Boxing for Dummies

Wallace Matthews is an International Boxing Hall of Fame inductee, APSE-award winning sports columnist, former TV boxing analyst for NBC, Showtime, and ESPN, and a personal fitness trainer who runs the boxing program at the YMCA in Huntington, NY.

Introduction 1

Part 1: Your New Favorite Workout 5
CHAPTER 1: Why Boxing? Why Not! 7
CHAPTER 2: From Bare Knuckles to Oleksandr Usyk: Tracing the History of Modern Boxing 21
CHAPTER 3: Changing Your Body and Mind with a Boxing Workout 43

Part 2: The Tools of the Trade 49
CHAPTER 4: Dressing for Success 51
CHAPTER 5: Keeping the Damage to a Minimum 61
CHAPTER 6: The Boxer's Basic Toolbox 75

Part 3: Let's Start Punching 101
CHAPTER 7: Mastering the Basics 103
CHAPTER 8: Learning the Ol' One-Two 117
CHAPTER 9: The Wrecking Crew: Hooks, Uppercuts, and Body Shots 129

Part 4: Master Class 141
CHAPTER 10: Focusing on Footwork 143
CHAPTER 11: Developing a Defense 163
CHAPTER 12: Running through a Typical Boxing Workout 175
CHAPTER 13: Preparing for the Big Day 193

Part 5: Know the Players, Know the Game 201
CHAPTER 14: Becoming the Perfect Fan 203
CHAPTER 15: Looking at How It All Works 215
CHAPTER 16: Keeping Tabs on the Amateurs 227

Part 6: The Part of Tens 231
CHAPTER 17: The Dynamic Dozen 233
CHAPTER 18: Ten Pivotal Fights 239
CHAPTER 19: Ten (or So) Great Boxing Books 243
CHAPTER 20: (Almost) Ten Great Boxing Movies 247

Glossary 251
Index 257