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| George Thomas Clark |
1. Why did you
decide to write about boxing history that included some obscure fighters?
Some of the boxers in Death in
the Ring may be little known today but almost all were prominent, even
heroic, during their time. Peter Jackson, for example, is known only to boxing
fans who are interested in history. When he fought more than a hundred years
ago in Australia, however, he was a national figure, and his status increased
after his first extended trip to the United States and England. John L. Sullivan
spent years ducking Jackson, claiming he was defending the honor and purity of
whites and after Jackson fought a marathon draw against Jim Corbett, Gentleman
Jim never wanted to give him a rematch.
Battling Siki is perhaps the most
obscure and tragic figure in this book. He astonished France by knocking out
national idol Georges Carpentier but, due to alcoholism and bizarre behavior,
was blacklisted in France and had to come to the United States to get good
fights. Here he was confronted by tough and talented boxers far more
disciplined than he, and he lost more than he won. His drinking worsened and he
ended up getting a bullet in the gut in Hell’s Kitchen while still in his
twenties.
2. How difficult was it to write stories about boxers in the
first person, especially those from the early 20th century such as
Jack Johnson and Jack Dempsey?
It was difficult to write in the
first person but probably no more so than the third person. I’m just more
comfortable using the first. No matter what voice you use, you have to do a lot
of reading, and video watching if available, to learn what the fighter was like
personally as well as professionally. Once you know the character, you slowly
let him write his own story. There’s a lot of information about Dempsey and
Jack Johnson, and good videos, too, so I felt I understood both men in and out
of the ring.
3. With the rise in popularity of such sports as mixed
martial arts, what do you see as the future for the sport? Will there be another
“fight of the century” to draw much attention like the Pacquio-Mayweather bout?
I’m a baby boomer and, like most
people through the ages, most attached to the heroes of my youth. My idea of a
fight of the century is Ali v. Frazier, Foreman v. Ali, or Leonard v. Hearns or
Duran. Manny and Floyd are great fighters, but can anyone really contend that
Pacquiao would survive long against Hearns? Using his spectacular right hand,
The Hit Man would pulverize Manny. And I think boxer-punchers like Sugar Ray
Robinson and Leonard were just as slick as Floyd, and much better sluggers.
Floyd would be competitive but he wouldn’t have enough against those guys. I do
think Floyd would decision Duran without much trouble. Wilfred Benitez barely
got touched by Duran, and no reliable person is going to claim Benitez was as
good as Mayweather.
Mixed martial arts will continue to
grow in popularity but boxing will maintain a reasonably prominent perch.
There’s great artistry in landing and avoiding punches. There’s also great
danger, and people are more concerned now about injuries in sports. Even the
big daddy, football, has lost more competitors in recent years than any other
sport. Basketball is the emerging sport.
4. Tell us about your boxing experience – whether as a boxer,
a fan of a certain fighter, or if you just enjoy writing about it.
Like most boxing fans, I slipped on
the gloves a few times as a kid, and like most boxing fans I quickly discovered
I didn’t like getting hit and returned to the basketball court.
Muhammad Ali is my all-time favorite
boxer and probably my favorite athlete and sports personality. No one brought
as much drama and excitement into the ring. Ali was so charismatic his
pre-fight antics were often more entertaining than many bouts then and now.
Sugar Ray Leonard is my second favorite fighter. And despite my misgivings
about him against great welterweights, including Mayweather, who I expect to
win by decision, Manny Pacquiao is my favorite current fighter. He’s exciting,
aggressive, and talented.
5. What future books can readers expect from you? Do you
have any work in progress currently?
I just finished a book titled Paint
it Blue, (http://www.amazon.com/Paint-Blue-George-Thomas-Clark-ebook/dp/B00UKXD22A/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8) which
explores the lives of painters – Picasso, Van Gogh, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera,
and many others, not all famous, in the same first-person style I used in Death
in the Ring.
6. Feel free to add anything here that
you would like readers to know.
Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao
have won many titles and mountains of money. They’ve also been fighting
professionally for about twenty years. That’s enough. I’d like to urge both of
them to retire. They’re still good fighters. That’s not the point. Ali and Sugar
Ray Robinson were still good fighters long after they should have quit. They
suffered by staying too long.
You can find out more about Mr. Clark at his Web site:
www.GeorgeThomasClark.com
You can find out more about Mr. Clark at his Web site:
www.GeorgeThomasClark.com
