Pacheco, Ferdie – Blood in My Coffee. The Life of The Fight Doctor

Description

Pacheco, Ferdie ‘Blood in My Coffee. The Life of The Fight Doctor’ 2005 1st edition. Published by Sports Publishing L.L.C., Champaign, IL. 237 pages. Pacheco was a cornerman for 12 world champions, including Muhammad Ali for 17 years. UNREAD copy. Very good+ in a very good+ dust jacket. Multiple copies available. $7.50 each.

“Blood in My Coffee: The Life of the Fight Doctor” by Dr. Ferdie Pacheco (with a foreword by legendary boxing writer Budd Schulberg) is the comprehensive autobiography of one of the sport’s most famous polymaths.
Unlike his 1992 book A View from the Corner, which focused strictly on Muhammad Ali, this volume expands to tell Pacheco’s entire life story as a pharmacist, doctor, cornerman, television commentator, artist, and advocate for fighter safety.

Content & Narrative Overview

Pacheco chronicles his journey starting from his childhood in the vibrant Spanish immigrant community of Ybor City in Tampa, Florida. He shares stories from opening a medical clinic in Miami’s Overtown ghetto to his sudden rise into the elite strata of professional sports.
The text provides a deep, localized history of Miami’s legendary Fifth Street Gym, colorful ringside details from the “Ali Circus,” and behind-the-scenes accounts of his broadcasting work alongside Marv Albert. Pacheco also pulls no punches when discussing the business operations of the sport, detailing his contentious dealings with promoter Don King and major broadcasting networks.

Physical & Publication Details of the 2005 Hardcover First Edition:
• Publisher: Published by Sports Publishing LLC.
• Publication Date: September 15, 2005 (Stated First Edition).
• Format/Size: Standard octavo format (8vo), measuring roughly 6 x 9.25 inches.
• Binding/Cover: Bound in sturdy cloth-backed or paper boards with sharp metallic title stamping on the spine.
• Pagination: Consists of 237 pages of text.
• Illustrations: Features photographic inserts containing black-and-white images tracking his childhood, his medical career, his time in Ali’s corner, and reproductions of his own prominent watercolor paintings.
• Dust Jacket: Originally issued in a full-color graphic dust jacket. The cover prominently features a central portrait of a smiling Pacheco in a tuxedo next to a cup of coffee, set against an artistic canvas backdrop showcasing a painted rendering of a boxer in the ring. The original publication price printed on the front inner flap was $24.95.