What's the best boxing autobiography you've ever read?

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  • !! Anorak
    • Mar 2026
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    #1

    What's the best boxing autobiography you've ever read?

    I've read Chris Eubank's and skim-read a few more (Smokin' Joe's, Ali's, Audley Harrison's, Nigel Benn's). I also skim-read Frank Bruno's, though as we're talking about "boxers" I don't know if that one counts.

    But what's the best one you've read? And what anecdotes really stick out in your mind?
  • The1God
    Interim Champion
    Gold Champion - 500-1,000 posts
    • Aug 2004
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    #2
    I read Ric Flair's (I know he isn't a boxer) but his was quite good. My Joe Frazier one is autagraphed, my Ali one was nothing new to me, so it was quite redundant. Flair's was the most enjoyable one.

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    • !! Anorak
      • Mar 2026
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      #3
      Originally posted by The1God
      I read Ric Flair's (I know he isn't a boxer) but his was quite good. My Joe Frazier one is autagraphed, my Ali one was nothing new to me, so it was quite redundant. Flair's was the most enjoyable one.
      Sorry to seem ignorant, but who's Ric Flair? Bear with me, I'm a limey.

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      • Rockin'
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        • Jun 2004
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        #4
        Jack dempseys was good and muhammad alis is good but there are just to many ali books out there in my opinion. Back a couple of years ago Tom Johnson and I began getting together and talking about writting his auto biography for him. The man has alot of interesting stories and a hell of alot of knowledge about how fighters can get screwed.

        We were talking one day and I referred to him as an african american. He got real sour about that. he said, "ya know, I've traveled the world and been to so many different places. And everywhere I go they call me an american. In England, France..... Why an I not just an american in my own country?"

        I understood what he said but I thought that I was just being politically correct by using the words. Quite frankly I always just use the word black but not that time, I dont know why. Anyway, we fell off after that and it never really got going.

        One neat thing though is that he had given me his scrap book from the time he was a beginning amatuer until the time he won the belt. That was some neat stuff to see, let me tell you. Tom is one of the nicest people that I have met, very kind and gentle in his nature. The thing that I found was that even though he was champion and had made the most defenses of the featherweight belt for the i.b.f he was very bitter towards the game, especially Don King. I would say that he hates Don King and I realize that those are strong words. Talk to Tom and you will realize that many fighters, no matter how successfull they become, often end up getting the short end of the stick.........Rockin'

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        • !! Anorak
          • Mar 2026
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          #5
          Rockin', do the book with Johnson. Make that part of it. It's a very good story, and interesting.

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          • Run
            Outlaw
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            #6
            Originally posted by Anorak
            Sorry to seem ignorant, but who's Ric Flair? Bear with me, I'm a limey.
            A.K.A. the "Nature Boy".

            He is one of the most infamous "Pro-Wrestlers" here in the States.

            If you have watched "wrestling" (a loose term). you might have seen him.

            a 60 year old man, with a tan and white hair. Always wearing the tights to boot.



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            • elveiel
              A.K.A - evil -
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              • Jul 2004
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              #7
              Originally posted by Anorak
              I've read Chris Eubank's and skim-read a few more (Smokin' Joe's, Ali's, Audley Harrison's, Nigel Benn's). I also skim-read Frank Bruno's, though as we're talking about "boxers" I don't know if that one counts.

              But what's the best one you've read? And what anecdotes really stick out in your mind?
              I read a few pages of Lennox Lewis's and it was terrible, obviously boxing was his only talent.

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              • Bombardier
                D-Fens Foster
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                #8
                It's not an autobiography but I read "Champion Joe Louis" by Chris Mead and it was excellent. He's especially good talking about Louis' later years. While most people portray him as a pathetic coke-addict, he shows how he was actually quite happy despite his problems (until his mental illness got the better of him, of course).

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                • !! Anorak
                  • Mar 2026
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                  #9
                  Originally posted by Runw/knives
                  A.K.A. the "Nature Boy".

                  He is one of the most infamous "Pro-Wrestlers" here in the States.

                  If you have watched "wrestling" (a loose term). you might have seen him.

                  a 60 year old man, with a tan and white hair. Always wearing the tights to boot.
                  Oh yeah, I don't follow wrestling much.

                  I always get surprised by how much animosity there is in the sport though. Some guy will come on, doing his speech, and every week some guy who wasn't even scheduled to be there will burst in unannounced and challenge them.


                  Evil - are you talking about Mama's Boy? Did he write that himself? (Well, presumably co-written or ghost-written). Now you mention it, I have read "Lennox".

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                  • Run
                    Outlaw
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                    #10
                    Originally posted by Anorak
                    Some guy will come on, doing his speech, and every week some guy who wasn't even scheduled to be there will burst in unannounced and challenge them.
                    That my friend,

                    is our form of wrestling. 80% hype 20% actual wrestling.

                    Even then, im not sure how much "wrestling" they do. Most fights are saturated with "fake punches".



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