Ever since the ringside cry of "Don't let the nigger win!" went up at the epic 1810 bout between the black American ex-slave Molineux and the English champ Cribb, the theatre of boxing has been infused with the politics of race. Not surprisingly, in the South Africa of the 1980s and early 1990s, the drama acquired a special piquancy. Gavin Evans was there, as spectator and actor. In this idiosyncratic memoir, he guides readers through a darkly fascinating world little known in Britain even to fight fans, though of interest to a much wider audience. ...

Despite his best efforts, Evans emerges from these pages as a generous and resourceful individual. Somehow I doubt he will ever really become the mellow hippy he aspires to be, or finally "grow out of" either his anger at injustice or his romance with the ring.