Bloodsport

Rating:
Summary: Workmanlike Western with crossover appeal
Review: The central character in the novel is "Dan Stuart" a prominent(real life)Texas gambler and sporting man who diversifies into boxing promotion and sets out to stage a world heavyweight championship match between the champ "Gentleman Jim" Corbett and the number one contender Cornishman Bob Fitzsimmons.Corbett,now an overweight ,vain posturing matinee idol retires and so is replaced as contender for the now vacant title by "Pat Maher"a brawling Irish pugilist of renowned toughness but little skill.

The novel---factually based--deals with the multitude of obstacles placed in the way of the promotion taking place.Boxing is illegal in Texas,and civic and religious leaders denounce the plan in press and pulpit.Texas Rangers are brought in to enforce the law declaring they will shoot any fighters who enter the ring for any bouts scheduled on the bill.
If this was not bad enough for Stuart a gang of outlaws,lead by the beautiful but devious "Lea" are assembled in town with the intention of making away with the gate receipts

How Stuart deals with the legal and political obstacles is the main theme of the story but as a boxing lover as well as a devotee of the Western it was the boxing bits that mainly engaged my attention and made this novel stand out.

Its a good sturdy read with lots of interesting background material on the early years of boxing as a global sport,and the role of the emerging technology of motion pictures and the impact it will make on the sport.

Good too to see a less than flattering portrait of the Rangers ,normally seen as stalwart and heroic but here as borderline thugs

One for sports fans as well as the regular coterie of Western devotees

My one real problem is that its theme'of the ruggedd individualist overcoming all obstacles in turn of the century Texas echoes another Braun novel "Gentleman Rogue" and the revisionist portrayal of Western heroes that was a feature of his "Luke Starbuck"novels is giving way to a more benevolent view of such figures
Is Mr Braun mellowing as he ages I wonder

Well worth reading all the same