Boxing Shadows

by W.K. Stratton, Anissa "The Assassin" Zamarron (Assistant)

Reaching the top in any sport requires a long, hard climb. But when you start with the baggage of years of family dysfunction and incarceration in a hellish mental hospital, the climb is especially steep. Yet even with such weights to carry, Anissa Zamarron won not one, but two, world championships in women's boxing. Her story, as dramatically intense as the Clint Eastwood film Million Dollar Baby , is one of tremendous courage and determination to overcome the odds against her as a Latina and as a woman working through mental illness and addiction—a fight in which Zamarron has been as powerful and successful as she has been in the boxing ring. In this compelling biography, acclaimed author W. K. "Kip" Stratton collaborates with Zamarron to tell the story of her unlikely rise to the pinnacle of women's boxing. With searing honesty, Zamarron describes how the chaotic breakup of her childhood family caused her to develop "demons" that drove her to aggressive behavior in school, an addiction to self-destructive habits, including cutting, and eventually to a corrupt for-profit mental hospital in which she spent eighteen months tied to a bed. She explains how boxing became her salvation as an adult; she learned how to turn her anger and aggression into motivation to train hard and excel at her sport, not only becoming the first woman to fight as a professional in a sanctioned fight in New York, but also fighting more ten-round fights than any other woman in history. A gripping account of Zamarron's 2005 upset win over Maribel Zurita to claim her second world championship caps the book.

Genres: Sports

195 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Francisco G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at Half-Price Books across from the gym where Anissa trained. After reading her story, I have gained a deep appreciation for the role Lord's gym has played in her story as well as Austin's history. This book drops a lot of historical gems and invests the reader into Anissa's story. The writing can be corny at times, but the story is what really matters. Great read all around and even better for Austinites.

[Abby Schieltz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it for a class called Box Office to Boxing Ring. (We watched boxing movies and learned to box). It was a great book of how boxing helped her through her mental health journey. Highly recommend to anyone and not just people that are interested in boxing.

[Stephanie Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book to motivate you to never give up!