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Books > Sport & Leisure > Sports & outdoor recreation > Combat sports & self-defence > Boxing
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.
Including material and photographs not included in most of the 100
other books about the champion, Ishmael Reed's The Complete
Muhammad Ali is more than just a biography - it is a fascinating
portrait of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. An
honest, balanced portrayal of Ali, the book includes voices that
have been omitted from other books. It charts Ali's evolution from
Black Nationalism to a universalism, but does not discount the
Nation of Islam and Black Nationalism's important influence on his
intellectual development. Filipino American author Emil Guillermo
speaks about how The Thrilla In Manila brought the Philippines into
the 20th century. Fans of Muhammad Ali, boxing fans, and those
interested in modern African American history and the Nation of
Islam will be fascinated by this biography by an accomplished
American author.
Boxers do what the vast majority of us will never do: they stand
toe-to-toe and try to inflict as much punishment upon each other as
possible. In Chasing Rocky, J. P. Flaim, a suburban father of two
and cohost of The Sports Junkies on 106.7 The Fan in Washington,
DC, became a part of that small percentage of people drawn to
become a boxer. What started as a crazy idea from the arena seats
of a professional boxing match transforms into a personal challenge
that the deejay cannot ignore.
This memoir follows the journey of this average Joe who chases
his dream and discovers there's more to boxing than what can be
seen inside the ropes. Chasing Rocky narrates Flaim's foray into
the boxing world, where he encounters a dubious boxing promoter who
sees only dollar signs, a no-nonsense trainer who tests his
resolve, an aspiring pro who longs for a title shot, and an icon
who has inspired millions.
Chasing Rocky presents an inside look at the brutal training
boxers endure. From facing fears to dealing with the pain of
getting punched, Flaim tackles the sacrifices boxers make and
explores the promotional aspects-from choosing the perfect heel to
creating a grand ring entrance. He shows what happens when the bell
sounds and a radio promotion idea becomes a boxing reality.
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