Bare Knuckle

Bobby Gunn, 73–0 Undefeated. A Dad. A Dream. A Fight Like You’ve Never Seen.

By: Stayton Bonner

Narrated by: Ari Fliakos

INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

Father. Fighter. Champion. Outlaw.

Hailed as an “exhilarating debut” by Publishers Weekly, Bare Knuckle by former Rolling Stone editor Stayton Bonner (nominated for the Dan Jenkins Medal of Excellence in Sportswriting) takes listeners into a previously unknown world: the underground circuit of illegal bare-knuckle fighting.

Bare Knuckle is the remarkable true tale of Bobby Gunn, the 73–0 undisputed champion of bare-knuckle boxing.

An inspiring underdog story that reads like a real-life Rocky.

Bobby Gunn has been fighting for his existence since a childhood spent living under the hand of his volatile father, and would do anything to give his seven-year-old daughter a better life—including betting on himself in the underground world of bare-knuckle boxing.

In 1984, Gunn was an eleven-year-old boxer in Ontario when his father woke him in the middle of the night to fight grown men in motel parking lots for money, his old man pocketing the cash. From there, Gunn traveled to Las Vegas, Tijuana, and beyond, competing in ringed matches as well as in biker bars and mobster dens on the side, brawling to make ends meet.

But it was only with the birth of his daughter—and his desire to help her avoid his fate—that Gunn entered the big-time world of underground Russian-mob matches of up to $50,000 a night in New York City, hoping to finally raise his family above the fray.

Former Rolling Stone editor Stayton Bonner travels the underground for years with Gunn, the world champion of bare-knuckle boxing with a 73–0 record, shining a light on a secret circuit that’s never before been revealed. Along the way, we explore the fascinating history of this first sport in America, Gunn’s Irish Traveler community—a sect of religious fighters best known through Brad Pitt’s depiction in Snatch—as well as his part in the improbable rise of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, the first legal revival of the sport.

Bare Knuckle, a tale of triumph, loss, and a father’s love for his family, is a heartbreaking but ultimately inspiring story that will have you rooting until the end.

©2024 Stayton Bonner (P)2023 Blackstone Publishing

Great story.

Some names of towns and people were pronounced wrong but overall still an awesome audiobook.

Great fight story

Being an old(er), not trained, fighter, I always love listening to or reading a good fight story. This one is up there, near the top. Very well read by the narrator and well written by the author. If you enjoy combat sports, listen to this book.

Very well written

I enjoyed every minute. The descriptions were on point, I can picture everything the other was talking about.

A study in perseverance, dedication to family and one’s talent

This biographical study is well written and addresses one man’s fight against social norms, biases and adversity to care from his family and pursue a dream. Folded into it are lessons on positive and negative parenting in a way that informs and does not lecture. Gunn’s story illustrates how a parent will fight against all challenges for his children and his goals for them and himself. It is a gripping tale of a world most of us do not know exists. A great read.

Action,drive of the participants.

Liked all of it, never a dull moment in the book. Well written and enjoyed.