‘HANDS OF STONE’ MOVIE AUTHOR – GOMEZ PODCASTS

Pitch Publishing is a fantastic imprint.
They do all the great Got, Not Got series
and plenty of other retro sports titles.

James Brown, The Late Tackle, talkSPORT

Pitch Publishing show the way for enterprising
sports book publishers and remains a beacon
of hope for sports authors aspiring or established.

The Sports Bookshelf.com

Pitch Publishing, an outfit whose "pitch perfect"
commissioning of boxing material stands
as a rebuke to more established houses

Boxing Monthly

Pitch capture the real spirit of sport with entertaining
and clever ideas. They work out what the aficionado
would want to read, then deliver it with great verve.

Paul Hayward, The Daily Telegraph

Pitch have enabled me to write in the ways I enjoy most.
Their production support is superb, delivering eye-catching
designs, attentive proof-reading, energetic marketing and helpful advice.

Tim Quelch, Good Old Sussex by the Sea, Orient to the Emirates, Underdog!

Pitch are willing to back out-of-the-blue and innovative
ideas and turn them into viable, entertaining books.
They do so with great presentation and editorial flair.

Justin Parkinson, Then Came Massacre

Pitch saw the potential in my story, used their expertise
to polish it, published it and helped inspire thousands
around the world to get into the sport of triathlon.

Andy Holgate, Can’t Swim, Can’t Ride, Can’t Run & Can't Sleep, Can't Train, Can't Stop

The process of working with Pitch to produce Picking up the Threads
was enjoyable and rewarding, with the final edition surpassing
expectations and becoming a resounding success.

John Chandler, Picking up the Threads

Pitch will take a chance on books that other publishers won't
and realise that interest in football extends beyond the
Premier League and the top 20 countries in the FIFA rankings.

Steve Menary, Outcasts!

Pitch have the vision to look beyond the obvious,
seeking out interesting ideas and subjects and
matching them with the right target audience.

David Tossell, Tony Greig, The Great English Final, Grovel!, Natural

Pitch have been an absolute joy to work with,
contributing their passion, expertise, knowledge
and experience to help produce a brilliant book.

Sam Pilger, Ashes Match of My Life

Pitch took our original concept and further enhanced it,
using their knowledge, experience and expertise, and helped
make Got, Not Got one of the football books of the year for 2011.

Derek Hammond, Got, Not Got series of books

Pitch bought into the concept of development through football,
channeling profits and proceeds from Eleven into helping
some of the most disadvantaged young people in the world.

Steve Fleming, Eleven

In the highly competitive world of sport publishing,
Pitch have consistently demonstrated the happy
knack of spotting, nurturing and promoting winners.

Neil Dunkin, Anfield of Dreams

19 Aug

‘HANDS OF STONE’ MOVIE AUTHOR – GOMEZ PODCASTS

With his Roberto Duran biopic about to explode on US screens, here’s two brilliant podcasts featuring Christian Giudice, whose new Wilfredo Gomez biography A Fire Burns Within is out now.

The movie version of Christian’s last book, Hands of Stone, is released on 26 August in the States, starring Edgar Ramírez as Duran and Robert De Niro as his legendary trainer Ray Arcel.

Meanwhile, his new boxing biog tells the compelling tale of an all-time boxing great who fought his way to stardom from the mean streets of the Puerto Rican capital San Juan.

The three-time world title winner is best remembered for his 17 consecutive title fight defences – but his story as a man and fighter runs much deeper. Including interviews with Gomez, those close to him, the fighters he fought and those who watched his remarkable career unfold, A Fire Burns Within reviews one of the finest boxing careers.

Click here for ESPN podcast – A Fire Burns Within author Christian Giudice discusses his new book on Wilfredo Gomez with Joe and Jemel from the Neutral Corner on ESPN Charlotte.

Click here for Anthony George: RingNews24 – Christian Giudice talks about his new book and reveals the truth about Wilfredo Gomez!

Click here for more information, or to read a sample from A Fire Burns Within.

Christian Giudice details Gomez's dramatic rise to fame, but also tells the largely untold story of the struggles he faced after his fight career ended, and how his mettle was tested in a completely different way.

In 1974, Gomez went to the Amateur Boxing World Championships (AIBA) in Cuba, and heroically knocked out all four opponents. Cuban officials tried to get him to stay in the country.
When Gomez went down in the first round against Dong Kyun Yum in 1977, all of Puerto Rico fell eerily silent. Then Gomez rose to knock Yum out in the twelfth round. He became world champion of the recently created 122-pound division.
In October 1978, Wilfredo, 21, doused the flames of the Mexican knockout king, Carlos Zarate. Few had faith that he could unsettle the experienced Mexican, but he did so with a viciousness that belied his calm demeanor outside the ring.
Along with his legendary reign at 122, Gomez broke Roberto Duran’s record of 10 consecutive knockouts with a victory over Nicky Perez at Madison Square Garden. Gomez would eventually make seven more KO defenses to earn the honors of the best 122-pounder ever.
After getting beaten by Salvador Sanchez in 1981, Gomez apologized to his people for his performance. Nearly a year later, Gomez, distraught, learned about Sanchez's tragic death, stopped training, and traveled to Mexico to place flowers at Sanchez's gravesite.
In 1982, Gomez faced Mexican Lupe Pintor in an unforgettable Fight of the Year brawl. By stopping Pintor in the 14th round, Gomez redeemed himself in the eyes of his followers.
In 1995, Wilfredo’s glorious career ended with his induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, where he confirmed what everyone knew all along – “I was born to fight.”