Fighting for Someone Else: The Promise at the Heart of “The First Punch”
Fighting for Someone Else: The Promise at the Heart of “The First Punch” There is a version of every boxing story where the fighter is chasing a title, a paycheck, or a legacy of his own. “The First Punch” is not that story. Underneath every round Matthew Fields fights is a promise made to someone […]
The Friend Who Saw Everything: Billy’s Place in “The First Punch”
The Friend Who Saw Everything: Billy’s Place in “The First Punch” Some of the most memorable people in “The First Punch” never set foot in a boxing ring. Billy is one of them, and by the time you finish the book, you understand why Matthew Fields dedicated it to him. Matthew and Billy met on […]
The Story Behind “The First Punch”: Meet Matthew Fields
The Story Behind “The First Punch”: Meet Matthew Fields Every fighter has an origin story. Most of them get told in fight programs and pre bout interviews, boiled down to a hometown, a record, and a few tidy sound bites. “The First Punch,” the debut book in Matthew Fields’s series, refuses that shortcut. It is […]