Muscle and Mayhem: The Saginaw Kid and the Fistic World of the 1890s

This is the story of the "Saginaw Kid," lightweight world champion George Henry Lavigne, who held the top spot from 1896 to 1899. Raised in the bawdy lumber towns of Michigan, the "Kid" cut his fistic teeth fighting bare-knuckle matches against the best men of the camps. Just as Lavigne was making his professional debut in 1886, the Queensberry Rules, featuring gloved fists and timed rounds, were transforming boxing as it fought its way to legitimacy and legality. The saga is a rollicking ride from the Kid's birth in 1869 to his defeat of "Iron Man" Dick Burge of England for the world lightweight title in 1896. The story pulls no punches, following Lavigne's booze-fueled decline, a dozen arrests, a foray to Paris to conduct a boxing school, trips to the insane asylum and ultimately his death at age 58 in 1928 in Detroit. Meticulously researched and featuring dozens of photos and quotes from original correspondence, the book deftly mixes genealogy, history, culture, and sport, showcasing boxing's early beginnings and providing an entertaining account of the life of "Kid" Lavigne, one of the era's most popular and accomplished pugilists. Lauren Chouinard's passion for the subject shines through clearly.