On Boxing Reform
In When in Doubt, Stop the Bout, renowned boxing historian Mike Silver presents a shocking exposé of the sordid underbelly of professional boxing and uncovers the sport’s criminally flawed infrastructure and those responsible for it.
From compromised referees to poorly trained ringside physicians to an insidious cartel of “sanctioning organizations” approving dangerous mismatches, Silver lays bare the corruption, the negligence, and the incompetence that have made a dangerous sport even more dangerous.
But aside from unmasking the chaotic mess that afflicts boxing, this book proposes, for the first time, groundbreaking practical solutions that will mitigate the danger and save lives. Penetrating and persuasive, When in Doubt, Stop the Bout will change forever how you see the sport of boxing.
“Since the inception of the Marquess of Queensberry rules, boxing has understood the need to be safer. While there have been some rule changes through the years, many have been like applying an ‘enswell’ to reduce swelling. In his latest book, When in Doubt Stop the Bout, Mike Silver asks the hard questions and offers serious and innovative solutions that will make the sport safer without diluting its primal appeal. Anyone who cares about boxing and the fighters who put themselves at risk should read this book.”—Teddy Atlas, Hall of Fame trainer and boxing analyst
Editorial Reviews
Review
“A compelling case for reforms to prevent future boxing tragedies.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Anyone interested in the pursuit of best practices and health-supporting sports decisions will find When In Doubt, Stop the Bout key to not just understanding the boxing world’s history and how it is conducted today, but revised possibilities for a better sport in the future, all delivered in easily-understood discussions that any reader can readily absorb.”―Midwest Book Review
“Mike Silver is the Sugar Ray Robinson of boxing writers—smooth, smart, powerful, and tough to beat. The good news is that you can step in the ring with him and not get hurt.”—Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ali: A Life and King: A Life
“Lots of people know boxing, but not many understand it: Its spirit, its significance, its storied past and probable future. Mike Silver is one of the few. Anything he writes is essential reading for the true fan.”—David Margolick, contributing editor at Vanity Fair and author of Beyond Glory: Joe Louis vs. Max Schmeling, and a World on the Brink
Praise for The Arc of Boxing
“Lively . . . Silver explored the magic, studied the history.”―Philadelphia Daily News
“If you care about boxing . . . its future, its past, or both . . . then you have to read this book . . . thoroughly researched . . . articulately argued.”―Newsday
“True aficionados, whether they ultimately agree with Silver or not, are sure to enjoy his book for its unmistakable knowledge and passion.”―The Ring
About the Author
Mike Silver is the author of three books. The Arc of Boxing: The Rise and Decline of the Sweet Science (McFarland, 2008) is considered a classic and was recently listed as McFarland’s # 1 best-seller for June 2023. His second book, Stars in the Ring: Jewish Champions in the Golden Age of Boxing (Lyons Press, 2016), was called by Publishers Weekly “An achievement unlikely to be equaled.” The Night the Referee Hit Back: Memorable Moments from the World of Boxing (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020) was described as “A welcome addition to the libraries of boxing fans and sports pundits” by Publishers Weekly.
Silver’s work has appeared in the New York Times, The Ring magazine, Boxing Monthly, The International Boxing Research Journal, and various boxing websites. He is a former inspector with the New York State Athletic Commission and a consultant and on-air commentator for nineteen boxing documentaries produced by PBS, HBO, ESPN, the History Channel and Madison Square Garden Network. He was the curator of the “Sting Like a Maccabee: The Golden Age of the American Jewish Boxer” exhibit at the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia (2004-05), and a co-curator of the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival’s centerpiece program, “Jews, Boxing, and Hollywood” (2007). He is a member of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.
