"This is a surprising book, a terrific book. It's not about boxing, but about an odd, demanding world in which boxing is the thread, the key to existence. Wiley deftly broadens the delineation of this world and its people. Perceptive reporting is the foundation and perceptive reporting is rare enough. Wiley enhances it with clear, quick writing laced with humor and with a sensitivity that lends brilliance to this impressive work."-Robert W. Creamer, author of Baseball and Other Matters in 1941. "Ralph Wiley, with Serenity, has produced an original book about the ring. . . . He can dig beneath the surface and show us what really happened in a bout: why Thomas Hearns, with too much faith in his powerful right hand, lost to Sugar Ray Leonard in their first match. . . . Or why Roberto Durn was acting out of prudence, not cowardice, when he quit in his second fight against Leonard. . . . Yet the book is not really about boxing. Boxing in Serenity is what T. S. Eliot, speaking of plot, called the meat a burglar brings to distract the watchdog. The book is really about growing up in a world where you had to defend yourself physically to survive."-New York Times. "Wiley's rapport with boxers is profound."-Publisher's Weekly. "Wiley is one writer who really knows his way around a boxing ring. . . . He writes] with passion and understanding about complex, violent men and their oddly redemptive sport."-Booklist. Ralph Wiley is the author or coauthor of several works, most recently Born to Play: The Eric Davis Story.

Fifteen previously unpublished boxing pieces written between 1952 and 1963.
Demonstrating A.J. Liebling’s abiding passion for the “sweet science” of boxing, "A Neutral Corner" brings together fifteen previously unpublished pieces written between 1952 and 1963. Antic, clear-eyed, and wildly entertaining, these essays showcase a" The New Yorker" journalist at the top of his form. Here one relives the high drama of the classic Patterson-Johansson championship bout of 1959, and Liebling’s early prescient portrayal of Cassius Clay’s style as a boxer and a poet is not to be missed.
Liebling always finds the human story that makes these essays appealing to aficionados of boxing and prose alike. Alive with a true fan’s reverence for the sport, yet balanced by a true skeptic’s disdain for sentiment, "A Neutral Corner "is an American treasure.

Here is Jake LaMotta discussing his career as a hoodlum; Floyd Patterson on growing up in the ghetto; Gunboat Smith on the Jack Johnson era; Jack Dempsey on the Willard fight and the Tunney "long count"; Rocky Graziano on showbiz; and dozens of others--including Sugar Ray Robinson, Willie Pastrano, Jose Torres, Carmen Basilio, Joe Louis, Willie Pep, and Archie Moore--on boxers, racketeers, drugs, payoffs, managers. Including two never-before-published interviews with Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello, this newly expanded and updated edition of "In This Corner. . . !" is undoubtedly the best one-volume history of boxing ever written.

Stars and Scars traces the development of the Jewish boxing scene in London from the 1760s to more recent times. Jeff Jones examines the role that Jewish boxers played in both the progression of the sport itself and the influence they had on increasing the standing of the Jewish community in London. Starting with the first Jewish boxing stars of the bare-knuckle days, the story winds its way through the prize fighting of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and its links to the infamous Jewish street gangs of the era. It chronicles the rise of the great London Jewish boxers at the turn of the twentieth century and the many Jewish boys’ clubs, boxing clubs and gyms that produced a huge number of fine boxers through the first half of the twentieth century. The links to the community in which they, and boxing generally, flourished, is extensively explored. Jeff Jones has produced a comprehensive picture of the London Jewish boxing culture that gave rise not only to excellent boxers, but also great boxing trainers, managers and promoters.

THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER *REVISED AND UPDATED* 'I am the largest sports promoter in the world. I promote 11 sports to a global audience of billions of people every day of my life' __________ A larger than life working class hero, Romford born and bred - always ready with the perfect soundbite - Barry Hearn was famously described as 'roguish but never a rogue'. Hearn is credited with turning snooker into one of the biggest sports in Britain. He essentially turned a sport in which competitors wear bowties into a massive, globally televised event. Away from the table, his promotions empire casts its net over a dozen sports - from professional boxing to darts, fishing to ten-pin bowling - and his career spans four decades. He also previously owned Leyton Orient football club. Packed with hilarious anecdotes from the golden age of snooker, and behind-the-scenes insight into boxing negotiations and darts bust-ups, Hearn's book is a joy to read from start to finish. __________

In his day, Jack JohnsonOCoborn in Texas, the son of former slavesOCowas the most famous black man on the planet. As the first African American World Heavyweight Champion (1908OCo1915), he publicly challenged white supremacy at home and abroad, enjoying the same audacious lifestyle of conspicuous consumption, masculine bravado, and interracial love wherever he traveled. "Jack Johnson, Rebel Sojourner" provides the first in-depth exploration of JohnsonOCOs battles against the color line in places as far-flung as Sydney, London, Cape Town, Paris, Havana, and Mexico City. In relating this dramatic story, Theresa Runstedtler constructs a global history of race, gender, and empire in the early twentieth century.

Opening with Vince Lombardi's last win as coach of the Packers in Super Bowl II and closing with Joe Namath's Super Bowl III guarantee, James Nicholson delivers an original portrait of a sensational closing decade in American culture. Controversies on the field and in the ring reflected broader political and social turmoil in the late-sixties United States. With one of the most contentious presidential elections in US history, the ongoing civil rights movement, and the Vietnam War all storming in the background, Nicholson charts a course through the oddly unsettled waters of American sports in 1968: the Masters golf tournament decided by the strict enforcement of an arcane rule to the detriment of a foreign player; the winner of the Kentucky Derby disqualified for a drug violation; Muhammad Ali waiting in sports exile while he appealed a criminal conviction for draft evasion; an unorthodox rendition of the national anthem at the World Series nearly overshadowing the game it preceded; and the silent gesture at the Mexico City Olympics made by Tommie Smith and John Carlos that shocked the nation

Today Bill Richmond is largely unknown to the wider public, but he was one of the most significant sportsmen in history and one of the most prominent celebrities of Georgian times. Born into slavery in Staten Island, Richmond won his freedom as a young boy and carved a new life for himself in England as a cabinet maker and then a renowned prizefighter and trainer. His amazing life encompassed encounters and relationships with some of the most prominent men of the age, including Earl Percy, William Hazlitt, Lord Byron, the Prince Regent and Lord Camelford. His fame was such that he fulfilled an official role at the coronation celebrations of King George IV in 1821. The story of Bill Richmond is an incredible tale of personal advancement, as well as the story of a life informed and influenced by a series of turbulent historical events, including the American War of Independence, the fight for black emancipation and Britain's long-running conflict with Napoleon Bonaparte.

Questions of class and gender in Appalachia have, in the wake of the 2016 presidential election and the runaway success of Hillbilly Elegy, moved to the forefront of national conversations about politics and culture. From Todd Snyder, a first generation college student turned college professor, comes a passionate commentary on these themes in a family memoir set in West Virginia coal country. 12 Rounds in Lo's Gym is the story of the author's father, Mike ""Lo"" Snyder, a fifth generation West Virginia coal miner who opened a series of makeshift boxing gyms with the goal of providing local at-risk youth with the opportunities that eluded his adolescence. Taking these hardscrabble stories as his starting point, Snyder interweaves a history of the region, offering a smart analysis of the costs - both financial and cultural - of an economy built around extractive industries. Part love letter to Appalachia, part rigorous social critique, readers may find 12 Rounds in Lo's Gym - and its narrative of individual and community strength in the face of globalism's headwinds - a welcome corrective to popular narratives that blame those in the region for their troubles.

**WINNER OF BEST SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT BOOK AT THE BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2022** 'Hard-hitting and hilarious' - James Acaster 'Funny, moving and compelling' - Mike Costello A heart-warming, hilarious true story about fighting and family, based on the acclaimed stage show. For fans of books by Dave Gorman, James Acaster and Danny Wallace, along with boxing tales from the likes of Tyson Fury and Ricky Hatton. THE CHAMP Terry Downes - the charismatic cockney known as 'The Paddington Express' - was a world champion boxer, US Marine, gangsters' favourite and later a film star and businessman. THE CHUMP James McNicholas' PE teacher once told him he was so unfit he'd be dead by the time he was 23. James has spent his life pursuing a career in acting and comedy. In reality, that has meant stints as a car park caretaker and river cruise salesperson. After Terry's death, James finds himself in reflective mood, comparing his story of underachievement against that of his world champ grandad. What follows is an increasingly colourful journey through post-war Paddington to the blood-soaked canvases of Baltimore and Shoreditch, via Mayfair parties with the Krays. Along the way, James begins to dig into his own story, confronting the dysfunctional elements of his childhood, describing his often hilarious efforts to make it in the world of showbiz, and attempting to recreate Terry's trials by enlisting in a brutal military boot camp and boxing gym. When James is diagnosed with a frightening and mysterious neurological condition, the two tales of the fighter and the writer suddenly collide, and what began as a nostalgic journey takes on a far more important significance altogether. 'A wonderfully funny and heartfelt story of what family and lineage means. Even made me like boxing' - Josh Widdicombe 'An extraordinary family history, told with warmth and wit. Two remarkable underdog stories - come for the cockney scrapper who conquered the world, stay for the grandson and the fight of his life' - Greg Jenner 'If you like comedy and boxing this is the perfect book. James McNicholas is a very funny man and a brilliant writer' - Rob Beckett

What were the ten most fantastic knockouts in boxing history? Which pugilist had the greatest jab of all time? What were the sport's most intense rivalries? Who scored the biggest upsets in the sport's annals? Which fighters have the best nicknames? These questions and many others are answered in this bold collection of ranked lists from two of boxing's most popular commentators. Each list has an introductory paragraph followed by a number of ranked entries, with each entry featuring a brief explanation of ranking plus entertaining and enlightening background information.

Also included are original lists contributed exclusive to this book by more than 25 top personalities from boxing and beyond, including Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya, Bernard Hopkins, and more.

"It didn't occur to me until fairly late in the work that I was writing a book about the beginnings of a national celebrity culture. By 1860, a few boxers had become heroes to working-class men, and big fights drew considerable newspaper coverage, most of it quite negative since the whole enterprise was illegal. But a generation later, toward the end of the century, the great John L. Sullivan of Boston had become the nation's first true sports celebrity, an American icon. The likes of poet Vachel Lindsay and novelist Theodore Dreiser lionized him Dreiser called him 'a sort of prize fighting J. P. Morgan' and Ernest Thompson Seton, founder of the Boy Scouts, noted approvingly that he never met a lad who would not rather be Sullivan than Leo Tolstoy." from the Afterword to the Updated Edition

Elliott J. Gorn's The Manly Art tells the story of boxing's origins and the sport's place in American culture. When first published in 1986, the book helped shape the ways historians write about American sport and culture, expanding scholarly boundaries by exploring masculinity as an historical subject and by suggesting that social categories like gender, class, and ethnicity can be understood only in relation to each other.

This updated edition of Gorn's highly influential history of the early prize rings features a new afterword, the author's meditation on the ways in which studies of sport, gender, and popular culture have changed in the quarter century since the book was first published. An up-to-date bibliography ensures that The Manly Art will remain a vital resource for a new generation."

Each year, readers, writers, and critics alike look forward to Thomas Hauser's newest collection of articles about the contemporary boxing scene. Reviewing his 2019 collection, Booklist proclaimed, 'It's hard to think of another sports journalist who knows more about his or her sport of choice. As it does every year, Hauser's anthology laps the field. The man is a treasure.' Staredown continues this tradition of excellence with inside reporting from the dressing room before some of last year's biggest fights, in-depth investigations into corruption in boxing, and more. Hauser also moves beyond the norm to explore incidents like street fights and examine boxing's storied history in new and creative ways.

Fighting for a Gender[ed] Identity is an ethnographic exploration into the increasingly popular world of white collar boxing. Travis Satterlund, a sociologist, spent over a year and a half researching a boxing gym and its participants, toiling alongside gym members, learning the boxing trade, sweating and enjoying the doses of macho from banging heads with fellow pugilists. He learned how to throw a variety of punch combinations; how to defend and parry punches; how to take a punch; he learned of the hard work, commitment, and dedication necessary to become even an average boxer; and, most importantly, he learned about the culture of KO Gym and its members. While expecting to find a gym filled with young, working-class, non-white menlike he saw on television and in movieshe was surprised when he initially arrived at KO Gym. Though there were indeed diverse, young men at the gym who trained seriously for competitions, the place was also filled with white menboth young and middle-agedwho were also training. Moreover, there were a couple of women training, and the two trainers were white, one of whom was a woman. This countered his expectations and piqued his interest. Satterlund wanted to learn about these mostly white boxers that he would later learn were almost entirely middle to upper middle-class. What brought them to the gym? What did they get out of it? Sociologically, what was happening? This book reveals that gym members used the cultural meanings associated with boxing as resources to construct boxing as an activity from which they could derive gendered identity rewards. As such, Satterlund shows how authenticity of the gym was socially constructed to meet these identity rewards and also to resolve these dilemmas. Moreover, while most of the men at the gym had secure middle-class jobs, these jobs were not the primary basis for their feelings of self-worth, especially in relation to their identity as men. In essence, then, the boxing gym offered a means for the men to compensate for their inability to signify power, control, and toughness in their professional lives. Women also sought identity rewards from boxing and had reasons to want to signify masculine qualities. For them, too, boxing was a way to signify agency and strength. Yet, they also faced dilemmas in seeking to distance themselves from other feminine women without being viewed as too masculine. At the same time, however, social class complicated matters considerably, creating other issues for both the men and the women. Satterlund thus uses the context of KO Gym and its membership to analyze the many nuances of these gender identity-related issues, focusing not only on how social class both disrupts and facilitates how a gendered space is created, but how gender inequalities are created, maintained and reproduced in white collar boxing.

An ethnographic exploration into the increasingly popular world of white collar boxing. Travis Satterlund, a sociologist, spent over a year and a half researching a boxing gym and its participants, toiling alongside gym members, learning the boxing trade, sweating and enjoying the doses of macho from banging heads with fellow pugilists. He learned how to throw a variety of punch combinations; how to defend and parry punches; how to take a punch; he learned of the hard work, commitment, and dedication necessary to become even an average boxer; and, most importantly, he learned about the culture of KO Gym and its members. While expecting to find a gym filled with young, working-class, non-white menlike he saw on television and in movieshe was surprised when he initially arrived at KO Gym. Though there were indeed diverse, young men at the gym who trained seriously for competitions, the place was also filled with white menboth young and middle-agedwho were also training. Moreover, there were a couple of women training, and the two trainers were white, one of whom was a woman. This countered his expectations and piqued his interest. Satterlund wanted to learn about these mostly white boxers that he would later learn were almost entirely middle to upper middle-class. What brought them to the gym? What did they get out of it? Sociologically, what was happening? This book reveals that gym members used the cultural meanings associated with boxing as resources to construct boxing as an activity from which they could derive gendered identity rewards. As such, Satterlund shows how authenticity of the gym was socially constructed to meet these identity rewards and also to resolve these dilemmas. Moreover, while most of the men at the gym had secure middle-class jobs, these jobs were not the primary basis for their feelings of self-worth, especially in relation to their identity as men. In essence, then, the boxing gym offered a means for the men to compensate for their inability to signify power, control, and toughness in their professional lives. Women also sought identity rewards from boxing and had reasons to want to signify masculine qualities. For them, too, boxing was a way to signify agency and strength. Yet, they also faced dilemmas in seeking to distance themselves from other feminine women without being viewed as too masculine. At the same time, however, social class complicated matters considerably, creating other issues for both the men and the women. Satterlund thus uses the context of KO Gym and its membership to analyse the many nuances of these gender identity-related issues, focusing not only on how social class both disrupts and facilitates how a gendered space is created, but how gender inequalities are created, maintained and reproduced in white collar boxing.

Ricky Hatton's brilliance as a boxer, his down-to-earth demeanour and his live-wire sense of humour have made him a national treasure. Five of Ricky's biggest and most explosive fights took place in the boxing Mecca of Las Vegas. Tens of thousands of British fans followed him there to watch these monumental bouts, and to soak up the unique atmosphere in Sin City. In Ricky's Hatton's Vegas Tales, he recalls the most memorable moments: from fight negotiations, through trash-talking transatlantic promotional tours, gruelling training camps, bizarre encounters with opponents, fans, A-list celebrities and boxing legends; all the way to fight-week mayhem and the epic post-fight benders that followed. With contributions from family, friends and the journalists who know him best, tributes from Mexican boxing legends Oscar De La Hoya and Marco Antonio Barrera, plus the hilarious recollections of rock 'n' roll superstar Noel Gallagher, this is an anecdote-driven romp through all the highs and lows of Ricky's Vegas fights, and the madness that preceded and followed each bout. What goes down in Vegas, stays in Vegas... until now!

Friday Night Fighter relives a lost moment in American postwar history, when boxing ruled as one of the nation's most widely televised sports. During the 1950s and 1960s, viewers tuned in weekly, sometimes even daily, to watch widely-recognized fighters engage in primordial battle, with the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports Friday Night Fights being the most popular fight show. Troy Rondinone follows the dual narratives of the Friday Night Fights show and the individual story of Gaspar "Indio" Ortega, a boxer who appeared on primetime network television more than almost any other boxer in history. From humble beginnings growing up poor in Tijuana, Mexico, Ortega personified the phenomenon of postwar boxing at its greatest, appearing before audiences of millions to battle the biggest names of the time, such as Carmen Basilio, Tony DeMarco, Chico Vejar, Benny "Kid" Paret, Emile Griffith, Kid Gavilan, Florentino Fernandez, and Luis Manuel Rodriguez. Rondinone explores the factors contributing to the success of televised boxing, including the rise of television entertainment, the role of a "reality" blood sport, Cold War masculinity, changing attitudes toward race in America, and the influence of organized crime. At times evoking the drama and spectacle of the Friday Night Fights themselves, this volume is a lively examination of a time in history when Americans crowded around their sets to watch the main event.

Everybody in the unlicensed fight game knows that only one man has the honour of being titled 'Guv'nor' - and that man is Lew 'Wild Thing' Yates. Yates began boxing at the age of six, and as an adult he was ruthless in pursuit of his dream of becoming world heavyweight champion. But when his licence was revoked following an assault on a referee, he turned to unlicensed boxing. By day, Yates pounded punchbags and the streets in an effort to reach the peak of physical fitness as he prepared for his epic battle with Roy 'Pretty Boy' Shaw. At night, he pounded gangsters and drug dealers foolish enough to take him on in the nightclubs where he worked. Wild Thing documents how Yates rose to the top of his bloody profession. When it comes to his fighting ability, he doesn't need to boast, brag or exaggerate. With Lew Yates, what you see is what you hope you're never going to get. This is his remarkable story.

An intimate portrait of Muhammad Ali that explores his ascent to greatness in the prizefighting ring and his extraordinary accomplishments as a celebrated humanitarian. Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest boxer of all-time. Yet, outside his record-breaking achievements in the ring, he was admired by millions of people worldwide for his compassionate heart and altruistic endeavors. Throughout his life, Ali demonstrated an unwavering commitment to advancing justice and freedom that should never be forgotten. In Muhammad Ali: A Humanitarian Life, Margueritte Shelton shows how the "People's Champion" transformed his success in the boxing ring into a powerful platform to further his fight against inequality, injustice, and oppressive politics. Ali ascended to greatness during a violent decade of protests and revolutionary movements, and Shelton vividly portrays the personal journey of this bold young dreamer as he pursued athletic glory to become a champion in the ring and a champion for human rights. Featuring a rare collection of letters as well as exclusive interviews, this book offers unique personal perspectives on the man who became world-renowned as the "Greatest of All Time." With an emphasis on Ali's humanitarian endeavors, Muhammad Ali reveals that the champion's greatest achievement was his lifelong fight to transform the world as a messenger of peace.

25th February 1995 The Dark Destroyer vs the G-Man
Nigel Benn and Gerald McClennan.

Two men with a reputation to defend - a reputation for brutal, unforgiving combat both in the ring and outside it. Ostensibly, they were fighting for a world title and a lot of money, the stuff of professional boxing. But this fight was different. It was a rare collision of wills, and few present had seen anything like it. After ten of the most gruelling and vicious rounds that the sport of boxing has ever witnessed McClellan finally was defeated. He knelt in his corner on one knee in submission. The injuries he received that night left him blind, half-deaf and paralysed.

This is the story of what brought these two men together on the night of 25th February 1995 and how that night changed them forever. It's a story too about those associated with the promotion of public fist-fighting, who bend morality to suit their needs. It's a story that attempts to unravel the glamour of violence.

Sports fans and boxing enthusiasts alike will love this compelling study of the resurgence of boxing in the early 1980s - and the four 'greats' who effected that change. Four Kings captures the contests, fighters and the period with a wonderful perception and vividly conjures up those by-gone smoky and raucous ringside nights in Vegas... 'Thrilling, insightful and often humourous' - The Independent 'A flawless and singular account of fights that remain potent and important decades after the final bell' - Irish Times 'A fascinating read' - ***** Reader review 'Very rarely is a non-fiction book so riveting it's almost impossible to put down but this is one of those books' - ***** Reader review 'Beautifully written and absolutely fascinating' - ***** Reader review 'Outstanding' - ***** Reader review ***************************************************************************** By the late 1970s, boxing had lapsed into a moribund state and interest in it was on the wane. In 1980, however, the sport was resuscitated by a riveting series of bouts involving an improbably dissimilar quartet: Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvellous Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns and Roberto Duran. Like Ali and Frazier, Dempsey and Tunney, Robinson and LaMotta, the 'Four Kings of the Ring' brought out the best in each other, producing unprecedented multi-million-dollar gates along the way. Each of the nine bouts between the four men was memorable in its own way and at least two of them - Leonard-Hearns in 1981 and Hagler-Hearns in 1985 - are commonly included on any list of the greatest fights of all time. The controversial outcome of another - the 1987 Leonard-Hagler fight - remains the subject of heated debates amongst fans to this day. In Four Kings, award-winning journalist George Kimball documents the remarkable effect they had on the sport and argues that we will never see their likes again. Leonard, Hagler, Hearns and Duran didn't set out to save boxing from itself in the post-Ali era, but somehow they managed to do so.

Rocky Graziano, juvenile delinquent, middleweight boxing champion, and comedic actor, was the last great fighter from the golden age of boxing, the era of Joe Louis, Jake LaMotta, and Sugar Ray Robinson. In Rocky Graziano: Fists, Fame, and Fortune, Jeffrey Sussman tells the rags-to-riches story of Tommy Rocco Barbella, who came to be known as Rocky Graziano. Raised by an abusive father, Graziano took to the streets and soon found himself in reformatories and prison cells. Drafted into the U.S. Army, Graziano went AWOL but was eventually caught, tried, and sent to prison for a year. After his release, Rocky went on to have one successful boxing match after another and quickly ascended up the pyramid of professional boxing. In one of the bloodiest battles in the history of the middleweight division, Rocky beat Tony Zale and became the middleweight champion of the world. Rocky retired from boxing after he lost his crown to Sugar Ray Robinson and went on to have a successful acting career in two acclaimed television series. Rich and famous, he was no longer the angry young man he once was. In his post-boxing life, Rocky became known for his good humor, witty remarks, and kindness and generosity to those in need. Rocky Graziano's life is not only inspiring, it is also a story of redemption, of how boxing became the vehicle for saving a young man from a life of anger and crime and leading him into a life of happiness and honesty. The first biography of Graziano in over 60 years, this book will bring his story to a new generation of boxing fans and sports historians.