‘White Collar Boxing’ (a book review)

I wrote this critique in February 2006 for The Harlem Times. I don’t believe it was ever published, as the newspaper’s launch date was delayed and countless assignments were pushed back for months.

(“White Collar Boxing: One Man’s Journey From The Office To The Ring,” ispublished by Hatherleigh Press. Book info: 260 pages. Price: $24.95. Year:2005)

By Ed Odeven
(Feb. 22, 2006)

Boxing is everywhere. In upscale athletic clubs in quiet suburban towns, in gritty basement gyms in rough-and-tough neighborhoods and countless locales in between, somebody is slugging a punching bag at this precise moment.

It is a sport practiced by poor adolescents yearning for a shot at the “bigtime” and wealthy businessmen looking to stay in shape after a long day atthe office.

In his revealing and often nostalgic look at the sweet science, “WhiteCollar Boxing: One Man’s Journey From The Office To The Ring,” NYC residentJohn E. Oden connects the dots…