Presents a collection of articles about professional boxing and boxers, which were written in 2009.

Set over the course of twenty-four exhilarating hours, Undercard is the story of four childhood friends, now in their early thirties, unexpectedly reunited by a high-profile prizefight in a Las Vegas casino... and an even higher-profile murder. When Tyron Shaw returns to his hometown of Las Vegas after eleven years in the Marines, he’s surprised to discover that two of his best friends from childhood are all anyone is talking about: Antoine Deco, three years out of prison, hasn’t lost a boxing match since his release, and tonight is fighting in the undercard to the fight of the decade; and Keenan Quinn, a police officer who killed an unarmed teenager and escaped punishment from the courts, is the subject of a protest tomorrow morning. Tyron has trouble reconciling either story with his memory of these men, and the situation escalates when he runs into the love of his life, Naomi Wilks, a retired WNBA player, basketball coach, and estranged wife of Keenan. As Tyron reconnects with his old community, he will learn over the next twenty-four hours that much has changed since he left Las Vegas... and there is much more that he never understood. The Reef, an aquarium-themed casino and the hottest resort on the Strip, is the backdrop for this bullet-paced narrative, where loyalty to one’s friends, one’s family, and one’s community are ever at odds, and every choice has deadly repercussions.

Each year, readers, writers, and critics alike look forward to Thomas Hauser’s newest collection of articles about the contemporary boxing scene. Reviewing his 2019 collection, Booklist proclaimed, “It's hard to think of another sports journalist who knows more about his or her sport of choice. As it does every year, Hauser’s anthology laps the field. The man is a treasure.” Staredown continues this tradition of excellence with inside reporting from the dressing room before some of last year’s biggest fights, in-depth investigations into corruption in boxing, and more. Hauser also moves beyond the norm to explore incidents like street fights and examine boxing’s storied history in new and creative ways.

UFC 286 was a mixed martial arts event that took place on December 10, 2016, at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. The main event of the night was a title fight between Demetrious Johnson and Tim Elliott for the UFC Flyweight Championship. Johnson was the reigning champion and was considered one of the best fighters in the world at the time. Elliott, on the other hand, was a former competitor in The Ultimate Fighter reality television series and was seen as a significant underdog. The co-main event of the night was a highly anticipated rematch between The Ultimate Fighter winner, Joseph Benavidez, and Henry Cejudo. The two fighters had previously faced off in December 2015, with Benavidez coming out on top. In the lead-up to the rematch, there was a lot of hype surrounding Cejudo, who had been training with legendary boxing coach Freddie Roach. However, Benavidez was determined to prove that he was still the superior fighter and was looking to secure another victory over his rival.