The Knockout

by Andy Clarke

272 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Disambiguated authors:
(1) Andy Clarke - British Comics Artist (Current profile)
(2) Andy Clarke - AKA Andrew Clark
(3) Andy Clarke - Self-published author of Gardening at the Backyard
(4) Andy Clarke - founder of COSIGN conferences, Kinonet Consultancy, Videogames & Art
(5) Andy Clarke - Biology teacher, WJEC, EDUQAS, A/AS-Level
(6) Andy Clarke - Web Design, CSS, Stuff & Nonsense, Inspire guides
(7) Andy Clarke - Camp inspector/photographer for Vicarious Books, Sea View Camping
(8) Andy Clarke - Food & Drink, Event Host

From Wikipedia:
Andy Clarke is a British comics artist who came to prominence working at 2000 AD and became known to a wider audience with his later work at DC Comics, notably the 2009 volume of R.E.B.E.L.S. and various Batman-related publications.

He started his career in the series Sinister Dexter in the anthology 2000 AD, becoming one of the main artists on the story between 1998 and 2004. While working there he would also work on some of the anthology's other flagship titles, like Judge Dredd and Nikolai Dante, and one-off stories like Thirteen and Snow/Tiger.

He started work for American company DC Comics in 2005 on a number of stories in titles like Aquaman and Detective Comics. In 2008 he has worked on the Two-Face issue of The Joker's Asylum written by David Hine and then, year later, became the main artist on the R.E.B.E.L.S. ongoing series with writer Tony Bedard who has said that Clarke is "the greatest artist I've worked with in a dog's age ... A lot of people are going to be floored when they see his stuff. He's so meticulous with the details and rendering. He reminds me of Brian Bolland and Kevin Maguire and Frank Quitely all rolled into one." Although the writing of the series got a mixed reception Clarke's art was praised, with Comics Bulletin review of the first issue suggesting his "pencils take the detailed future grit of Barry Kitson's Legion of Superheroes and mix it with a heavy dose of Frank Quitely's work on All-Star Superman" and the one at Comic Book Resources picking up on similar themes, saying he was "providing a kind of Barry Kitson stillness combined with a Seth Fisher-esque attention to detail."

Following an arc on Batman Confidential with Peter Milligan, he was confirmed as the next artist for Batman and Robin after Cameron Stewart.

Reviews

[Dewi Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andy Clarke is one of my favourite people in boxing. Not only does he take the sport very seriously, his style as a broadcaster (and now an author) always sees him take the time to open it to others, too.

The Knockout is such a good idea, it’s amazing how nobody has done it before. I’m glad, however, that it’s Andy who has authored this. He’s curious and compelling, which is a great combination for this subject.

The people Andy speaks to give revealing insights. It’s a great cast, too. Their level of honesty speaks to the trust they have in him. This book is more than a presentation of different experiences, though. Andy draws many nuanced conclusions about knockouts, fully exploring every noteworthy angle.

I raced through this book in three reads, there is so much to enjoy. In the interest of not offering spoilers, I’ll stay away from revealing too much but I loved the gear change of the Froch-Groves interlude towards the end and the final two sentences are pure poetry.

100% recommend to anyone, whether you have an existing interest in boxing or not.

[Tyrone Atkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swift, brutal and utterly final, there is nothing more exhilarating in the sport of boxing than a violent finish, but what goes into a knockout? How does it feel to administer one? What is it like to be on the wrong end of one?

Boxing journalist Andy Clarke takes a nuanced dive into the subject with his book The Knockout: Sport's Most Decisive Moment (2024). Utilising accounts from boxers such as Carl Froch, Amir Khan, Tony Bellew, Ricky Hatton, David Haye plus experienced trainers, referees and medical professionals, Clarke doesn't simply examine the technical process of a fight-ending punch, but the psychological and physiological effects too.

Importantly though, Clarke illustrates his (and our) morbid fascination with organised violence and our thirst for explosive finishes, be it via type-one knockout (one punch, sudden) or type-two (gradual, grind-down demoralising). How do we as a progressive society balance our civility with our need for brutality for entertainment? He does his best to answer that here and does so with skill and full transparency. Boxing isn't just sport, it is high theatre and watching two people trying to render each other unconscious has been and always will hold a morbid but thrilling fascination. An essential book for fans but could certainly be of value for the curious.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and interesting (the stories and anecdotes from fighters, especially), but I perhaps expected to learn more about the science behind what happens to the body and mind during the course. Much of the stories on that front extended to fighters being left without short-term memories - many don’t remember being in the ring after being buzzed or knocked down for the first time - while others talked about finding themselves in a state of zen and almost feeling out of body, despite being in the ring and still fighting on. While some of the stories are pretty harrowing and bleak, none will stop me continuing to watch boxing, which I guess is…something. Interesting fact, too: professional boxing was banned in Sweden up until 2007.

[Kyle Siekiera · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would give probably a 3.5, it’s a good book one for the boxing hardcores like myself. It focuses purely on the knockout itself and takes a more scientific approach and different factors that can influence a knockout. It hard some interesting interviews in it, I particularly liked the David Haye one and the one about Jamie Moore visiting Macklin in hospital after their fight. I’ll be honest though some of the chapters did feel like it was repeating the same content and points other than that though everything else was decent.

[Markod0101 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened rather than read.

I love Andy Clarke, I’m a boxing fan but probably only as my 2nd or 3rd sport.

Clarkes enthusiasm is infectious however and him reading the book gives it more life.

The book if focused on a who’s who of British boxing over the last 15 years and I would strongly recommend to anyone even with a passing interest

[Callum Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well constructed book by Andy, that will be an interesting read for any boxing fan. However, I found the book to be too repetitive, when it came to using examples of fights, ie; Moore/Macklin and Froch/Groves 2. I felt it could have done with a wider pool of fights to dissect.