Bassey, Hogan – Bassey on Boxing. Hogan Bassey’s Own Story

Description

Bassey, Hogan ‘Bassey on Boxing. Hogan Bassey’s Own Story’ Former featherweight champion of the world. 1963 1st ed. 119-pages. VG

The 1963 hardcover first edition of Bassey on Boxing: Hogan Bassey’s Own Story is a rare and highly inspiring sports autobiography. It details the life and career of Okon Asuquo Bassey, better known as Hogan “Kid” Bassey, who made history in 1957 as the first Nigerian-born boxer to win a world title by claiming the World Featherweight Championship in Paris.

Publication Details:
• Title: Bassey on Boxing: Hogan Bassey’s Own Story
• Author: Hogan Bassey
• Publisher: Published in London (commonly by sports specialist publishers of the era, such as Stanley Paul & Co.)
• Year: 1963
• Format: Hardcover with dust jacket
• Page Count: 119 pages

Content and Key Focus Areas:
Written shortly after his retirement from the ring and published the exact year he was appointed Nigeria’s Chief National Boxing Coach, the book serves as a dual reflection on his historic journey and a manual for future athletes. The 119 pages cover:
• The Journey from Calabar to Liverpool: A classic “rags-to-riches” account detailing his early life in Creek Town, Calabar, his first local fights, and his daunting move to Liverpool, England, in December 1951 as a 19-year-old. Bassey vividly describes adjusting to the starkly different British climate, including a freezing promotional photoshoot atop the Liverpool Echo building in his boxing kit.
• Championship Glory: His quick rise through the British Empire ranks, winning the Empire Featherweight Title in 1955, and a round-by-round reflection on his historic 1957 TKO victory over Cherif Hamia to claim the world crown.
• The Decline and Retirement: Honest insights into his brutal title fights with Davey Moore in 1959, which eventually convinced him he had passed his athletic peak and prompted his strategic retirement from active fighting.
• The “How-To” Philosophy: Intertwined with his personal narrative, Bassey shares mid-century technical guidance on scientific boxing, training regimens, ring discipline, and physical culture.

Physical Characteristics & Collectability:
• Binding: Typically issued in a slim, cloth-bound hardcover design standard for British sports biographies of the 1960s, featuring sharp gold or colored lettering on the spine.
• Illustrations: The book is enhanced by a selection of glossy black-and-white photographic plates. These include early snapshots of Bassey training in Liverpool, action shots from his world championship bouts, and personal family photographs from his post-victory celebratory tours.
• Value & Rarity: Because it was printed during a period when West African sports history was rarely spotlighted in mainstream Western publishing, original 1963 printings are highly scarce. Complete copies with an intact, brightly illustrated pictorial dust jacket are exceptionally rare and fiercely sought after by collectors of global boxing memorabilia and African sports historians.