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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Boxing
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.
James Cook's autobiography is a gripping account of his life told
with the assistance of his friend and boxing author, Melanie Lloyd.
Cook was raised by his grandparents in Jamaica until he was nine
years old, when his mother arrived from London to collect him. His
words paint a vibrant picture of childhood in the Caribbean sun and
having to adapt to life on the notorious North Peckham Housing
Estate in the late 60s. He started boxing in his teens and became
British and European super-middleweight champion. Cook eloquently
leads the reader through his life in the ring with plenty of droll
tales along the way; but this is much more than a boxing book.
Cook's commitment to keeping his local community safe through his
youth work contributes to an inspirational and uplifting read. But
anybody expecting to find Saint James on every page is in for a
shock. His stories range from fighting with wheel-clampers in a
Tesco car park to receiving his MBE from the Queen, all told with
equal warmth and a sweet honesty that will keep the pages turning.
Successful Boxing is the ultimate training manual for aspiring
boxers. This indispensable resource shares tips and suggestions on
how to improve skills and maximize performance. With inspiration
and advice from World Champions Sergio Martinez, Saul Alvarez,
Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and a foreword by legendary World Champion
Juan Manuel Marquez, using the information presented in this book
will be just like receiving private sessions with a coach or top
performer. These tips and training methods allow you to master the
individual nuances of boxing to give you the winning edge. Whether
you are new to the sport or a serious competitor, this book will
help you reach the next level of skill development.
Ben Calder-Smith travelled around the UK for 18 months meeting and
interviewing a broad cross-section of former fighters and boxing
personalities. He now presents the stories of huge forgotten
talents, coulda-been contenders and men who established a foothold
in British boxing history, highlighting the highs and lows of their
careers in and out of the ring. From the agonies of injury and
enforced retirement to a poignant late comeback inspired by
personal tragedy; from a British Boxing Board of Control-licensed
ringside doctor to a late-blossoming veteran of the ring, Ungloved
features unique, varied and personal accounts of the 'noble art'
from a bygone age. Memories are relayed with the same passion as
was expended in the ring, describing the good, the bad and the ugly
with brutal honesty and heart-warming humility. These moving
accounts provide living proof that, when knocked down, the human
spirit has infinite capacity to bounce back.
Sinner and Saint is the inspirational story of Martin Murray, St
Helens' flawed yet favourite son. A promising amateur teenage
boxer, Murray was drawn into a life fuelled with drugs, alcohol and
street fighting. By the age of 24, he had completed four jail
sentences, one of them in a notorious Cypriot prison. He still
managed to win the ABA welterweight title in 2004 - while on the
run! The reintroduction of boxing back into his life and a settled
family life proved to be his saviour. Turning pro in 2007, Murray
went on to win the Commonwealth and British middleweight titles,
and challenged for the world title on no fewer than four occasions.
Murray pulls no punches as he recounts his story in the most
intimate and vivid way - a rollercoaster life ultimately redeemed
through his success in boxing.
Christian Giudice tells the story of Duran's extraordinary life
both in and out of the ring. He has interviewed the fighter
himself, his family and closest friends and scores of his opponents
to separate the truth from myth and get to the heart of one of the
most intriguing sports stars of modern times.
Rocky Marciano accomplished a feat that eluded legendary champions
like Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson: he
never lost a professional fight. When he retired in 1956, his
record was a perfect 49-0. Unbeaten is the revelatory biography of
one of the greatest heavyweights of all time. Marciano rose from
abject poverty and a life of petty crime to become heavyweight
champion and one of the most famous faces of his era. He dominated
boxing in the decade following the Second World War with a
devastating punch, which he nicknamed the `Suzie Q'. But perfection
came at a price. Pulitzer Prize-winner Mike Stanton tells the story
of Marciano's pursuit of greatness through the era of guys and
dolls, hustlers and gamblers, glamorous celebrities and notorious
mobsters. But boxing had its dark side, particularly at a time when
Mafia mob bosses like Blinky Palermo and Frankie Carbo wielded
immense power behind the scenes. Marciano retired while still in
his prime, weighed down by the mob's influence in the sport he
loved. For the last decade of his life, he wandered America,
disillusioned, untrusting, hiding his money, cheating on his wife,
consorting with the mobsters he had loathed for corrupting his
sport, until his death in a plane crash in 1969, the night before
his 46th birthday. Unbeaten by Mike Stanton is the story of a
remarkable champion, a sport that was rotten to its core, and a
country that may have expected too much from its heroes.
Theodore 'Tiger' Flowers rose above the racist bigotry of the Deep
South to become the first African-American middleweight champion of
the world. To do it, this Christian family man beat a boxing
legend, Harry Greb, in the first of the great sporting cathedrals,
Madison Square Garden. It was a victory that stunned the sporting
world and made him a household name. Yet within a year he had lost
his championship on a decision some said was influenced by Al
Capone - and within another year was dead, following a seemingly
innocuous operation, in the clinic of a controversial surgeon, to
remove lumps and scars above his eyes. Was his death, at the age of
34, an accident, a result of negligence, or something more
sinister? And what was behind his white manager's attempt to throw
Tiger's widow into an asylum and their daughter into an orphanage?
Flowers' inspiring, harrowing story, set against an horrific
backdrop of lynchings and routine prejudice, is largely forgotten
now but he paved the way for black sporting heroes like Joe Louis,
Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson.
Two of the most prominent and celebrated athletes in the world,
Marvelous Marvin Hagler and Sugar Ray Leonard came together to
contest the $100million SuperFight on April 6, 1987 at Caesars
Palace in Las Vegas. From Frank Sinatra to U2, Joan Collins to
Whoopi Goldberg, the stars were drawn to ringside by the huge
box-office appeal of the blue-collar, dominant world middleweight
champion facing his nemesis, the charismatic and flamboyant Sugar
Ray, who was coming out of virtually five years of retirement.
Drawing on his deep reservoir of nerve, outstanding technique and a
strategy which Budd Schulberg - who provided Marlon Brando with the
immortal line, 'I coulda been a contender' - called a compound
optical illusion, Leonard won on points. It was boxing's greatest
comeback, but to this day the judges' decision remains bitterly
contested and not merely by the protagonists. But the story of The
SuperFight is much more than the story of the fight, for it details
two remarkable lives, the demons that drove both men and the
formidable challenges they overcame inside and outside the ring.
Hagler grew up in the Newark, New Jersey ghetto of Central Ward,
where a riot/rebellion rooted in racism claimed the lives of 26
people, injured 1,000 more and, to the young teenager, was "like
the end of the world". Fuelled by anger, he climbed to the top of
his domain and ruled for seven years as champion, one of the most
accomplished in boxing's annals. Leonard was an Olympic gold
medallist and all-American hero whose career was cut short by a
detached retina after he became the world welterweight king. He was
Muhammad Ali's gifted and anointed successor but he succumbed to
alcohol and drug abuse and for years was tormented by a secret -
the sexual abuse he endured as an amateur boxer by a trusted coach.
As provocative and polarising in its own way as Ali's defining
rivalry with Joe Frazier, this is the story of The SuperFight, of
Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard and a fierce fire that still burns.
A vivid and realistic picture of the most controversial sport on
Earth, On Boxing is a riveting, electrifying journey through a
world of glitter and gore--where heart-soaring triumph and
heart-rending tragedy go hand in hand. A magnificent work by a
consummate artist.
Randy Gordon has spent over 40 years in the world of professional
boxing, as a broadcaster, ring announcer, New York State's athletic
commissioner, editor of The Ring magazine, and host of SiriusXM
Radio's At the Fights. No one else has ever seen the sport from so
many different angles and from such lofty seats. In Glove Affair:
My Lifelong Journey in the World of Professional Boxing, Gordon
recounts never-before-heard stories of the boxing industry and
offers insights into some of its most famous figures, including
Hall-of-Famers Bert Sugar, Alexis Arguello, Bob Arum, and Mike
Tyson. With the perspective only an insider can offer, Gordon also
reflects on his times with Muhammad Ali-including the champ's
mind-dazzling magic tricks and his thoughts on the "Thrilla' in
Manila"-and provides a glimpse into the boxing commissioner's
office with stories of a wild and fiery hearing and a commission
employee's betrayal of the agency. From his days as a wheelchair
bound, severely injured boy in 1959 to the most-widely-listened-to
boxing talk show host on the radio, Gordon recalls his life story
with passion, humor, and love. More than just another book on the
Sweet Science, Glove Affair is a journey through the world of
boxing through the eyes of a man who has seen it all.
"Al Bernstein has seen cable television sports grow up. In 30
Years, 30 Undeniable Truths he looks at his time in the industry
through a prism that is unique to him. This book gives the reader
an insight into the sometimes absurd world of television sports.
There is a 31st undeniable truth: Al Bernstein is a truly funny
man." —Barry Tompkins, Sportscaster for HBO, ESPN, FOX and
SHOWTIME "Al Bernstein came into boxing during one of its greatest
eras—the 1980s. Boxing was like a flower blossoming at that time.
Al was right there for it. This book is so well written that it
captures that feeling and as a reader I felt like he took me back
to that time. Al is still at the top of his game as a broadcaster
and this book shows why he has come so far and why he has announced
more boxing than anybody else." —Emanuel Steward, Hall of Fame
trainer, manager, and broadcaster "Like a conversation with Al.
Funny, perceptive and refreshing." —Dave Farrar, author of THE
PERFECT PUNTER, and British boxing commentator "From rodeo cowboy
to nightclub singer to consummate boxing analyst, Al Bernstein's
life is full of surprise, humor, and humanity. He takes us into the
boxing world in a very exceptional way that I find mesmerizing.
Terrific writing, it's clear Al has a nimble mind and very, very
fast hands."—Garry Shandling, Emmy award winning comedian/actor
For just over 30 years Al Bernstein has been one of the most
recognizable and respected sportscasters in America. In those three
decades, the "voice of boxing" reported the funny, poignant, and
bizarre events that helped shape sports television, ESPN, boxing,
Las Vegas, and SHOWTIME. With an eclectic cast of characters that
includes every big name in boxing, including Marvin Hagler, Mike
Tyson, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, as well as such names
in the entertainment world as Rodney Dangerfield, Sylvester
Stallone, Russell Crowe, and Jerry Lewis, Bernstein's memoir will
have you in stitches.
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.
Darren and Gary Barker were the Fabulous Barker Boys. As amateurs,
Darren won a Commonwealth Games gold medal while Gary, four years
younger, won a Junior Olympic Games title.Then sadly, cruelly,
Gary's life was cut short in a car accident when he was just 19,
devastating the Barker family. Darren could not face boxing
again.Inspired, however, by a brilliant therapist and mentored by a
sympathetic trainer in Tony Sims, who had his own story of tragedy
and loss, Darren got back into the ring and worked his way up to a
world title shot. After first losing to the legendary Argentine,
Sergio Martinez, and undergoing two hip operations, Darren finally
returned to Atlantic City to wrest the IBF world title from the
Australian Daniel Geale. A DAZZLING DARKNESS is written in
collaboration with Ian Ridley, Sports Journalist of the Year in the
British Press Awards 2007 and author of the best-selling Addicted,
the autobiography of the former Arsenal and England captain Tony
Adams. It is story of triumph out of tragedy, hope from despair,
achievement from adversity.
March 2016: following a brutal title fight with Chris Eubank Jr,
former British champion Nick Blackwell ended up fighting for his
life in a coma. That night, victory was no longer important; boxing
was no longer a sport. Elliot Worsell, journalist and lifelong
boxing fan, had been ringside and in the dressing rooms at Wembley,
and what he saw and heard would transform his view of the sport he
loves and force him to question his own complicity. In Dog Rounds,
Worsell goes in search of boxers who have killed in the ring.
Spending time with these pariahs and returning to the venues in
which tragedies occurred, Worsell reveals the extent of the
devastation left behind. In doing so, he uncovers an incredible
story of guilt, forgiveness, obsession and violence.
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