Page 7 - Doug Werner Boxer's Start-Up

that Evander Holyfield projects a better image than Mike
Tyson. Young up-and-comers, like the clean-cut and
clean-living welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya,
promise to usher in a new era of respectability as well as
a new crop of female fans. And of course, George
Foreman single handedly forced a nation of middle-aged
Americans to take another look at boxing (and their
midsections) during the ’90s with his courageous come-
back and heavyweight sense of humor.

Third, media coverage is at an all-time high. HBO, ESPN
and Pay-Per-View each regularly broadcast boxing
matches and report record ratings for 1997.

Finally, the advent of women’s boxing over the last five
years has broken down the men’s club door, changing
forever the sport’s appeal and horizons. The most
exciting bout during the evening of the Tyson-Bruno
mismatch of 1997 was the undercard that featured
female boxing’s top competitor Christy Martin. She has
also been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

My reasons for writing this book also include a more tra-
ditional point of view.My gut take is that most every guy
(and maybe every person) desires the self-confidence
that comes from knowing how to defend oneself.
Boxing is still the grandaddy of self-defense, and despite
martial arty trends,is still the heart and soul of American
contact sport.

Doug Werner
Tracks Publishing / Start-Up Sports