One Ring Circus by Katherine Dunn
Published September 8, 2009 by Boxing Capital
One Ring Circus is a collection of articles written by Katherine Dunn that range in date from the 80’s to the current decade. All articles have been published previously in a wide variety of publications and in this sense, you could almost describe it as a book of short stories.
The topics covered range from handwraps to brain injuries in boxing, from coaches at small amateur clubs to big world title fights in Las Vegas. Dunn has covered the sport at every level but doesn’t just concentrate on the fistic prowess of the competitors; Dunn recognises the human element of the sport of boxing .
What most amazes (and impresses) me about the book is that Katherine Dunn has a total understanding of the sport; she understands the mindset of the competitors and makes observations that I would have thought only experienced competitors could make – it’s highly impressive. In 30 years of watching boxing I feel Dunn understands the sport as well as me (if not better) and it took me 15 years of exchanging punches to know what I do now!
The combination of Dunn’s understanding of the sport, her ability to recognise the human element of the sport and her fantastically written articles make this a book that is a must for both fans of the sport and non-boxing fans. I genuinely feel that if every non-boxing fan/casual observer read this book then they would gain a real insight into the fantastic sport we know and love; people would soon realise that describing the sport as ‘barbaric’ is totally inaccurate.
Highlights in the book include Dunn’s defence of Mike Tyson biting Evander Holyfield (yes, you did read that right – Dunn not only defends Tyson but provides compelling evidence that should be considered), a fascinating article on Johnny Tapia and a wonderful insight into the role of a head coach at an amateur boxing club.
Judges Scorecard 9/10 (10/10 for non boxing fans)
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