Sonny Bear, the heavyweight champ, is on a fast downhill slide, and there's no brake in sight. Nothing seems to matter anymore -- not the money, not the fame, and not even the title. Sonny needs something -- or someone -- to make him realize that he is still the champ.Starkey has never met Sonny, but he knows that he can help him get back in the ring. But first Starkey needs to find Sonny before it's too late.With Starkey's help, Sonny gets back on track -- but will his rise back to the top mean a knockout for Starkey?Robert Lipsyte, recipient of the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in young adult fiction, returns to the characters from his award-winning novels The Contender, The Brave, and The Chief in this long-awaited powerful conclusion to the series.