BoxRec

nfc90210 wrote:I've read Looking for a Fight a few times. It's one of my favourite books, and it is one of the best books (and it might be the best) about combat sports that I've read. It's a shame that it wasn't more of a success.

The premise is Matthews, a fat journalist in his early thirties, decides that he is going to become a pro-boxer. That initial thought sparks a multi-year odyssey.

When Matthews starts his journey he's a small time journalist who's failed at most things he's tried. Sam Sheridan wrote a good book called A Fighter's Heart in which he tries to find out what it means to be a fighter. In that book Sheridan trains at MFS and has an amateur MMA bout. He goes to Thailand and fights Muay-Thai. He hangs with Andre Ward. He goes to Japan with Big Nog for the third Fedor fight. Those are just the highlights and do not describe the entirety of Sheridan's journey. There are other steps along the way. As good as Sheridan's book is, and it is good, Looking for a Fight is superior. Sheridan has a Harvard degree and a future. Ultimately he is always on the outside looking in.

In his book David Matthews truly gets lost in the game. He's an undistinguished journalist whose career seems to be going nowhere, he's fat, he's black, he's poor and his personal life is a disaster. There's no real hope at the end of the rainbow. It's a perfect storm. The result is one of the best book about fighting, fighters and what it means to be a fighter that you will ever read. His journey takes place in a context as well. It's not just his story it's the story of the guys he trains with and of the people he meets. It's the story of a certain time in the fight game. It's the story of fighters coming up and going down. It's the story of people chasing dreams.

The book looks to be out of print. However you can pick-up used copies on Amazon pretty cheap. I would recommend doing so.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Looking-Fight-W ... 597&sr=1-1

If the rights have reverted back to him and assuming he still has the manuscript, I think Matthews is missing a trick by not at least bringing out a Kindle version. I think that in 2014 with the internet combat-sports-verse being as it is that the book may be able to find an audience and enjoy a second wind.

stevieb_8006 wrote:I like the bits where he airs his frustrations with training and secretly pigs out on walnut whips (whatever happened to them they were lovely).

palooka wrote:

stevieb_8006 wrote:I like the bits where he airs his frustrations with training and secretly pigs out on walnut whips (whatever happened to them they were lovely).

They still sell them, packs of 3 in tesco

polecateddy wrote:Digging around he looks like he's going alright;

http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/authors/ ... d-matthews

magwitch wrote:i bought Teddy Atlas last week and it's on the way to me in the post this very second. I'm very much looking forward to getting hold of it, at last.