This is the story of the lineage of Boxing's World Heavyweight Championship from 1882-1915 and how it explains a cultural attitude toward race and identity in that era. The first true national and international sports celebrities were boxers in the late 1800s. Soon after the abolishment of slavery in the United States the first World Champions of the sport were crowned. As the Champion of the World these boxing heavyweights were held on a pedestal of athletic dominance, and in the eyes of some white Americans, and many of those in the boxing community, these champions had to be white, anything else would challenge the belief of white Anglo-saxon superiority that many white Americans were clinging to at the time. It is the story of the symbol of the World Champion during that period and what it meant in society. It's also a story about a bunch of tough, bad-ass guys from over a hundred years ago that used to beat each other up.
A powerful and compelling tale of brooding horror that deepens and broadens to the final catastrophe—an unusual and engrossing novelette by the author of "The Curse of Yig."
Told over the course of the ten rounds of his first fight, this is the story of amateur boxer Sunny. A seventeen year old feeling isolated and disconnected in the city he's just moved to, Sunny joins a boxing club to learn to protect himself after a racist attack. He finds the community he's been desperately seeking at the club, and a mentor in trainer Shobu, who helps him find his place in the world. But racial tensions are rising in the city, and when a Far Right march through Bristol turns violent, Sunny is faced with losing his new best friend Keir to radicalisation. A gripping, life-affirming YA novel about friendship, radicalisation and finding where you belong.
A riveting memoir by acclaimed combat sports and entertainment journalist Fiaz Rafiq, as he shares captivating stories of fighting legends and entertainment stars alongside the story of his own personal hardships, struggles against prejudice, and ultimate triumph. Fighting against the Odds is the culmination of Fiaz Rafiq’s decades of work behind the scenes as a mixed martial arts and combat sports journalist, gaining the trust and confidence of the best fighters in UFC and boxing. Rafiq shares candid accounts, hidden histories, and thrilling experiences from his time with some of the most famous and prominent personalities in fighting sports. Included are never-before-told stories of UFC’s most decorated and revered champions in Randy Couture, Royce Gracie, Daniel Cormier, Brock Lesnar, Georges St-Pierre, and Conor McGregor and boxing and martial arts icons such as Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee. Reaching the pinnacle of his career was anything but a smooth ride for Rafiq. The writer faced adversities, obstacles, and even harassment at American airports. Fighting against the Odds is a fascinating odyssey, one man’s inspiring coming-of-age story populated by some of the most colorful characters in the world of sports and entertainment. Itis a powerful story of hard work, tenacity, and success against overwhelming odds.
He is the genius behind the genius. Enzo never fought in the ring, but he still turned his son Joe into one of the top ten boxers on the planet - a World Champion with a record of 46 unbeaten fights. Now Enzo tells the extraordinary behind-the-scenes story of his flamboyant career and the making of a fighting legend. It is much more than a round-by-round tale of ropes and gloves, and grit and glory. For the first time, Enzo opens the family album and discloses intimate details of his bruising upbringing in Sardinia, where the Mafia lurked on every corner and his father practiced 'tough love'. He talks of fleeing Italy to hitch-hike and busk his way around Europe. He charts his improbable rise from slaving as a waiter cum-cook in a seaside restaurant to support many big name chart stars such as Shirely Bassey. Not only does it provide a unique insight into the father and son relationship that conquered boxing, but also shows how the heart and determination of one self-made man serves as an example for anyone who craves success and is prepared to overcome near-impossible odds to achieve it. 'I'm a life fighter,' he says. This book proves it.
In 1974 in Kinshasa, Zaïre, two African American boxers were paid five million dollars apiece to fight each other. One was Muhammad Ali, the aging but irrepressible “professor of boxing.” The other was George Foreman, who was as taciturn as Ali was voluble. Observing them was Norman Mailer, a commentator of unparalleled energy, acumen, and audacity. Whether he is analyzing the fighters’ moves, interpreting their characters, or weighing their competing claims on the African and American souls, Mailer’s grasp of the titanic battle’s feints and stratagems—and his sensitivity to their deeper symbolism—makes this book a masterpiece of the literature of sport. Praise for The Fight “Exquisitely refined and attenuated . . . [a] sensitive portrait of an extraordinary athlete and man, and a pugilistic drama fully as exciting as the reality on which it is based.”—The New York Times “One of the defining texts of sports journalism. Not only does Mailer recall the violent combat with a scholar’s eye . . . he also makes the whole act of reporting seem as exciting as what’s occurring in the ring.”—GQ “Stylistically, Mailer was the greatest boxing writer of all time.”—Chuck Klosterman, Esquire “One of Mailer’s finest books.”—Louis Menand, The New Yorker Praise for Norman Mailer “[Norman Mailer] loomed over American letters longer and larger than any other writer of his generation.”—The New York Times “A writer of the greatest and most reckless talent.”—The New Yorker “Mailer is indispensable, an American treasure.”—The Washington Post “A devastatingly alive and original creative mind.”—Life “Mailer is fierce, courageous, and reckless and nearly everything he writes has sections of headlong brilliance.”—The New York Review of Books “The largest mind and imagination [in modern] American literature . . . Unlike just about every American writer since Henry James, Mailer has managed to grow and become richer in wisdom with each new book.”—Chicago Tribune “Mailer is a master of his craft. His language carries you through the story like a leaf on a stream.”—The Cincinnati Post
Examines immigration, ethnicity and racism in Britain from 1815 to 1945. This book tackles four themes: why so many immigrants made their way to Britain during that time; the geographical, gender and economic divisions of newcomers; ethnicity; and the reactions of the British to the newcomers.
Racist abuse may at one time have been hurled across the sports stadium or scrawled on a wall. But in today’s social media world it can be published to millions, from almost anywhere, in an instant. Sport, Racism and Social Media provides the first significant, academic account of how social media is shaping the nature of racisms in sport. Among the questions it addresses are: How, and why, is racism being expressed across different social media platforms and sporting contexts? To what extent is social media providing new platforms for traditional prejudices or actually creating new forms of racism? How can campaigners, authorities and individuals best challenge and counter these forms of racism? Combining analysis of social media content with in-depth interviews with athletes, fans, campaigners and officials, and including extensive case studies of soccer, boxing, the NHL, the NBA, and cricket, the book provides important new insights on a familiar but ever changing story. It is essential reading for any student, researcher, media professional, administrator or policy-maker with an interest in sport, new media or the issue of racism in wider society.
"Experiencing Racism provides a thought-provoking and thorough analysis of how race is lived in America. Collecting essays on personal experiences of race and racism from a wide spectrum of college students, the authors employ existing social science literature and textual analysis to illustrate common themes and departures. The essays and associated analyses capture the impact of racism on its perpetrators and victims, highlighting how individuals choose to cope with racist experiences in their lives. Relevant empirical literature is interwoven throughout the chapters to demonstrate the intersection between existing empirical research and real-life experiences. This book is a depiction of race in America that goes beyond black and white to show how the changing racial contours of America are impacting the ways we view and experience racism."--Page 4 of cover.
