Any discussion of great boxers must include Willie Pep and Sandy
Saddler--midcentury featherweight champions whose heroics electrified
the fistic world then and reverberate today. This book explores the
boxing lives of both pugilists--early years, fighting years, training
and conditioning, historical context, life after boxing, and, of course,
the lasting controversy over their rivalry and legacy. Pep recorded 229
wins, only 11 losses and one draw over a pro career that spanned three
decades. He won the featherweight crown twice. Sandy Saddler's record of
144-16-2 includes an amazing 103 knockouts. He also won the title twice
and retired an undefeated featherweight champion. Their four title bouts
are an epic showcase of contrasts. Pep was the exquisite dancer/boxer, a
wildly popular Italian American personality who made his opponents miss
and scored at will. Saddler was a curious blend of unprepossessing
menace--a tall, thin, black American banger who pressed and brutalized
with singular leveraged force. Their matchups had it all: contrasting
styles, dazzling skills, hard punching, splendid action, ridiculous
brawling, heroic victories and crashing defeats. Included in this book
are Pep's plane crash and recovery as well as the legal wrangling with
Newsweek over his boxing reputation. Saddler's ongoing slight in
boxing history and secondary status with Pep is examined under fresh
light. The text is highlighted with several images of both fighters that
bring to life the fierce glory of professional boxing in the 1940s and
50s.
