Chris Lynch has written other novels that deal with similar themes and issues. A pair of brothers are featured in Iceman,a sports-themed story set in the world of hockey. The relationship between two teenage brothers is examined in the hard-hitting "Blue Eyed Son" trilogy, composed of Mick, Blood Relations, and Dog Eat Dog; the Boston setting is integral to this series of books.

A landmark young adult novel, The Contender by Robert Lipsyte, also deals with the subject of boxing, as African-American teenager Alfred sees the sport as a way of escaping his underprivileged background.

A similar situation is explored within a historical setting in The Boxer by Kathleen Karr, as an Irish-American teenager supports his family with money he makes in the ring. In both books the protagonists become disenchanted with the sport and begin to concentrate on furthering their education rather...