Death in the Ring
Let’s invite many of the greatest boxers, and their contemporaries, to tell their own stories, some true, others tales based on history. Peter Jackson barges into John L. Sullivan’s hotel room to demand a fight. Jim Jeffries regales listeners about his barroom confrontation with Jack Johnson. A bar owner discusses the violent alcoholism of Battling Siki. Jack Dempsey and his detractors hold forth. Sonny Liston stars in three stories. Nelson Mandela boxes Barack Obama. The top 13 heavyweights are identified. Muhammad Ali, Jerry Quarry, Emanuel Steward, Alexis Arguello, Lennox Lewis, and Archie Moore and others also share experiences. They’re frank about their serious business. They know there can always be Death in the Ring.
Apple, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, and Other Stores
Book Excerpt
I’ve got a popular speakeasy here in Hell’s Kitchen. We attract plenty of characters and the biggest is Battling Siki. He went from Senegal to France as a kid and won the light heavyweight title by knocking out national hero Georges Carpentier in a fight Siki was supposed to throw but decided not to when Carpentier hit him harder than agreed.
“Those other stories about you aren’t true, are they?” I ask.
“Which ones?”
“That you strolled around Paris with two Great Danes.”
“They behaved. If they didn’t, I fired my pistol at the sun. I really preferred African animals. I walked my lion cub on a leash but he got too big. Police made me give him to the zoo. Same with the monkey on my shoulder. Used to shit all over the apartment. The French claimed I was a disgrace. Why didn’t they blame the monkey? They just didn’t want a black champion.”
Siki says his title was stolen by an Irishman in Dublin and he couldn’t get fights in France, and I know it had to be because of his drinking, which is real bad. He usually starts off hugging everyone, even kisses some guys on the cheek, but after awhile he’s frowning at the guys he kissed and, judging by the tone, cussing them in a variety of languages including English he’s picking up fast.
“I’m going to beat Jack Dempsey.”
Joe says, “That’s why Kid Norfolk kicked your ass. We don’t have weak European fighters here.”
Siki slaps Joe, who falls, and leaves me a tip three times his bill.
A couple of months later Siki tells Fred, “I need big money against white fighters.”
“You won’t get that till you learn to beat Negroes.”
Siki right hooks him to the jaw. I help Fred up and think how good guys must be to beat this muscular man.
“There’ll be no more drinks for you here,” I say, cautiously.
“No, please, yes.” He hands me all his money. “And take my shoes and pants and shirt. Here, take my ring.”
In socks and underwear he walks out and takes a taxi, and next day the driver tells me he asked Siki for the fare and the boxer said, “Pull over, I’ll fight you for it.”
That’s not bright anywhere, especially in Hell’s Kitchen. Siki needs to control himself. Boxing guys tell me he doesn’t like to train and rarely runs in the morning. How could he? He’s drunk about every night and often wakes up in jail. The whole neighborhood’s talking about what happened in a speakeasy not far from here. Siki told a guy, “I’d be heavyweight champ if I was white.”
“You’re a bloated light heavyweight loser,” the guy said.
Siki slugged him, picked up a stool, brained the approaching bartender, and fired the stool into the mirror behind the bar.
Next time I see Siki, he’s got a bunch of stitches closing knife wounds in his face.
“Louis,” I say, “That’s your real name, right? I read it in the paper. You’ve got a wife here. And a lady and a son back in Paris. I’m telling you straight, you better stop all this stuff so you can take care of them.”
“I have no children,” he says.
“And I have no booze for you.”
Thankfully, he hasn’t been drinking. He starts that somewhere else. Two policemen later see him staggering along the street. “You want us to arrest you?”
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
Battling Siki stumbles on. He’s heading for his apartment. I imagine he feels pretty bad. He may not feel the pop. It hits him in the back. He keeps walking. There’s another pop but he still keeps moving. He’ll get home. He’s on his belly now, crawling in the gutter. He’s crawling in Hell’s Kitchen.
Available at:
Apple, Barnes & Nobles, Kobo, and Other Stores
Book Reviews
Amazon Review & Sports Book Guy
L. Smith
April 26, 2015
Review:
This book can be considered a book on the history of boxing as there are stories about many great fighters covering all eras of the sport, from John L. Sullivan to Oscar de la Hoya. However, to call this is a history book does it a great injustice because the writing style is very unique.
Author George Clark Thomas takes the fighters he writes about and tells stories from their point of view. It may be about some of their fights, it may be about their families or it may be about life after the ring. The title may be a bit misleading, as the stories are not necessarily about “death.” The fighters don’t die in the ring but do have some reflections on their lives and it may be from the grave. For example, one story is titled “Jerry Quarry from Boxers’ Heaven” (this was my personal favorite in the book) and tells about both Jerry and Mike Quarry and their struggles in and out of the ring.
Another aspect of the book I liked is that the stories were not all boxing legends easily recognizable by all fans. Stories about Tiger Flowers, Harry Greb and Oscar Bonavena are told as well as some about Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey and Muhammad Ali. One very humorous fictional bout pits Nelson Mandela against Barack Obama that had me in stitches even at Thomas tried to put them in a serious fight.
Most fans love to compare fighters of different eras and wonder what would have happened if they could fight. Would Joe Louis vs. Joe Frazier be a good fight? Could Jack Dempsey have defeated Muhammad Ali? There are plenty of scenarios like these that play out in the fighter’s mind. Of course, whoever is telling the story will win that fight.
This was a terrific read that I enjoyed from first page to last. A very unique spin on the history of the sweet science, it is a book that I believe anyone who enjoys reading boxing books will want to add to their library.
I wish to thank Mr. Thomas for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Pace of the book:
I always believe that collections of stories or anthologies are quick reads as the reader can choose to read as many as he or she likes in one sitting and then can quickly pick it back up without losing anything in a story.
Do I recommend?
Yes – all boxing fans should enjoy this entertaining collection of stories. This is especially true for those who wonder who would win matches between great fighters in different eras.
Sports Book Guy
Dondub
April 29, 2015
Very interesting interview of a wonderful writer. Mr. Clark has developed a distinctive style of writing that puts him into the mind of his characters and their associates. This allows him great freedom to explore their personalities and peccadillos. He puts this freedom to very good use via dialog and plot. A very satisfying read, thank you The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books and thank Mr. Clark for his expanding collection of writing.
Amazon Review
S. Wood
May 18, 2014
With “Death in the Ring”, the stale air of the past becomes invigorating and refreshing. Clark has a unique slant when writing about his subjects–he becomes them! The legendary John L. Sullivan, the colorful Jack Johnson, the artistic Mickey “The Toy Bulldog” Walker, the inscrutable Sonny Liston, and many more boxing greats, all are alive again–and they speak to us–sharing their intimate feelings and secret thoughts through Clark’s creative pen. It’s a dangerous literary game of “faction” that Clark plays, but he plays it well and we buy into Clark’s portrayals, speculations, and flights of fancy because, Clark is a boxing historian and grounds his subjects in fact. These stories are wonderful!
Amazon Review
Charles Halter
May 27, 2014
George Thomas Clark has done it again. He put together a book that is hard to put down. AND it’s ALL about boxing from the beginning to what it is today.
Like GTC said, “The greatest enemy of the boxer is not his opponent, but the sport itself.” He brings back memories and tidbits of the boxers that once ruled the sport, from John L. Sullivan to Somkin’Joe, George Forman and yes, Cassius Clay, ahh, I mean Muhammad Ali.
GTC does his best to put you at the scene during AND after their Boxing Career. Putting together the boxer’s story was masterfully done by the author and how he did it is unique.
We find out through GTC that most boxers had problems, of course, after they hung up their gloves, thus the title of the book – ‘Death in the Ring.’
I’m GLAD George Thomas Clark sent me this book knowing that I probably would Enjoy reading it. AND I DID. Thanks George.
Amazon Review
Nicolaus sports fan
May 18, 2014
This is the third book of Clark’s that I have read and I wasn’t disappointed. The book is more than a history of boxing. Clark’s book explores the depths of human misery, human nature and boxing. George Thomas seems drawn to the fringes of humanity and his treatment of that fringe society makes the fragility of the human experience come alive. In this case, the treatment is of boxers and those in that world. The treatment evinces a knowledge of the human experience that makes the reader wonder how Clark can so wonderously explore the psyche of the subjects he writes about. I will have to dust off the other Clark books that I have and give them another look. I am psyched to revisit this storytellers magic.