TheLongRound

Inthelate1980sheavyweightboxingwasruledbyoneman-MikeTyson.Noonecouldtouchhim,itseemed,butnonethelessagenerationoffighterstried.From1986to1989,MitchGreen,ReggieGross,MarvisFrazier,PinklonThomas,TonyTuckerandCarlWilliamsallattemptedtobringTysontohisknees.Theyallfailed.EveryoneknowsthestoryofTyson'sdeclineandfall-themanchildwhoseemedpoisedtobecomeoneofthegreatestboxersinhistoryisnowadisgracedrelic-butwhathappenedtothemenhedefeatedduringhisirrepressibleprime?In"TheLongRound",DominicCalder-Smithtalkstothesemennearlytwentyyearson-theBaptistminister,thedrugscounsellor,thesecurityguardatGroundZero,theconvictedassassinandmanyoftheircontemporaries-tracingtheirlivesfromtheirupbringingsandyearsofpromisetotheirencounterswithTysonandthepresentday."TheLongRound"explores,openlyandhonestly,thepaintheyfeltindefeatandtheirsubsequentsearchforself-respect,theirproblemswithdrugsandrelationships,theirlegalwoesandfinancialmismanagements.Someofthesemenhaveforgednewlivesoutsideofboxing,othersstruggletodoso,afewevenharbourimpossiblehopesofonelastshotatthetitle."TheLongRound"isthestoryofthefightgame-astoryofunfulfilleddreamsandturbulentlives,oflettingboxinggoandmakingafreshstart.Itisthestoryofwhathappenstofightingmenwhentheymoveawayfromthespotlightoftheprizeringandhavetosurvivethegameoflife-thelongestroundofall.