Ringside Report Book Review: A Fire Burns Within

By Anthony “Zute” George

As far as leisure activities go, mine are dominated by combat sports. Boxing & MMA to be precise. While I love both sports equally, I have been a boxing junkie a lot longer. Watching boxing, reading boxing books, writing about boxing (as I am doing now) and discussing boxing is what gives me joy. Reading about boxing is a lot different than the other activities. It takes a different sort of mindset and attention span to curl up with a good book; especially in the fast-paced age of social media, boxing books or otherwise.

When reading a book, I know right away if I am going to invest my time. If I know I have lemon in my hands, I discard it and search elsewhere for lemonade. Just about every boxing book I ever picked up I have finished. A Fire Burns Within: The Miraculous Journey of Wilfredo ‘Bazooka’ Gomez, written by Christian Giudice, is the most recent booking book I have devoured. And it is a remarkable read. This book is the third boxing book Giudice has scribed. His first two covered boxing legends Roberto Duran; Hands of Stone: The Life and Legend of Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello; Beloved Warrior: The Rise and Fall of Alexis Arguello.

Gomez, The Puerto Rican Legend, was a fixture on the tube in the mid 70’s and 80’s, and etched out one of the more entertaining and tumultuous careers in boxing history. With a record of 44-3-1, 42 KO’s, Gomez enjoys one of the best knockout percentages of any world champion. In addition to his knockout clout, all three of Gomez’s loses have been by knockout. That means Gomez had to worry about what the judges thought of his pugilism only three times in his professional career. Remarkable. As impressive as Gomez’s record reads, most boxing fans remember him for his loss in an epic battle with Mexican Legend Salvador Sanchez. If Wilfredo Gomez’s name comes up in a boxing conversation, that fight is sure to dominate the chatter.

With unlimited access to Gomez, Giudice fleshes out that showdown with Sanchez like never written before. Gomez’s perspective about that fight, all these years later, is chilling, insightful and will tickle the nostalgia of boxing fans who lived through those times. Younger boxing fans will also be enthralled with this story telling, as it paints a perfect picture of what it means to be knocked off a mountain you toiled for years to get to the top of. Also, any print to page that involves Salvador Sanchez is pure boxing euphoria. We lost Sanchez way too soon; through Wilfredo’s dialogue, Giudice brings him back to life with a fire equal to the passion Sanchez fought with.

The Sanchez battle is just of smidgeon of the kind of boxing you get from this book. Giudice fleshes out the most important fights of Wilfredo’s career with such vivid detail, the punches come off the page. Why Gomez was best served not fighting and training in his beloved Puerto Rico, details of how Gomez’s dominance and clout manifested into the creation of a new weight class for Wilfredo to shine in, and the perils of making weight during Gomez’s career are some of the examples of the kind of boxing you get in this book. There is no shortage of the business side of boxing in this book as well. The ugly side. And yes, a heavy dosage of Don King.

Giudice also captures the end of Gomez’s career, the health issues he faces today, and his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Gomez is still beloved in Puerto Rico, and one of the most respected boxers amongst boxing fans. His knockout of Carlos Zarate is a fight for all-time and virtually all his victories are fistic masterpieces. Christian Giudice delivers on all corners of the career and life of Wilfredo ‘Bazooka’ Gomez. It is a book that his fans have all been waiting for. If you were not lucky enough to follow Bazooka’s career in real time, I suggest you watch some of his fights on YouTube, then set aside some time to read A Fire Burns Within. It will be a euphoric experience.

Guaranteed!

You can purchase the book by clicking HERE.

Zutes Boxing Talk & Zutes MMA Talk are podcasts that bring you the world of combat sports straight up with no twists. In each episode, “Zute” calls upon the best boxing & MMA minds in the business to talk about the current state of the fight game, and interviews some of the best fighters in the world of combat sports. Carlos Palomino, Mikey Garcia Sergey Kovalev, Shonie Carter and Jeremy Horn are among the guests that have been featured on the podcast.

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