Boxing in Philadelphia: Tales of Struggle and Survival

These guys make Rocky look like an art major -- like he was running up those stairs just to patronize the museum to which they lead (so eager was he to check out the Cezanne exhibit).

In "Boxing in Philadelphia," Gabe Oppenheim spotlights real Philly pugs -- the champs, contenders and even chumps known for heart in the ring, sparring wars in the gym, and colorful lives on the city's always-uncertain streets. And a history of those streets, too  -- Oppenheim tells the tale of Philly as perennial urban underdog -- as a scrappy, gritty town in New York's shadow that grew rougher when the factories left and the neighborhood gyms began to close.