Counterpunch

"Frisbee has written a lively and engaging book about boxing in the American West, with a particular focus on the turn-of-the-century Progressive Era. . . . Counterpunch is a finely researched, nuanced, and well-written study that deserves a wide readership among historians of sports, the West, and Progressive Era America."—Brian M. Ingrassia, Kansas History: A Journal of the Central Plains

"A compelling read beyond the narratives of early American heavyweight prizefighters. . . . Entertaining and engaging. . . . Boxing fans will undoubtedly enjoy this piece of sport history, but sociologists and sport historians in general might also find the author's descriptions of the social, symbolic and political conflicts over heavyweight prizefighting in American compelling."—Anne Tjonndal, idrottsforum.org

"A compelling book that uses prizefighting as a lens to examine political battles between white men, their concerns about manhood, and the need for progressive reform in the West. . . . Frisbee's ability to describe the events will entertain boxing enthusiasts."—Louis Moore, Pacific Northwest Quarterly

"A nuanced treatment of the ebb and flow of the fortunes of prizefighting as a sport and as a growing enterprise juxtaposed with the changing moral values of American society."—Richard O. Davies, author of The Main Event: Boxing in Nevada from the Mining Camps to the Las Vegas Strip