IN THE CORNER

Savvy commentary on the fight game from a dozen of its ultimate insiders-the largely unsung seconds who train young men to become masters of the ring. Anderson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times, covers much the same ground as does Ronald K. Fried in Corner Men (p. 300), albeit by a different route. Unlike many of Fried's subjects, Anderson's trainers are either still plying their offbeat trade or recently retired, and he lets them speak for themselves. Fortunately, those whom Anderson singles out have the gift of gab and a wealth of grand takes to tell. At the top of the card are Kevin Rooney (who before his ouster helped make Mike Tyson heavyweight champion), Goody Petronelli (Marvin Hagler's guiding light), and Angelo Dundee (tutor of nine titleholders, including Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Carmen Basilio). Featured as well are the less familiar likes of Jackie McCoy (Carlos Palomino), George Benton (Evander Holyfield, Leon Spinks), Bill Slayton (Ken Norton), and Emanuel Steward (the boxing coach at Detroit's storied Kronk Center, who schooled such champs as Thomas Hearns and Hilmar Kenty). Also on hand are nonagenarian Ray Arcel (whose generation-spanning career runs from Barney Ross through Roberto Duran), Gil Clancy (Emile Griffith), Eddie Futch (Joe Frazier), and Richier Giachetti (the Cleveland-born mentor of Larry Holmes who recalls promotor Don King in the days when his hair lay flat). Oral histories of a high order, offering behind-the-scenes lowdown on the enduring appeal of an undeniably brutal, often corrupt, and utterly unsentimental sport. (Illustrations-not seen.)