Official Review: Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter

[Mindi]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter" by Mark Scott.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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When we think about boxing in our world today, we may think about famous boxers of recent times, such as Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, or George Foreman. Likewise, when we think of "The World's Most Famous Arena," Madison Square Garden, modern sports and concerts may come to mind. Most people aren't going to realize how the popularity of both the arena and the sport of boxing was greatly influenced by a man named Tex Rickard. In the book Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter by Colleen Aycock and Mark Scott, the life and influence of Tex Rickard is explained in great detail.

This book starts by explaining the history of boxing, dating all the way back to the time of the Romans and the influence and connections that led to the more recent obsession with boxing in our world. The first chapter details much of how the sport has changed through the years and how different promoters have influenced the changes. Tex Rickard's importance is mentioned. However, the remainder of the chapters go into a deeper study of Rickard's life from the beginning. His early life consisted of many endeavors in the pioneer and cowboy life before he eventually became known as a boxing promoter. He had a lot of influence in the days of the wild west and cattle drives. He was heavily involved in the gold mining in the Klondike, as well as opening a saloon in the same area.

Rickard's successes in other ventures eventually led him to the world of boxing. The authors go into detail of how he was important during the era of such fights as the Britt-McGovern, Gans-Nelson, and Johnson-Jeffries battles. He spent time promoting many well-known fights but dropped from the boxing scene for awhile after he grew frustrated with the politics behind it. He eventually made his way back, though, and became more influential than ever. He was known for promoting many more fights including the Willard-Dempsey fight. He was also known for the progression of Madison Square Garden. He was responsible for the construction of a new Madison Square Garden arena in the 1920s.

I enjoyed reading the life story of Tex Rickard and how he was such a successful businessman despite the fact that he was not born into the world of money. His successes were truly self-made. Many of the details of his personal life were also interesting to read, although it was obvious that his family life was not always happy. He endured many tragedies and shortcomings in his life and marriages, yet he continued to be successful and to be known as a fair and true businessman. He suffered many problems and accusations in the business world, also, yet even that did not stop him from being influential. It was interesting to read about his connections to other great figures such as Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, and Teddy Roosevelt. Reading about those connections really brought that era to life in my mind. I also enjoyed reading about the accomplishments of African-American boxers such as Joe Gans and Jack Johnson despite being from an era of strong racial prejudices. It was uplifting to see how these men persevered.

When the book came to the mention of his death, I truly felt that I knew so much about Tex Rickard and what kind of man he was. I was sad to see that he passed away at such a peak time of his successes. His life brought about so many positive changes in the world of boxing.

I don't have many negative aspects of the book to talk about. I did feel like some of the descriptions of Rickard's endeavors got long-winded. This did not take away from the quality of the information provided, though. I felt like the grammar and editing was professional. I noticed a few small errors such as a misplaced comma, and one or two misspelled words. These were not very noticeable, though, and don't seem important enough to lower my rating.

I will rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I definitely recommend it to those who have a love of boxing or even the history of the wild west and great figures of the frontier days. Tex Rickard's life provides much information about both of those areas in history.

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Tex Rickard: Boxing's Greatest Promoter
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Like Mindi's review? Post a comment saying so!

[kandscreeley]

For someone who enjoys boxing or this era in history, this would probably be a great read. I'm not really interested in either, so this would probably just bore the crap out of me. Thanks for the information, though.

[kdstrack]

I enjoy stories of people overcoming difficult situations and triumphing in the face of opposition. His difficulties in his personal and business endeavors didn't seem to stop him from becoming a successful businessman. I am interested in reading about Tex's fascinating life. Thanks for your interesting review.

[Rose Harebate]

I am not interested in boxing books, but the plot seems interesting as it can be used as an inspiration for people who want to succeed in the world of boxing and business. Thanks for a nice review.

[InStoree]

I'm not a fan of boxing, but it does sound captivating to know the adventure of Tex Rickard's life. It is motivating to read true stories about a man who become someone from nothing. Plus, this book looks like a nice gift for a friend who loves sports. Thanks for your detailed review!