Just ordered "Dark Trade: Lost in Boxing", by Donald McRae and "Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran and the last Great era of Boxing", by George Kimball. Any of you guys read these? Looking forward to getting stuck into them in the next week.
Most boxing books are BS. You'll read them in a day and feel ripped off. Worst of all are the Biographies, which are largely a compilation of shit you already knew and wish you didn't. Kimball was talented but I mean, just look at the title..."last great Era of boxing"....yeah, OK.
They should be pretty insightful. Dark Trade was recommended to me, so i'll get through that one first. Got my doubts about the four kings book tbh, but i'll still read it.
A good pal of mine got me Evander Holyfields book, "Becoming Holyfield". Utter piffle it was. A more wretched epistle I could not hope to draft myself. Books are just disappointments in comparison to the sheer volume of cold hard fact we have now at our fingertips. I read Bartley Gormans book, which was a riotous load of auld Tinkers yarns, good entertainment, high on detail of his childhood and schooling but very little on the actual fights, mainly because he had very few fights. A good read though.
I have allot of books but none about Boxing. I would love to expand my library, does anyone here recommend a good book about boxing?
I don't usually read boxing books but the other day picked up "Blood Sweat and Fish nets The Oscar De La Hoya Story" It was pretty decent, but on an interesting note it said 12 chapters in the table of contents but after getting through first 9 the rest were just blank pages....That De La Hoya I swear.
"Championship parenting tips " by Evander Holyfield Bought this book at Wall mart the other day. Got home and started to read it. Opened it. Page one only had one word on it said "RUN" rest of the book was just blank pages. I also saw the other day "From rags to riches the inspirational Vitor Ortiz story" was going to pick it up but then decided against it after thinking to myself why would I be interested in Vitor's life if even his own parents weren't.
I'm lying cdogg I actually picked up the Vitor Ortiz book . It's a good read. Turns out Vitor's dad used to abuse little Vitor. Called him useless stupid ugly worthless a mistake and so on until one day his mom had enough and told the dad "leave him alone!" and they did.
I heard "Vitor" used to try and hug his dad as his dad wailed away on him. Unfortunately, young Vitor wasn't much good when it came to using his head. When his parents left he tried to claim a TKO victory. When they left he was able to start feeding himself and consequently moved up in weight, thus enjoying a functional weight advantage in the event that his father ever returned. When Vitor and his brother were babies, his father told him that the Boogie Man was a Chinese-looking Argentinian with no skills and a big right hand. Vitor subsequently became an expert on Poland Syndrome with his thesis entitled "Poland Syndrome Amongst the Unskilled and Feckless of the Orient and South America" His brother became a trucking expert just in case the family ever had to illegally re-enter Mexico. Vitor likes getting tattooed.....jabs, rights, uppercuts, combos, its all good.
Seriously guys you should pick up the Vitor Ortiz book. It's a great great read. The book is 320 pages (13 chapters) of a great inspirational story. Chapter 14 talks about how much his parents loved him.
Atlas should train Ortiz. He could tell him between rounds " Do you believe in Magic Vitor ? Your parents who are gone could be here in the crowd tonight! Sometimes parents leave you when you're a a little worthless burden to them and then when you're rich and famous they come back Vitor! Magic!"
Dark Trade is an excellent book. I also liked "The Life and Crimes of Don King" by Jack Newfield, and that recent Roberto Duran biography.
When Vitor fucks his girlfriend he doesn't say "Who's your daddy" He says "Who's my daddy" He seriously wants to find out.
What's Mexican one is male one female and both love Vitor Ortiz ? I don't know but it's not his parents.
ointlaugh: vitors parents are illegal emigrants. Another good book: Anything by Hemingway which mentions boxing, he also had a few short stories on boxing.
"Dark Trade" is one of the best boxing books ever written. Thomas Hausers "The Black Lights" about Billy Costello is also very good. Not in "Dark Trade's" league, but very good. Most autobiographies are trash but the following were pleasant surprises: Jim Corbett - Roar Of The Crowd Larry Holmes Book Part fiction but an excellent read was, "Bummy Davis vs. Murder Inc.."
I recommend 'McIlvanny on boxing'. Just a collection of his newspaper pieces written from the 60s onward. Really fantastic journalist and it's easy to dip in and out of. Good book to stick beside the lavy.
