Being a boxing writer myself for many years, I can now fully appreciate when people told me for years that “The Professional” by WC Heinz was the best boxing book ever written and one of the best novels of all time. There’s even an intro from the iconic Elmore Leonard, where he credits Heinz as one of his mentors.
The book, written in 1958, is basically the training camp life of a fighter named Eddie Brown, who after a long boxing career finally has a chance to win a world title. His crisp manager, Doc Carroll, has been in the box forever, but Eddie Brown is Doc’s last chance to achieve immortality in a sport that Doc obviously hates. Eddie seems to like everyone and Doc doesn’t trust anyone, leading to interesting speeches about the inner workings of a sport that has been run by con artists and thieves since the early 1900s.
The book is written from the third-person point of view of sportswriter Frank Hughes, who accompanies Eddie to training camp, trying to capture the essence of a boxer’s life as he prepares for the most important moment of his life. Frank is nothing more than a fly on the wall, trying to help Eddie and Doc, but at the same time maintaining a detachment that will make his magazine article unbiased and true.
The Pro is a must-read for boxing fans, but those who don’t really care about the sport can enjoy this book too, steadfast in the knowledge that WC Heinz is correct in his observations on a slimy sport that doesn’t has changed. much of when this book was written 52 years ago.
