Dragons Vs Eagles

Wales has always punched above its weight in the boxing ring. The United States, with 100 times the population, may have been the dominant player in the sport, yet 'St. David' (Wales) has done remarkably well against 'Goliath' (US) over the 120 years since the first bout between the two in 1894. The Americans drooled over Jim Driscoll, the man dubbed 'Peerless' by the gunfighter-turned-journalist, Bat Masterson, while Jimmy Wilde also demonstrated his right to be considered one of the greatest of all time. Freddie Welsh even based himself in the States for most of his career, although he claimed the world lightweight title from Willie Ritchie in London, with both men having to cross the Atlantic. In more recent years, Joe Calzaghe's masterclass against Jeff Lacy finally convinced the American doubters, before he completed his unbeaten career by beating legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr. in front of their own people. This book looks at dozens of contests between the two nations, covering more than a century and revealing some of the tales behind the headlines. *** "The epic battles between Welsh and American fighters provide the author with an abundant harvest for this book. All the historic clashes are featured, but unquestionably the greatest -- Tommy Farr's gallant defeat against Joe Louis 76 years ago -- understandably takes pride of place. Gareth Jones doesn't let his readers down, also highlighting Jim Driscoll, Freddie Welsh, Colin Jones and Joe Calzaghe among others whose wars with men from across the Atlantic are part of Wales's sporting folklore." - Colin Hart, Boxing Columnist, The Sun *** "This engaging book is packed with compelling vignettes of fights and fighters, as well as the cultural climate and business practices in all matters relative to boxing. A must-have for fight fans!" - Celtic Connection, April 2015 [Subject: Sports History, US Studies, Welsh Studies]