Journalist and amateur boxer Mischa Merz fulfils a long held ambition to travel across the US and compete in a series of amateur boxing tournaments. On this wild and fascinating journey she meets her idols, including Laila Ali and Lucia Rijker of Million Dollar Baby fame, along with some other truly extraordinary characters. Written in a compelling and highly entertaining narrative style, Merz takes readers right into the ring and reports, with a rare insider’s view, on a sport that has for centuries defined conceptions of masculinity.