Close Encounters with the Gloves Off: Boxing's Greats Recall the Inside Stories of Their Big Fights

by Thomas Myler

Boxers recall their highs and lows, their greatest triumphs, the background stories, and many shock revelations of their careers in this exciting collection. Acclaimed boxing writer, author, and historian Thomas Myler has interviewed every one of the pugilistic greats featured, during a career spent covering boxing; from the big names of the Roaring 1920s right through to boxing's modern era. Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, Georges Carpentier, Joe Louis, Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, and modern greats such as Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Evander Holyfield, and Ken Buchanan all feature. Myler has spent a lifetime around boxing and boxers and was once described by George Kimball, prize-winning author of the acclaimed Four Kings, as "one of the world's best boxing writers."

288 pages, Paperback

Published October 1, 2016

Reviews

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll give it a four for its originality, sand the fact this guy got to interview such a wide cross section of fighters. This was very impressive. However, some weird typos get things quit wrong (Holyfield was not 45 when he beat Tyson and Louis-Walcott was definitely not.a black vs white public attraction!). A decent read all in all, though, and the inclusion of Carpentier was quite charming and unusual (containing several assertions that French writers would seriously contest!).

[Mike Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Read

Thomas Myler has been covering boxing in the UK for decades and provides interviews with a wide variety of famed pugilists ranging from Georges Carpenter and Jack Dempsey to Rocky Marciano to Mike Tyson to Evander Holyfield and Ali. Each interview is insightful and informative. Thomas has a friendly style and a way of connecting with each subject. Fun read.