Odd, Gilbert – Great Moments in Sport: Boxing Cruisers to Mighty Atoms

Description

Odd, Gilbert ‘Great Moments in Sport: Boxing Cruisers to Mighty Atoms’ 1974 1st ed. 208 pages. VG/VG (3) $20 each.

“Great Moments in Sport: Boxing Cruisers to Mighty Atoms” by Gilbert Odd, published by Pelham Books, London in 1974, is an octavo-sized, 208-page hardcover edition. It serves as the companion volume to his 1973 heavyweight anthology, widening the lens to chronicle the history of the sport’s lighter weight classes.

Book Description:
Crafted by the renowned British boxing writer and historian Gilbert Odd, this volume pivots away from the heavyweights to celebrate the technical brilliance and high drama of the lower divisions. The title “Cruisers to Mighty Atoms” defines its thematic boundaries: tracking historic bouts spanning all the way from the Cruiserweight/Light-Heavyweight division down to the Flyweight and Strawweight classes (historically referred to in boxing lore as the “mighty atoms”).
Rather than presenting standard career biographies, Odd applies his signature analytical format:
• The Dynamic Action: The book focuses strictly on the tactical turns, historic rivalries, and dramatic upsets that defined world championship contests outside of the heavyweight division.
• Elite Pound-for-Pound Lore: It spotlights legendary lighter-weight icons—such as Georges Carpentier, Bob Fitzsimmons, Barney Ross, Jimmy Wilde, and Henry Armstrong—breaking down how their speed, endurance, and strategy resulted in classic ring encounters.

The first edition is bound in clean red cloth boards and accompanied by a matching bright red dust jacket. True to Pelham’s sports series, it features a comprehensive suite of black-and-white photographic plates capturing the fighters mid-action.