, when he uttered the infamous words 'no mas' - no more. Starting life in abject poverty as the illegitimate son of a serving US soldier, Duran quickly realized that his fists could both protect him on the streets and put food on the table. His reputation in and out of the ring travelled the corridors of boxing power on the day, for a bet, he knocked down a horse with a single punch. From his stunning debut in New York to the glorious defeat of Sugar Ray Leonard, the world titles and the chaos that ensued after the No Mas encounter, Duran's explosive life in the ring was matched only by the volatility outside of it, as he lurched from kingmaker to bankruptcy, before the ultimate ending of a bloody comeback and, finally, redemption.

From Jack London to Joyce Carol Oates, The Hurt Business is the ultimate boxing book covering a century of the greatest fighter and the writers who have followed 'the sweet science'. Beginning with Jack London's account of the 1910 championship bout between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries (for which the Call of the Wildman called for and coined the term "The Great White Hope"), and ending with Carlo Rotella's 2002 homage to Larry Holmes ("Champion at Twilight"), The Hurt Business is a near century's worth of rip-roaring reveal. Some of it comes ringside, like Norman Mailer et; some of it comes from the gym, like Pete Hamill's "Up the Stairs with Cus D'Amato"; and some of it comes from so far behind the scenes you feel as if you've been eavesdropping - Thomas Hauser's excerpt from The Black Lights. For fans of Norman Mailer's The Fight or George Kimball's Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the Last Great Era of Boxing, The Hurt Business belongs on the shelves of any fan of boxing or sublime sports writing.

Covering Mike Tyson's complete amateur and professional boxing career, this book follows the Brooklyn native from his early years as a 12 year old criminal in Brownsville to his 1988 heavyweight unification match with Michael Spinks. The book focuses on the Catskill Boxing Club - where boxing guru Cus D'Amato trained the 210-pound teenager in the finer points of the art and developed his impregnable defense - and on his home life with D'Amato and his surrogate mother Camille Ewald, and the other boys who shared the house with him. Tyson's boxing education began in the unauthorized "smokers" held in the Bronx every week, matching his skills against older, more experienced fighters. He won the 1981 Amateur Heavyweight Boxing Championship in Colorado Springs at the age of 14, and repeated the amazing feat the following year. By 1985, finding no other challenging amateur competition, he was forced to join the professional ranks where, in November 1986, he became the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history. Less than two years later, he unified the crown, establishing himself as one of the most dominant heavyweight fighters in the annals of the game.

Wars of the Ring is a pictorial celebration of half a century of unforgettable fights. It commemorates an array of legendary boxing matches held between 1970 and 2020. From the heavyweight tussles of Ali, Frazier and Foreman in the 1970s to the wars waged by Duran, Hearns, Hagler and Leonard in the 80s, to the celebrated British middleweights of the 90s and the rise of current stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, Wars of the Ring takes us on a thrilling journey through some of boxing's most exhilarating matches, experienced through stunning and dramatic images. Each decade comes with a written overview as key moments from the careers of your favourite boxers come to life - in eye-catching colour and atmospheric black and white. Relive the amazing feats of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin, Joe Calzaghe, Carl Froch, Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Nigel Benn, Marvin Hagler, Sugar Ray Leonard, Naseem Hamed and many more.

This is a cradle-to-grave biography of Mickey Walker, former welterweight (1922-1926) and middleweight champion (1926-1931) of the world, one of the greatest fighters in ring history. He fought at a time when boxing was a major sport with only eight championships, and he held two of them over a nine-year period. He fought at a time when each weight division was jammed with good fighters, and he fought them all from welterweight up to heavyweight, frequently being outweighed 20 to 30 pounds, himself only five-seven and never weighing more than 170 pounds. Walker was not only a great fighter, he was a great personality who loved life and lived it to the full. He went through seven marriages with four different women, he cavorted with movie stars and mobsters from Charlie Chaplin to Al Capone. When his boxing career ended in 1935, Walker ran saloons in various locations, was often his own best customer, finally quit drinking and became an artist of some standing, several of his paintings hanging in some of America's top galleries. Walker died in 1981, aged 79.

It is often forgotten that 11 African Americans, including a musician, were among the First Fleet of colonial settlers to Australia. In the 150-plus following years, African Americans visiting the region included jubilee singers, minstrels, ragtimers, vaudevillians, jazz musicians, sports stars, dancers, singers and general entertainers, some of whom became long stayers or residents. This book provides the only comprehensive history of more than 350 African American entertainers in Australia and New Zealand between European settlement in Australia in 1788 and the entry of the United States into World War II in 1941. It explains how and why they came, how they were treated and how that changed with the infamous White Australia policy. Famous names include boxer Jack Johnson, film star Nina Mae McKinney, vocalist Ivie Anderson of Duke Ellington's band, swing dancer Frankie Manning and jazz singer Eva Taylor. Beyond the bare performance histories, the book reveals stories of personal experiences and dilemmas: How did Jack Johnson almost marry an Australian? Why did Nina Mae McKinney's show close mysteriously? Which African American entertainer became mayor of a New Zealand town? Did a mystery romance keep Jolly John Larkins in the region for eight years? Such background stories give a multidimensional view of the entertainers' time in a place very far from home.

‘We dedicate ourselves to doing all we can in helping free Rubin Carter, a Great Man who was unjustly imprisoned.’ Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, 1975

In 1967 the boxer Rubin Carter was pulled over by the Paterson police and accused of a triple bar-room murder: the victims were white, all the jurors at the trial that convicted Carter were white, the judge was white. Carter was one of the best-known black-power advocates of the era. During the first ten years in prison, he amassed evidence of his innocence and attracted celebrity support for his freedom, including Bob Dylan, who wrote the song ‘Hurricane’ about Rubin. But his appeals failed. Instead, the support of a young boy from the ghetto and a Canadian commune led to Rubin’s freedom, first from despair and ultimately, triumphantly, from prison for good, in 1985.

This account, written with Carter’s express co-operation, is a poignant combination of jailhouse redemption, David versus Goliath legal battles, and human heroism under the repeated blows of injustice. It’s a fighter’s story.

The Techniques and Knowledge Needed to Excel in the Sport of Boxing
The illustrations, explanations, and techniques presented in Boxing Basics provide everything needed to excel in the sport of boxing. Easy to follow explanations and illustrations introduce the reader to the sport by providing information on training equipment, types of boxing gyms, and how to get into fighting shape. The bulk of this boxing text is devoted to providing progressive steps in the learning of the sport of boxing. It begins by presenting the primary elements of boxing and ranges to advanced skills. The Instant Reference Guide is a special feature designed for busy persons. It provides fast-track references to the important points in every chapter. This publication can be used as a how-to reference guide for trainers as well as beginners.
"Some books just show you how to box, others just tell you. Still others do a little of both. With Boxing Basics, Professor Gotay becomes your personal trainer, teaching you step by step how to box. This is the most definitive how to boxing book I have ever seen."
- Randy Gordon, Former Editor-in-Chief of Ring Magazine;
Boxing Analyst for ESPN, USA Network, and the MSG Network;
and Chairman of the New York State Athletic Commission.
Presently the host of Fight Club, the popular Sirius Radio boxing talk show.

Without Ray Arcel (1899-1994), the world of boxing during the 20th century would have been markedly different. Indeed, the credibility professional boxing as a sport would have been greatly lessened. Arcel's prominence is all the more interesting because he made his mark not as a fighter, promoter, or manager, but as a trainer. From Benny Leonard to Roberto Duran and Larry Holmes, Arcel stood in the corner for champions of every weight division that existed in his lifetime, a record that remains unprecedented. This biography chronicles Arcel's life inside the ring, and out--where he remained a highly secretive man and maintained ambiguous relationships with some of the chief mob figures of his day. Through a wealth of information from Arcel's unpublished memoir, this work offers an extraordinary portrait of one of boxing's most influential and enigmatic figures.

Whether opening saloons, raising cattle, or promoting sporting events, George Lewis ""Tex"" Rickard (1870-1929) possessed a drive to be the best. After an early career as a cowboy and Texas sheriff, Rickard pioneered the largest ranch in South America, built a series of profitable saloons in the Klondike and Nevada gold rushes, and turned boxing into a million-dollar sport. As ""the Father of Madison Square Garden,"" he promoted over 200 fights, including some of the most notable of the 20th century: the ""Longest Fight,"" the ""Great White Hope,"" fight, and the famous ""Long Count"" fight. Along the way, he rubbed shoulders with some of history's most renowned figures, including Teddy Roosevelt, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, John Ringling, Jack Dempsey, and Gene Tunney. This detailed biography chronicles Rickard's colorful life and his critical role in the evolution of boxing from a minor sport into a modern spectacle.

Born into extreme poverty in 1914, Jersey Joe Walcott began boxing at the age of 16 to help feed his hungry family. After ten years' boxing, without proper training and with little to show for his efforts beyond some frightful beatings, Walcott quit the ring. A chance meeting with a local fight promoter who recognized the potential in his iron chin and hard punch turned Walcott's fortunes around, launching one of the greatest comebacks in boxing history. This biography details Walcott's youth, his dismal early career, and his legendary climb to become the heavyweight champion of the world at age 37, at the time making him the oldest man to ever win the coveted title. Along the way, he battled some of the most feared contenders of his day, including Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, and Rocky Marciano. With numerous period photographs and a foreword from Walcott's grandson, this work provides an intimate look at one of the grittiest, most determined boxers of the 20th century.

Beginning in the late 1970s, "Gentleman" Gerry Cooney's professional boxing career was marked by exhilarating fights, exciting wins, and a powerful left hook. In 1982, Cooney landed a lucrative match against world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes on one of the biggest stages in championship boxing. Yet Cooney's bouts in the ring were nothing compared to the inner turmoil that he dealt with and eventually overcame. Gentleman Gerry: A Contender in the Ring, a Champion in Recovery chronicles the career of a boxing legend, the challenges and triumphs of a trauma survivor, and an alcoholic's journey to sustained recovery. Gerry Cooney and John Grady provide a detailed account of how the former contender went from an abused childhood to becoming a two-time Golden Gloves champion. More than just a biography, this book explores the challenges of surviving difficult moments and overcoming obstacles such as alcohol addiction. The authors also provide historical perspectives of the era and behind-the-scenes insight into the world of professional boxing. Complete with photographs from esteemed sports photographer Joe DiMaggio and stories directly from Cooney himself, this book offers an unprecedented look into Cooney's life and the lessons he learned. Fans of boxing, as well as sports enthusiasts and others recovering from addiction, will find Gentleman Gerry a must-read.

Covering the years 1890 to 1910, this volume profiles the boxers who were acting during boxing's ""Golden Age,"" focusing primarily on George ""Kid"" Lavigne, Bob Fitzsimmons, Barbados Joe Walcott, Joe Gans, Terry McGovern, Sam Langford, and Stanley Ketchel. The accomplishments of these competitors in and out of the ring, as well as their standing in boxing history, are examined in detail. Each boxer is presented in his historical context, and detailed information about many of their opponents, also key figures in this critical era of the sport, is also provided, as are comparisons to recent fighters.

Advance Praise

"The Fight of the Century brings back memories of a different and troubled time both in sports and in our country. It is vividly reported and a perfect example of the old saying that the genius is in the details."

--John Feinstein

"The Fight of the Century just floats like a butterfly and sings like a canary. Arkush recaptures the period of the late '60s when America was in a quandary about Vietnam, Ali's refusal to be drafted, about Smokin' Joe Frazier's claim on the heavyweight title, and the amazing build-up to this great fight. I saw the fight and remember the intensity in Madison Square Garden; people were fainting in the aisles. The electricity of that fight buzzes through this book."

--Phil Jackson

"Ali-Frazier I was the greatest sports event I ever saw or ever expect to see. With his landscape portrait of the men and their times, Michael Arkush takes us again to that historic moment in Madison Square Garden when two of boxing's proudest warriors began their blood feud."

--Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury: Two Powerful Lives, One Fateful Friendship

"Arkush not only gives us the inside story on one of the century's signature sporting events, he frames it politically and socially. I was there, and now I know much more about what happened. This is flesh and blood and history."

--Robert Lipsyte

"The Fight of the Century transcends the mere sports story. In Michael Arkush's capable hands, this classic duel and its surrounding pressures and personalities show us where we have been as a society and where we are going. It is a story that truly stands for a place and time. It is a fully engrossing read."

--Michael Connelly, #1 New YorkTimes bestselling author

"Never is a long time, but there'll never be another cosmic boxing event like Ali-Frazier I. Michael Arkush brings alive that melodrama with all its political-social implications, wheeling and dealing, hyping and hitting."

--Larry Merchant, author and boxing commentator

"A richly detailed history of Ali and Frazier's first big fight and the social and political forces at play. A great read."

--Ron Shelton, director of Bull Durham and Tin Cup

This first nationwide study of boxing regulations in the United States offers an historical overview of the subject, from the earliest attempts at regulating the sport to present-day legislation that may create a national boxing commission. It examines the disparity of regulations among states, as well as the reasons for some of these differences. The work features interviews with boxing officials, analysts and boxers, and includes the results of a national survey of state athletic commission personnel.

In-depth case studies of boxing regulations in Nevada and Kansas provide a close look at different states' methods, and Argentina's centralized system of regulation is presented as a comparison to the U.S. approach.

They Must Fall: Muhammad Ali and the Men He Fought features powerful and often moving images and stories of Muhammad Ali and the men he fought in the ring, by award-winning photographer Michael Brennan. "Around 1978, I had been in Houston, Texas photographing former Ali opponent George Foreman who had then reinvented himself as a roadside preacher. On the plane back to NYC, I thought, 'If that's what George is doing, I wonder what the rest of his opponents are up to?' I set out to track down as many of the old guys as I could find." Brennan spent decades locating Ali's former opponents to discover what had become of them. This unique book is a look through Brennan's remarkable archive, containing numerous never-before- seen photos plus poignant stories illuminating the images and contextualising Ali's powerful role in the world of sport. Includes a special introductory essay by the late, great Jimmy Breslin. "Michael Brennan's iconic 1977 portrait photograph of Muhammad Ali captures something far bigger and deeper than just the beautiful face of a beautiful man. It is a detailed map of the personal journey of one whose incomparable talents and audacity caused literati to swoon, taught a generation to question authority, and ultimately altered the path of a society which had never before seen a man exactly like him. To look at him the way he was then is to remember, with joy and sorrow, who we all once were." - Jim Lampley, discussing the cover image (Boxing commentator, HBO Sports)

Joe Gans captured the world lightweight title in 1902, becoming the first black American world title holder in any sport. Gans was a master strategist and tactician, and one the earliest practitioners of "scientific" boxing. As a black champion reigning during the Jim Crow era, he endured physical assaults, a stolen title, bankruptcy, and numerous attempts to destroy his reputation. Four short years after successfully defending his title in the 42-round "Greatest Fight of the Century," Joe Gans was dead of tuberculosis. This biography features original round-by-round ringside telegraph reports of his most famous and controversial fights, a complete fight history, photographs, early newspaper cartoons depicting boxers, and discussion of contemporary cultural representations of and tributes to the man considered to be among the finest boxers in history.

Floyd Patterson delivered a number of knockout punches during his Hall of Fame career, but it might have been the fights he won beyond the boxing ring that made him great. Born in 1935, he overcame poverty and prejudice to become the youngest world heavyweight championship in history. He would later became the first man to regain the crown after losing it. Boxing legend Muhammad Ali called Patterson the most skillful fighter he ever faced.In the first biography of the former heavyweight, Alan Levy covers Patterson's meteoric rise as boxer while giving equal attention to the boxer's life away from sport, including Patterson's work as an activist for civil rights causes in the 1960s. Joining Ali and George Frazier as boxers who used their celebrity to bring attention to social issues, he became an icon of the movement.

The remarkable story of Eamonn Magee's life takes in a childhood lived during the height of The Troubles, a youth spent involved with the IRA, and the constant presence of drink, drugs, gambling and violence throughout his life. It may be hard to believe but it was against the background of all this that Eamonn won the WBU world welterweight and Commonwealth light welterweight titles. The author, Paul Gibson, has managed to decipher a very dark, very troubled, very flawed individual who happened to have an exceptional gift to box at the highest world level. The Lost Soul of Eamonn Magee reads like the screenplay of the kind of gritty rags-to-riches-to-rags boxing story that Hollywood producers seem to love.

Before 1940, Nathan Shapow, a young Latvian, had nothing more on his mind than enjoying his teenage years and becoming a champion boxer. But the Nazis' systematic extermination of the Jews quickly put paid to his dreams. Soon he was to face a different sort of fight, where the prize for victory would be his life. Escaping certain death time and time again, Shapow saw his youth disappear in the terror of the Ghettos and the horror of the camps. Fighting for his very existence for the simple reason of being Jewish, remarkably, he survived, fell in love and forged a new life in what was then British-controlled Palestine. There, he joined an underground military organisation and quickly became involved in the struggle to create a Jewish state. Extraordinary and powerful, The Boxer's Story is the inspiring true story of one man's enduring fortitude.

Inside stories of some of the greatest prizefights of all time, including Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson II, Joe Frazier-George Foreman I, and The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I. Referee and elder statesman of boxing Arthur Mercante gives behind-the-scenes glimpses into his world and into the lives and careers of the greatest boxers of all time. Mercante has officiated more championship fights than any other referee, and his blow-by-blow accounts are peppered with grit and telling details.

Essentially the last of the bare-knuckle heavyweight champions, John L. Sullivan was instrumental in the acceptance of gloved fighting. His charisma and popular appeal during this transitional period contributed greatly to making boxing a nationally popular, ""legitimate"" sport. Sullivan became boxing's first superstar and arguably the first of any sport. From his first match in the late 1870s through his final fight in 1905, this biography contains a thoroughly researched, detailed accounting of John L. Sullivan's boxing career. With special attention to the 1880s, the decade during which Sullivan came to prominence, it follows Sullivan's skill development and discusses his opponents in detail, providing various viewpoints of a single event. Beginning with a discussion of early boxing practices, the sport itself is placed within sociological, legal and historical contexts including anti - prize fighting laws and the so-called ""colour line."" Ironically, Sullivan's personal adherence to this final concept with his refusal to fight a coloured opponent remains the one blemish on a phenomenal career. A complete record of Sullivan's career is also included.

Professional sports in America offer numerous examples of equal opportunity and broken down racial barriers. These developments call for pride and celebration. Yet skin color continues to have an influence in how Americans experience sport. From Al Campanis statement about the under-representation of blacks in baseball front offices to the almost exclusively white ownership of professional teams, one sees that sports, though admirably more equitable than other societal institutions, are hardly a colorblind American pursuit.

Choosing the racially charged sport of boxing for investigation, the author has compiled dozens of statistics measuring whether or not Americas racial majority still yearns for a white championa Great White Hope. Drawing upon data from The Ring Magazine and its annual record books, this study endeavors to bolster or refute the popular perception in boxing circles that white fighters of lesser ability are helped along to their sports elite level, as a result of being promotional gold in the eyes of the public.