Boxing/MMA

From Oscar De La Hoya, one of the most celebrated fighters in the history of boxing, comes a frank and touching memoir about achieving the American Dream: His rise to the top, the power of a solid work ethic, his mother's painful death from cancer, the pitfalls of stardom and a very personal take on what it means to be an American. 265 Pgs. 2008 Hardcover

Randy Couture wins fights with the seemingly effortless ease with which lesser mortals eat or breathe. He's the only athlete to have held championship titles in both the heavyweight and light heavyweight divisions of the UFC, and he's the only six-time title earner in UFC history. In Becoming the Natural, Couture tells his story for the first time, beginning with a childhood spent in search of an elusive father figure, followed by the pure adrenaline rush that accompanied his first wrestling...

Las Vegas is a city where fortunes are won and lost on the roll of the dice, a 24-hour-a-day, neon-lit wonderland. Stars roam the Strip and decadence is always available at a price, but never are the stakes higher in Las Vegas than inside the ring. It's here where lives are shattered, and sometimes lost, in search of the glory and riches that come in the squared circle. This is Fight Town, a place where fame is only one big punch away and the high-rolling gamblers with their fat bankrolls look...

Inside stories of some of the greatest prizefights of all time, including Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson II, Joe Frazier-George Foreman I, and The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I. Referee and elder statesman of boxing Mercante gives behind-the-scenes glimpses into his world and the lives and careers of the greatest boxers of all time. His blow-by-blow accounts are peppered with grit and telling details. 230 pgs, paperback, 2007

On the night in 1964 that Muhammad Ali (then known as Cassius Clay) stepped into the ring with Sonny Liston, he was widely regarded as an irritating freak who danced and talked way too much. Six rounds later Ali was not only the new world heavyweight boxing champion: He was "a new kind of black man" who would shortly transform America's racial politics, its popular culture, and its notions of heroism. No one has captured Ali--and the era that he exhilarated and sometimes infuriated--with...

This work brings a fresh perspective to the history of modern prizefighting as it evolved over several centuries to become one of the most lasting and valued sporting attractions. With his primary focus outside the ropes, Lang shows how organizers, publicity agents, and political allies overcame both legal and moral roadblocks to make fisticuffing a lively commercial enterprise. Begins with the clandestine bare-knuckle fights in 18th century London, and ends with the vibrant, large-scale...

Every Hall of Fame honoree is accounted for in this book, with facts, figures, and action photos. Also included are fight-by-fight records of all International Hall of Fame inductees. An excellent arrangement of boxing facts. 784 pgs, paperback, 2006

Subtitled 'Boxing in Nevada from the Mining Camps to the Las Vegas Strip'. As the twentieth century dawned, bare-knuckle prizefighting was transforming into the popular sport of boxing, yet simultaneously it was banned as immoral in many locales. Nevada was the first state to legalize it, in 1897, solely to stage the Corbett-Fitzsimmons world heavyweight championship in Carson City. Davies shows that the history of boxing in Nevada is integral to the growth of the sport in America....