Inside the Ropes

By Arthur Mercante and Phil Guarnieri

Book Overview

Inside stories of some of the greatest prizefights of all time, including Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson II, Joe Frazier-George Foreman I, and The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1590131266
• ISBN13: 9781590131268
• Release Date: April 2006
• Publisher: McBooks Press
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 6.1" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

inside the ropes best ever

great book to read hard to put down reviting read from first page till last.

A must for fight fans

I really enjoyed this inside look from a unique prespective. As with most people I wanted to know what it was like to be in the ring with Ali & Frasier. Mr Mercante's candid and professional view from one of if not the best referee's (in my opinion) in boxing history is both enlightening and entertaining. If you remember these fighters it will bring you right back to those exciting times. If you don't than you should get to know the fighters he is talking about. I would recomend it to any and all fight fans. Cole Giangrande

Very enjoyable!

Arthur Mercante has lived a very interesting life! He has always been interested in boxing, and he was a good referee in the Navy and in the amateurs. But he couldn't get in at first with the New York State Athletic Commission. It seems that if you don't know anyone in high places, it's hard to get in, even if you're good. Mercante finally realizes that it's all about who you know, so he meets the right people, and he gets in as a referee. His first title fight is the second Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johannson fight. He is scared at first when Johannson is knocked out cold, but thankfully, Ingemar leaves the ring under his own power. Mercante tells about his experiences meeting famous fighters and his anger at the arrogance of Howard Cosell, who won't let Mercante speak into the microphone while helping ABC cover the Holmes-Norton fight. He also talks about refereeing the first Ali-Frazier fight, maintaining to this day that the fight was closer than what others have suggested. He also defends his scoring of the third Ali-Norton fight, scoring it for the Greatest. Mercante feels that Riddick Bowe should have been disqualified for hitting Buster Mathis after the bell, but New Jersey commissioner Larry Hazard overruled. Mercante also discusses his recommendations for changes in boxing: eliminating all of the extra titles, having just one recognized champion per division, etc. He is against the idea of a federally regulated boxing commission, but he does feel that the promoters should pay for fighters to have health insurance. This is a great book, and fight fans will want to have it.