Berlin-based Pete Carvill has been a reporter, writer and editor for more than 15 years – and he was a boxer for almost 20. This makes him the perfect person to pen a book on the often-controversial sport.
In the minds of some, boxing is savage and barbaric and should be banned. To others it is a source of joy and a pure spectacle of human skill and flair.
For me, these were not boxing stories, but love stories.
Still, there is no denying its dangers, and it is this fact that spurred Carvill to write the book. After reading a story of how a fighter died from injuries sustained in the ring, Carvill wanted to find out what drives those who live and breathe the sport.
He met with amateur boxers, doctors, veteran fighters and more, taking in everything from small-scale matchups to championship fights.
The result is a book with much more humanity than you might expect. “For me, these were not boxing stories, but love stories,” explains Carvill.
“I went out into this world of men and women whose lives were shaped – or were being shaped – by fighting, and I tried to write about the good cores of them.” By putting judgement to the side and instead trying to understand the meaning boxing brings to people’s lives, Carvill has produced a book that hits hard in a softer way.
- Death of a Boxer is available now from Bite Back Publishing.
