Dragons vs Eagles

Wales has always punched above its weight in the boxing ring. The United States, with 100 times the population, may have been the dominant player in the sport, but St David has done remarkably well against Goliath over the 120 years since the first bout in 1894. The Americans drooled over Jim Driscoll, the man dubbed 'Peerless' by the gunfighter-turned-journalist, Bat Masterson, while Jimmy Wilde also demonstrated his right to be considered one of the greatest of all time. Freddie Welsh even based himself in the States for most of his career, although he claimed the world lightweight title from Willie Ritchie in London, with both men having to cross the Atlantic. In more recent years, Joe Calzaghe's masterclass against Jeff Lacy finally convinced the American doubters, before he completed his unbeaten career by beating legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones, Jr, in front of their own people. This book, while giving those bouts their due, looks at dozens of other contests between the two nations, covering more than a century, revealing some of the tales behind the headlines.