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Beyond Good and Evil: Glyn Rhodes MBE, a Life in Boxing
Glyn Rhodes MBE has devoted his life to boxing. Since wandering into the world-famous St Thomas' gym in Sheffield as a directionless teenager, he has spent more than 40 years working inside and outside the ropes. Cognizant of how this hardest of sports both saved and brutalized him, he is now ready to tell his story. Rhodes' reflections offer fresh perspectives on the likes of Naseem Hamed, Johnny Nelson, Herol Graham, Clinton Woods, the British Boxing Board of Control, plus his complicated relationship with the iconic Brendan Ingle.
He reveals how boxing lifted him from his childhood on Sheffield council estates to royal appointments and financial security. Yet ultimately, the sport that gave him so much nearly broke him, causing him to seek psychiatric help. As boxing continues to attract both support and condemnation, Rhodes' story shows how the sport's defenders and detractors suffer the same delusion. You cannot truly love or hate boxing, because it is such different things, at different times, to different people.
He reveals how boxing lifted him from his childhood on Sheffield council estates to royal appointments and financial security. Yet ultimately, the sport that gave him so much nearly broke him, causing him to seek psychiatric help. As boxing continues to attract both support and condemnation, Rhodes' story shows how the sport's defenders and detractors suffer the same delusion. You cannot truly love or hate boxing, because it is such different things, at different times, to different people.
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Published December 26, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
March 18, 2023
Absolute rollercoaster of a book
Very moving, couldn’t put it down.
Hilarious at times, incredible insight to the often dark world of boxing and tragic on occasions. Highly recommended.
Very moving, couldn’t put it down.
Hilarious at times, incredible insight to the often dark world of boxing and tragic on occasions. Highly recommended.
November 17, 2022
An incredibly moving story about how boxing gave everything and more to a person, before almost taking it all away after one tragic night in the ring.
This book describes the life of a man who found boxing at a young age and subsequently became devoted to the sport as a professional fighter, trainer, manager, cornerman and promoter.
His involvement with the sport began with his own 65 professional bouts before his role in the corner for several high-profile world, European and British title fights. Away from the ring, he continues to use his gym, Sheffield Boxing Centre, as a platform in the community to raise significant sums of money and awareness for local charities and disadvantaged young people. This long career culminated in royal recognition and numerous awards, but his close presence during four tragedies within the sport quietly took their toll and caused him to seek professional help.
Along with his many achievements, and the amusing and insightful anecdotes about the boxing scene in Sheffield at a time when it was the epicentre of British boxing, this story describes how vital it is for anybody to reach out and ask for help when they feel they need it.
Regardless of an individual’s background or how they portray themselves to others, the state of a person’s mental health cannot be ignored and the few devastating chapters of this book show that even someone whose job is to appear strong and unwavering in any situation can be significantly affected by trauma.
Glyn Rhodes acknowledges that while this incredible but controversial sport gave him everything he wanted in life and more, there are two sides to it. He understands the glorification boxing receives, as he has often been part of it, but he also understands the condemnation sometimes aimed at his field.
He accepts this and realises that boxing “exists in a place beyond good or evil”.
This book describes the life of a man who found boxing at a young age and subsequently became devoted to the sport as a professional fighter, trainer, manager, cornerman and promoter.
His involvement with the sport began with his own 65 professional bouts before his role in the corner for several high-profile world, European and British title fights. Away from the ring, he continues to use his gym, Sheffield Boxing Centre, as a platform in the community to raise significant sums of money and awareness for local charities and disadvantaged young people. This long career culminated in royal recognition and numerous awards, but his close presence during four tragedies within the sport quietly took their toll and caused him to seek professional help.
Along with his many achievements, and the amusing and insightful anecdotes about the boxing scene in Sheffield at a time when it was the epicentre of British boxing, this story describes how vital it is for anybody to reach out and ask for help when they feel they need it.
Regardless of an individual’s background or how they portray themselves to others, the state of a person’s mental health cannot be ignored and the few devastating chapters of this book show that even someone whose job is to appear strong and unwavering in any situation can be significantly affected by trauma.
Glyn Rhodes acknowledges that while this incredible but controversial sport gave him everything he wanted in life and more, there are two sides to it. He understands the glorification boxing receives, as he has often been part of it, but he also understands the condemnation sometimes aimed at his field.
He accepts this and realises that boxing “exists in a place beyond good or evil”.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews