Boxiana: Volume 1 is available NOW through Troubador Publishing, Amazon in the UK, Amazon in the USA and all good traditional and online booksellers.
Over the past couple of months, this blog has been featuring a series of exclusive previews of content from Boxiana: Volume 1, which will hopefully whet your appetite and persuade you to buy the full volume, which is available NOW as a paperback book (RRP £9.99) or ebook (RRP £3.99).
Today I'm presenting an extract by Mario Mungia, a promising young boxing writer and broadcaster. Mario's article, in the best traditions of 'participant' journalism, is a revealing diary of his own efforts training in a boxing gym. It's a highly original article which I found both amusing and revealing. I'm sure you'll enjoy it!
Boxiana: Volume 1 preview
Round 9
DIARY OF A FIGHT NOVICE
DIARY OF A FIGHT NOVICE
When long-time boxing fan Mario Mungia decided to lace up the
gloves he got more than he bargained for …
I’ve
found that boxing fans share one major similarity above all else, namely a
fondness for their majestic introduction to the sport. I think we all have
those associations as fans because boxing is so transcendent and eternal
compared to other spectator sports. It’s easy to buy in to a fighter’s story
and get caught up in the poetic nature of his journey. A fighter can become
immortalized by an entire group of people and the passion shared gets passed
down to sons, daughters, grandkids, etc. It’s the same kind of thing that
happens with religion or political affiliations - the influence becomes as
powerful as the bond it creates.
My background is no different, you see; my father was a proud Hispanic man and he made sure that the culture wasn’t lost on his sons. The problem was my brother and I were professional wrestling fans and we preferred the talents of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart to those of Aaron Pryor and Alexis Argüello. But before we watched wrestling on Sundays and Mondays we had to watch boxing on Saturdays. My dad wanted us to learn the value of something real before we were subjected to the theatrics of wrestling.
And it
worked. After some resentment early on, I learned to appreciate boxing,
specifically the fighters. I fell in love with the poetic nature of the sport
and the complexities that surround it. I was fascinated by how something could
be so violent and brutal while simultaneously so methodical and beautiful. Over
the years though, I’ve learned that my philosophies on boxing aren’t generally
reciprocated by those who’ve actually participated in the sport. Most
practitioners take offense when I describe the sport as a “majestic
manifestation of man’s basic instincts,” and liken the brutal onslaught
suffered by each fighter to the “upsetting but necessary laws of nature where
the law of survival of the fittest predominates”.
I won’t
say that I’ve never winced at the sight of a large haematoma or grimaced during
the replay of a devastating knockdown, but I know that those two men wouldn’t have wanted it any other way,
right? They are gladiators and a knockdown is a rite of passage, a
reincarnation of nature’s most primal impulses, nostalgia at the highest level
and, dare I say, a badge of honor.
I grew
up with friends who began boxing at an early age and they gave everything they
had to the sport, I respected them on a different level in comparison to my
other peers. But it was an unrequited respect and they were often offended by
my take on the sport. For example, we usually differed over fighters like Floyd
Mayweather Jr. and Pernell Whitaker because I preferred the all-action style of
fights while they had more respect for the craftsmen of the sport. They were
also very defensive about my criticism towards fighters that failed to make
weight. My attitude towards it was that it was inexcusable and unprofessional,
while they argued that making weight is a task that can’t be fully condemned
unless it’s fully understood.
As the
years have passed I’ve immersed myself in specific literature and particular
authors who have allowed me to further articulate my own feelings on boxing and
better romanticize my viewpoints. I’ve used my education as a means of
authenticity because the one thing I share with fighters is the competitive
factor. Indeed, one could make the argument that in outlook and personality I’m
a down right ‘know-it-all’.
Therefore,
after years of pent-up curiosity and upon the suggestion of a colleague - a
fellow boxing scribe - I recently decided to adopt the method used by some of
the greatest writers in history and enroll myself in the subject itself, become
my own comparison. So, for the last two months - 64 days to be exact - I’ve
committed myself to training and learning the sweet science. I’ve documented my
experiences and analyzed my findings to better comprehend the root of my
discretions as they relate to the sport of boxing and its competitors, while
simultaneously testing the average person’s threshold. I’m not an athlete, not
in the slightest, and I felt it was imperative to go through the rigors of at
least a modest training camp because I think we sometimes forget that as
talented as these athletes are they are still human.
Day 1:
I walked into the gym that day as nervous as I've ever been for anything in my life; I had no idea what to expect and I was worried that my modest physical shape wouldn't suffice...
THE FULL ARTICLE APPEARS IN THE PRINT AND EBOOK EDITION OF BOXIANA: VOLUME 1
Boxiana: Volume 1 is available NOW through Troubador Publishing, Amazon in the UK, Amazon in the USA and all good traditional and online booksellers.
MARIO MUNGIA is a sweet science enthusiast with a
passion for literature. A writer from Texas, Mario is currently working on his
Liberal Arts degree in English. He began covering boxing in 2012, writing for Sportsforexperts.com. Shortly after, he
was picked up by Thaboxingvoice.com,
where he is a contributor and co-host of a very popular live internet show.
Since 2012, he has contributed to over 12 publications and is a regular
freelancer for another five, including Corpus
Christi Caller Times, Izquierdazo.com,
and Primer Round Magazine, where
Mario is currently a staff writer. As a proud Hispanic, Mario’s cultural
background has fuelled his love for the sport of boxing since he began
following it as a young child, while his respect and dedication to the literary
arts has been the driving force behind his involvement with tutoring young
Hispanic children since 2008.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
An anthology of new boxing writing Boxiana: Volume 1 is available in both paperback book and eBook formats. Boxiana editor Luke G. Williams said: “In a world dominated by 140 character limits and the 24-hour news cycle, brevity and superficiality have become de rigueur. Boxiana takes a different approach; by using long-form journalism to take an in-depth look at boxing’s past, present and future, we are hoping that Boxiana will become a vital new voice in sports writing.”
In Volume 1:
Trevor Von Eeden, author of graphic novel The Original Johnson, analyses the significance of Jack Johnson; Mario Mungia tries his hand at amateur boxing; Ben Williams uncovers his grandfather’s bare-knuckle career; James Hernandez catches up with Jon Thaxton; Matthew Ogborn ponders boxers and retirement; rising light heavyweight Chris Hobbs recounts his life in the military and the ring; Rowland Stone recalls a heady night in 1992; Corey Quincy attempts to solve the Wladimir Klitschko conundrum and Luke G. Williams examines the meteoric rise of Deontay Wilder and the under-rated career of Chris Byrd.
Enquiries / review copies: +44 7958 319765 / lgw007@yahoo.com
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