A good biography but lightwight for boxing fans
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Sugar Ray is one of those boxers who when you read a book like this realise the term "great" should be subject to stricter rationing. A man who fought over 200 professional fights with 175 victories (including 109 KOs) over 15 years leaves many of the current breed of "champions" looking anything but.
This biography written by African historian Herb Boyd helped by Sugar Ray's son Ray, is a well written warts and all biography of how Sugar Ray progressed from the inevitable poor beginnings of black amateur boxing in the 1930s to being a world class boxer who excelled at both Welterweight and Middleweight World titles. The coverage falls into two strands being his boxing career and including how Sugar avoided the traps of being a stooge for crime bosses; his epic struggle with Jake La Motta who he fought six times (after losing on February 5th 1943 rematching and beating 21 days later, both fights being over 10 rounds!); his hard personal negotiating against promoters and managers for his fair share of the purse including till then unheard of early TV rights and his touring of Europe where he became a major star in France.
The second strand is the personal life story of a man who helped fuel the Harlem renaissance by investing his winnings in business ventures in that area to developing a higher level of black self pride with his renowned pink cadillac and family life image, all undermined by a lack of the personal discipline he displayed in the ring when it came to personal affairs and business finances, which led to endless battles with the IRS and his descent into penury amidst debilitating illnesses.
What is sadly missing for any fight fan (and why my 3 star rating)is any true understanding of the reasons why so many people still see him as the best "pound for pound" fighter of all time - his fighting skills (rather than his fights record); his training regime and a better coverage of the boxing environment at that time given its vast difference with todays scene. That book still awaits to be written
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