“Lou would fight for you—literally. I’ve seen him go after other fighters, trainers, referees ... basically anybody that was in his way when he got mad.... I didn’t realize how important Lou was to me in the corner until he wasn’t there anymore. Sometimes you don’t appreciate people until after they’ve left.”
—Evander Holyfield, from his foreword
“A Fighting Life is an intimate and enjoyable read on the legendary boxing trainer and manager Lou Duva. Coauthor Tim Smith does a superb job in delivering firsthand accounts that capture Duva’s Hall of Fame career, especially his partnerships with so many world champions.
—Nunyo Demasio, coauthor of Parcells: A Football Life and former Sports Illustrated staff writer
"Lou Duva is one of boxing's cherished figures, a kind of Bowery Boys throwback to the 1930s."
—Los Angeles Times
"Relieve some of boxing’s biggest moments as told in firsthand accounts by Hall of Fame trainer Lou Duva. . . . Duva became the definable face of boxing with his bulldog features, that told of toughness and dogged determination the same way Winston Churchill’s did. Spans his entire seven decades in the sport (traveling six continents to engage in fights) and, of course, how he got into and out of boxing with a mix of love and melancholy."
—Marty Mulcahey, Undisputed Champion Network
"Duva is tenacious in the corner and a master motivator. He never stops fighting for his fighters. And he goes to great lengths to be with them."
—International Boxing Hall of Fame
A Fighting Life
My Seven Decades in Boxing
