Documents the ruin waiting for almost all those ill-advised enough to become professional boxers. The author confirms the legends, of crime, of swindling, of the miserable economic rewards allotted to the vast majority of fighters, and the traditional racism of the American ring.

In My Life Outside the Ring, Hulk Hogan, legendary wrestler come reality star, reflects on his life, family, and career, and shares how he has found inspiration during difficult times. Hulk Hogan, born Terry Bollea, burst onto the professional wrestling scene in the late seventies and went on to become a world wrestling champion many times over. From humble beginnings, this giant of a man escaped a pre-ordained life of dock and construction work in Port Tampa, Florida, to become one of the most recognizable celebrities on the planet. He did it through sheer will, grit, determination, and a drive to always go over the top and do more than what others thought possible. From the outside, his story was one of a charmed life—he was at the top of his career, had a wonderful and loving family, and a lifelong fan base who worshiped him. Of course he had his up and downs—including hints of steroid abuse and his falling out with WWE and Vince McMahon—but two years tested Hogan more than any other in his lifetime. In 2007, while riding the massive success of his VH1 reality show, Hogan Knows Best, his son Nick was involved in a tragic car accident that left his best friend in critical condition. Then Linda, his wife, left him after 23 years of marriage, his beloved daughter Brooke blamed him for the breakup, and his son went to jail. The tabloid media had a field day. When unflattering jailhouse conversations between him and his son were released to the press the tabloids were in a frenzy. The sudden turmoil and tragedy surrounding Hogan took its toll. He fell into a deep depression, seeing no way out, until one fateful phone call. In My Life Outside the Ring, Hogan will unabashedly recount these events, revealing how his newfound clarity steadied him during the most difficult match of his life—and how he emerged from the battle feeling stronger than ever before. I was right there leaning on the side of the car with my hands when I finally saw Nick—my only son—folded up like an accordion with his head down by the gas pedal. "Nick!" I yelled. I could see he was alive. He turned his head, he stuck his hand out, and gave me a thumbs-up. For a second I was relieved. Then the chaos set in. The noise of engines. Sirens. A saw. Paramedics pulling John from the passenger seat. So much blood. I can't even describe to you how panicked I was. The police and firefighters surrounding us seemed panicked, too. The firefighters started cutting the side of the car open to try to get Nick out, and I'm still standing right there when I hear my boy screaming, "No, no, no, stop! Stop! You're gonna cut my legs off. Dad! Just unbuckle the seatbelt. I can get out!" So I reach in and I push the button on his seat belt, and Nick just crawls right out. His wrist was broken. His ribs were cracked. None of that mattered. He was gonna be okay. But not John. John wasn't moving. —from MY LIFE OUTSIDE THE RING

James 'SplitSuit' Sweeney is a highly respected poker coach in the online poker community and have coached hundreds of students. His brain child, Dynamic Full Ring Poker, is very well-received in the community and is universally lauded as the go-to poker book for ground-breaking strategies. YOU WILL LEARN: - How to correctly run monster bluffs ... SECRETS REVEALED on page 277! - How to hand read better by following CardRunners coach James "SplitSuit" Sweeney's hand reading tactics ... See page 110 - How to estimate your opponents' hand ranges in a few seconds ... Go to page 107 - How to exploit your opponents and their likely holdings ... SECRETS REVEALED on page 179 - How to profitably c-bet, lead, raise, float, double-barrel, check-raise ... Read page 125 - How to profile your opponent in a few seconds ... Go to page 22 - How to 3-bet and 4-bet like a huge winner ... SECRETS REVEALED on page 57! - How to interpret board textures ... See page 315 - How to use pot geometry and stack-to-pot ratios (SPR) to CRUSH your opponents' strategies and bankrolls ... SECRETS REVEALED on page 109! And that's just the tip of the iceberg. There are more than 100 advanced tactics covered, all proven to work under the Las Vegas bright lights, the New York underground games, the internet, the college dorms, the kitchen home games, and much more. You don't need advanced math or a high IQ to crush poker. You need the right strategies and that's exactly what Dynamic Full Ring Poker delivers. Order today. Our winning circle awaits you!

The Jersey E?ect takes a look into the hearts and minds of athletes who achieved Super Bowl success and examines the battles they faced. It presents the stories of champions who desired to reflect glory back to God by using their jersey and the platform God had given them to make a positive difference in the world. Even so, sometimes their great intentions were hijacked by pride, materialism, distractions, and de?ciencies within their own character that were never truly understood until the ultimate success had come their way. Intended for players, coaches, and parents that want to learn and in turn teach important lessons about how to properly align their love of sports with Gods heart, The Jersey E?ect advocates for a full 360 degrees of in?uence: coach on player, player on coach, player on parents, parents on player, and team on community. The Jersey Effect demonstrates how to pursue the ultimate prizea goal that has little to do with winning a championship ring and everything to do with how we can have a positive effect on those around us through the sports we love.

Mama’s getting married, and Jackson has an important job to do! A story about love, weddings, and the special joy that is a blended family. Jackson’s mama is getting married, and he gets to be the ring bearer. But Jackson is worried . . . What if he trips? Or walks too slowly? Or drops the rings? And what about his new stepsister, Sophie? She’s supposed to be the flower girl, but Jackson’s not sure she’s taking her job as seriously as she should. In a celebration of blended families, this heartwarming story, stunningly illustrated by the award-winning Floyd Cooper, is a perfect gift for any child who's nervous to walk down the aisle at a wedding, and shows kids that they can handle life’s big changes. Praise for The Ring Bearer: "Throughout, Cooper's softly textured mixed-media illustrations offer a warm, affirming depiction of this black family's life and love together . . . Readers will be joining the congregation in cheering for Jackson."--Kirkus Reviews "Written with simplicity, immediacy, and warmth....Cooper creates beautiful effects with subtle colors, textures, and suffused light in the soft-focus paintings. A heartening, reassuring picture book."--Booklist "Children will identify readily with Jackson’s fears and enjoy the way he overcomes them. A solid purchase for any picture book collection."--School Library Journal "Many children experience parental weddings, and these times are filledwith joy and nervousness. Cooper captures each moment."--Horn Book

In this unflinching and inspiring autobiography, the boxing legend faces his single greatest competitor: himself. Sugar Ray Leonard's brutally honest and uplifting memoir reveals in intimate detail for the first time the complex man behind the boxer. The Olympic hero, multichampionship winner, and beloved athlete waged his own personal battle with depression, rage, addiction, and greed. Coming from a tumultuous, impoverished household and a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., in the 1970s, Sugar Ray Leonard rose swiftly and skillfully through the ranks of amateur boxing-and eventually went on to win a gold medal in the 1976 Olympics. With an extremely ill father and no endorsement deals, Leonard decided to go pro. The Big Fight takes readers behind the scenes of a notoriously corrupt sport and chronicles the evolution of a champion, as Leonard prepares for the greatest fights of his life-against Marvin Hagler, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, and Wilfred Benitez. At the same time Leonard fearlessly reveals his own contradictions and compulsions, his infidelity, and alcohol and cocaine abuse. With honesty, humor, and hard-won perspective, Leonard comes to terms with both triumph and struggle-and presents a gripping portrait of remarkable strength, courage, and resilience, both in and out of the ring.

Delving deeply into the myths of ancient Europe, the author explores the period of Christian conquest and evangelization of the continent and reveals some surprising new information about the period.