Before reading this book, I knew three names in boxing – Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson and Buster Douglas. Muhammad Ali because really, who doesn’t know that name, Mike Tyson because he was making plenty of headlines when I was a teenager and Buster Douglas because he made history by beating Mike Tyson. Besides that, anything about boxing was off interest to me.
When I picked this book, I had no idea what I will get in overall content. Firstly, the reason I picked the book was because anything, whether being an article or a photo with Mike Tyson and Ali, I take interest, because I may not be a boxing fan, but I consider them one of the world greats. By chance, I saw this beautiful, amazing, attractive, colourful cover and I didn't look back.
But back to this magnificent book. This is the kind of book that after reading, you'll want everyone to read, because it is an eye opener on so many levels - and you don't even have to be a boxing fan to read it. The author displays his passion of the sport in each chapter and all over this book. I have never met a writer who has so much love and passion for a sport to the point of writing a book as this one. What the author did was practically take me back to all the timelines of these great fighters, as they lived and fought. I felt the highs and the lows of their lives and careers and due to this I found myself having my perspective on boxing being immensely shifted. I no longer view boxing as just a violent sport, Bruce has made me see it on a different level and I have a newfound respect for the sport, not that I would start watching, but I will start reading more on certain aspects of the fighters and the sport itself.
This book isn't about these great boxing fighters of our time only, it is about history, sacrifices, passion, the good and the bad of boxing and everything in between. The author focuses on fighters and their history, where they were born, where they grew up and then goes into their careers and gives them scores on certain factors and then rates them accordingly, which is one of interesting things about this book because - I have learnt so much about other wonderful boxing GOATS, which I didn't know existed. (Yes, in my world only Tyson and Ali were GOATS of boxing) ...but no more, I know now of other people that I will be reading about.
From the first page of the introduction on the fight between Nigel Benn and Gerald McCellan, I was hooked, and I found myself spending a day reading up on McCellan - I was just blown away by learning so much from this book with in the first pages. Just like the author who was enthralled by this fight at the age of ten, I was right there, I felt it, and I was enthralled and awed by the whole story of these two fighters and this fight that left McCellan brain damaged due to the violence of the fight. From there onwards I just flew reading this book.
Reason it took me longer to finish reading the book, I would go and reader further on the fighters. Wow! As I said before, this book isn't only for boxing fans, it is for everyone who wants to learn about great sports public figures that loved and had so much passion for boxing that they were willing to risk their lives, which is something that most of us don't really do in life - and that is take risks.
The ending of this book is also one of its highlights, the final announcement on who is the best! This is a must read for sure, it is an exciting book and different from most books. I highly recommend.
This book is available on kindle, hardcover and paperback.
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