The Man Who Put a Curse on Muhammad Ali: The Downright Crazy Story of Richard Dunn's World Title Challenge - Couverture rigide

Giller, Norman

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 180150542X ISBN 13 : 9781801505420

Editeur : Pitch Publishing Ltd, 2023

Synopsis

Told for the first time, the hilarious story of how an eccentric English hypnotist cursed Muhammad Ali before his world heavyweight title defence against Britain’s Richard Dunn.

Author Norman Giller was the publicist for the after-midnight championship contest in Munich, and he gives an insider’s view of the funniest and most bizarre fight build-up of Ali’s career.

British bulldog Richard Dunn was challenging Ali for the world heavyweight crown in 1976, and Giller hired the eccentric hypnotist Romark to convince Richard that he could topple ‘The Greatest’. This was the same man who once tried to drive blindfolded across London … until he crashed into a police car! What Romark kept to himself was that he planned to put a curse on Ali that would doom him to failure.

Recalling arguably the strangest fight build-up ever, Giller has penned a book that is laugh-out-loud funny, peopled by a colourful cast that includes:

• Irascible matchmaker and gambling addict Mickey Duff (Giller’s roommate in Munich)
• Millionaire magnate Jarvis Astaire
• Richard's heavyweight rival Joe Bugner
• Richard's father-in-law, trainer and minder Jimmy Devanney
• His wife, Janet, who won the hearts of America
• The paratrooper regiment from Yorkshire who had many jumps with ‘Sergeant Dunn’
• A violent sparring partner who decided he wanted to be the star
• Plus… 54 Muhammad Ali hangers-on who threatened to bankrupt him

The stadium would have been virtually empty had Ali not given away fistfuls of tickets to US servicemen, and the match bankrupted its promoters and lost more money than any heavyweight title fight in history. Romark claimed credit for the stage collapsing at a chaotic weigh-in ceremony. ‘Cinderella Man’ Dunn got beaten up and was hailed a hero. You couldn't make it up!

As a special bonus, the book includes a comprehensive history of world heavyweight champions, from the ‘Boston Strong Boy’ John L. Sullivan in the 19th century to the incomparable Tyson Fury.

A propos du livre

À propos de l'auteur

Norman Giller is the author of 120 books, including 20 written with his close friend Jimmy Greaves. He was the Daily Express’ chief football reporter in the 1960s, then spent 20 years as a boxing publicist, working with the likes of Frank Bruno, Jim Watt, John H. Stracey and Sir Henry Cooper, with whom he co-wrote four books. He was a This Is Your Life scriptwriter for 14 years, and was shortlisted for a Sports Book of the Year award in 2022.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Pitch Publishing Ltd
• Date d'édition: 2023
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 180150542X
• ISBN 13: 9781801505420
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 256
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible