For more than 50 years I’ve revelled in the epic courage of boxing. But deaths, gangsterism and sportswashing have made it much harder to loveWhen I was a boy, living in South Africa, I fell for Muhammad Ali. As graceful as he was provocative, Ali amazed me with his uncanny ability, despite apartheid, to entrance black and white South Africans. He made us laugh and dazzled us with his outrageous skill and courage. I have followed boxing ever since, often obsessively, for more than 50 years.In 1996, after I spent five years tracking Mike Tyson, James Toney, Roy Jones Jr, Chris Eubank Sr and Naseem Hamed, my book Dark Trade allowed me to become a full-time writer. I owe this gift to boxing but our relationship is not easy. Boxing is as crooked and destructive as it is magnificent and transformative. Continue reading...
Donald McRae, a veteran boxing writer, reflects on his decision to pen his final book on the sport, "The Last Bell," which delves into the darker aspects of boxing. After over five decades of involvement, he has grown weary, partly due to personal losses, including the deaths of his sister, mother, father, and mother-in-law. Tyson Fury's story, marked by struggles and a triumphant comeback, reignited his passion for the sport. However, the sport's dangers are highlighted by the tragic deaths of five boxers in 2019, including Patrick Day, underscoring the harsh realities of the ring.
