The Legend of Mitch "Blood" Green and Other Boxing Essays

“Charles Farrell’s many personal encounters, questions, insights, and experiences as an observer of the sport… add a multifaceted richness to [this] essay collection…. Readers will find its vibrant psychological, social, political, and personal revelations are just the ticket for a read that is solid in its facts, unexpected in its focus and connections, and thoroughly delightful in its novel approach to boxing.”—Midwest Book ReviewMitch "Blood" Green hadmore things going for him to make big money in boxing than nearly any fighterin history. A six-foot-six, 225-pound heavyweight with a chiseled physique anda traffic-stopping look, Green had ironclad street credibility—he was the gang leaderof the Black Spades—and four New York Golden Gloves heavyweight titles. But his penchant formayhem, drugs, and chaos, while keeping him in the news, torpedoed his pro boxingcareer. He lost a high-profile decision to Mike Tyson at Madison Square Garden,got into a tabloid-grabbing late-night street fight with Tyson at anafter-hours boutique in Harlem, and then disappeared. Until Charles Farrellfound him. In The Legend of Mitch "Blood" Green and Other Boxing Essays, Farrell captures life in the boxingbusiness from its deepest interior, and offers additional portraits of charactersas wide-ranging as Donald Trump, Floyd Patterson, Bert Cooper, Charley Burley, PeterMcNeeley, and Muhammad Ali. Trenchant, fearless, and often flat-out funny, there has neverbeen a boxing book like this, and there will never be another.

“Charles Farrell’s many personal encounters, questions, insights, and experiences as an observer of the sport… add a multifaceted richness to [this] essay collection…. Readers will find its vibrant psychological, social, political, and personal revelations are just the ticket for a read that is solid in its facts, unexpected in its focus and connections, and thoroughly delightful in its novel approach to boxing.”—Midwest Book Review

Mitch "Blood" Green had more things going for him to make big money in boxing than nearly any fighter in history. A six-foot-six, 225-pound heavyweight with a chiseled physique and a traffic-stopping look, Green had ironclad street credibility—he was the gang leader of the Black Spades—and four New York Golden Gloves heavyweight titles.

But his penchant for mayhem, drugs, and chaos, while keeping him in the news, torpedoed his pro boxing career. He lost a high-profile decision to Mike Tyson at Madison Square Garden, got into a tabloid-grabbing late-night street fight with Tyson at an after-hours boutique in Harlem, and then disappeared.

Until Charles Farrell found him.

In The Legend of Mitch "Blood" Green and Other Boxing Essays, Farrell captures life in the boxing business from its deepest interior, and offers additional portraits of characters as wide-ranging as Donald Trump, Floyd Patterson, Bert Cooper, Charley Burley, Peter McNeeley, and Muhammad Ali. Trenchant, fearless, and often flat-out funny, there has never been a boxing book like this, and there will never be another.