The Game

Game, The,
novel by Jack London, published in 1905.

Joe Fleming is asked by his fiancée Genevieve to give up his career as a prizefighter, since she is jealous of the attraction which “the game” exerts over her lover. To convey an idea of the fascination of the sport, Joe proposes that she watch him fight. She witnesses his bout with John Ponta, a brutal, bull-like pugilist. While Joe is hammering Ponta to the canvas, he slips and is simultaneously hit by his opponent. Hurled to the floor with a crushed skull, he dies in a few moments.