Pinned

Two boys, Ivan Korske and Bobby Zane, have little in common. They come from different homes, live by different routines, and hold different values about how to treat people. Still, both have the drive, resolve, and willingness to give things up that a champion requires.

Only one of them can finish in the middle of the mat with his hand raised in triumph. The book asks whether each boy has prepared enough, given up enough, and wants the win badly enough. Months of training, physical strain, miles of running, and the punishing work of cutting weight all lead to a few minutes on the mat, where one boy is named the victor and the other is left crushed.