Review: The Eighth Round by Zeke Wilson

"I fought for my rights
without a lawyer
and you can too!"

An inspirational true story about a boxer whose biggest fight happened outside of the ring! The Eighth Round is an autobiographical true story about an ordinary man who took on an extraordinary challenge that set federal precedent for all legal findings of same-race discrimination. Through self-education, it demonstrates that common people can fight for their constitutional rights in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds--and win! It tells of his struggle and triumph, involving important and timely social issues, and of the determination and perseverance that fueled his resolve. This true story will keep you engaged and cheering for the underdog all the way. It will appeal to a vast audience, and will leave every reader forever changed.

I was fortunate enough to meet Zeke Wilson in person. I stop by the local Dunkin' Donut shop to use the high speed internet connection and often run into the same people. I exchanged pleasantries with Zeke and his family several times before we actually introduced ourselves. They are friendly, kind and always happy to chat with everyone around them. Eventually he mentioned that he had written a book and I mentioned that I had a blog. He shared highlights of his fascinating story and offered me a copy to review.

I'm not really a fan of boxing so I wasn't sure if I would be that interested, but this isn't your typical fight story. Divided into eight different "rounds", each one details parts of Zeke's life. He was raised by his hard working, single mother. As the youngest of seven children, he was taught to persevere and never give up, lessons that would serve him well over the years. While serving in the Marine Corp. in the 70s he began an extremely successful boxing career. At the age of 23 he fought for the first time as a pro. After amassing an amazing winning record, Zeke decided to become a businessman. He began to train other fighters and promote their matches. In 1996, after an event was suddenly canceled by the state boxing commission, it became obvious that he was facing same race discrimination.

Zeke, his wife Connie and his young daughter Flo then began a five year battle against government officials who had misused their power. In this powerful autobiography, Wilson writes an eloquent account of his journey and how he battled and won without representation or a college education. Despite threats to his own bi-racial family and financial hardship, Zeke soldiered on and can now add author to his long list of accomplishments. Not only is his story captivating but his use of clippings from newspaper articles, family photos and promotional artwork makes it even more interesting. My favorite added feature is the inspirational quotes listed at the end of each chapter. Congratulations on a job well done Mr. Wilson!

Thank you to the Wilson family for providing me with a review copy of this book.

The One and Only Zeke Wilson
Punch Out Publishing
Amazon
Big Zeke's Fitness Program
Big Zeke's Power Kids Organization

Publisher: Punch Out Publishing
Release date: 8/18/09
Pages: 208
Price/format: $19.95/paperback
Type: autobiography