-- Zab Judah had a big mouth. And when he opened it, he couldn't help himself. Self-effacement wasn't a word in his vocabulary. But self-importance and self-promotion certainly were. --

The description given of Zab Judah is typical of most boxers of today and yesterday. Muhammad Ali was the most famous boxer of all time and the greatest promoter of himself, although unlike Zab Judah, Ali backed up his words with great deeds in the ring.

Kostya Tszyu is not your typical boxer. He is a very reserved person and is intent to let his fists do the talking in the boxing ring. He has an exceptionally focused mind and possesses the full complement of abilities to be the 'Muhammad Ali' of his in his weight division. Being only one of three boxers of the modern era to be undisputed champion of the world is something that has to taken notice of.

This Korean/Russian and know proud Australian has done it all with his chosen craft - if you can call it that. Let's be frank. Boxing is a brutal sport and a lot of boxers are eaten up and spat out very much the worse for participating in it. Kostya Tszyu is an exception to the rule. He seems to have lived a normal life whilst performing at the highest level in a most extraordinary sport. The boxing game in and out of the ring is not a pretty place to be and that is illustrated in this book. Kostya has had his trouble out of the ring with a court case costing him 4 million dollars. But he has come through it all relatively unscathed and with his feet very much planted on the ground.

For me this book took me on a journey that many would have had difficulty with - but not this little big man from Russia. He has taken each opportunity with both hands and succeeded. The one outstanding quality that Kostya has is his devotion to his family and that is, in my opinion, the secret to his success.

At the conclusion of the book you are left with the feeling that the book is unfinished. The final chapter might be about Kostya's biggest fight - making the decision to hang up the gloves for the last time. He certainly has nothing left to prove to the world of boxing (other than earning that extra pay packet that a lot of aged boxers make the mistake of doing).

Kostya Tszyu has the respect of the Australian people as evidenced by the huge crowd that attended his fight in Melbourne in January this year. This book is a fitting record of a great boxer that has given Australia great pride in the ring and will do the same out of it in retirement.

This review from Australian Bookseller & Publisher magazine is reproduced by kind permission of Thorpe-Bowker, a division of R R Bowker LLC. © Copyright 2008, Thorpe-Bowker

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