I recently read Fights Worth Fighting: Finding Strength in Struggle by Dolph Lundgren (co-written by Robert Greenfield). For those who might not know, Lundgren is best recognized for his role as Ivan Drago, the Russian boxer in Rocky IV (1985), with a comeback in Creed II (2018). His filmography doesn’t stop there: he was the heroic He-Man in Masters of the Universe (1987), faced off against Jean-Claude Van Damme in Universal Soldier (1992), donned the title role in The Punisher (1989), and appeared in the Expendables franchise, not to mention a slew of low-budget action flicks. Let’s not forget his curious turns in those CGI-heavy Aquaman movies. To say I’ve been a fan since childhood would be an understatement.
In 2023, Lundgren made headlines announcing he’d been grappling with kidney cancer since 2015. Given the memoir’s title, Fights Worth Fighting, I naturally anticipated a deep emotional look into this harrowing battle. How wrong I was! We simply graze the surface in a brief mention in the prologue, with cancer barely resurfacing in the final two chapters. It's a definite letdown for readers looking for an introspective reflection on that struggle.
The narration comes off a bit snarky, bordering on two-dimensional, which is perplexing for a memoir. Lundgren, a man with a master's degree in chemical engineering, showcases surprising limits in his writing skills. It raises the question: Did co-author Robert Greenfield, only mentioned in the acknowledgments, have a hand in this? Or was it simply a rushed affair, a hasty edit, leaving us with a half-baked look at a complex life? I wasn’t expecting a literary masterpiece, but I longed for more depth in Lundgren's storytelling.
Like many, he wrestles with childhood trauma, stemming primarily from an abusive father. Though he avoids detailing this agony explicitly, he does open up about his tumultuous on-and-off relationship with Grace Jones, who was clearly a source of turmoil and toxicity in his life. Ironically, this relationship receives far more page time than his health struggles.
Dolph touches upon his love for martial arts, insights he’s gained from therapy, and briefly chronicles his marriages. However, Fights Worth Fighting feels more like an erratic highlight reel than a cohesive memoir. It flits around aimlessly, unsure of what it truly wants to convey. One has to wonder: did he ever ask himself, What am I really writing about? A focused narrative on his cancer journey might have offered profound insights. Instead, it skims the surface of his life, with interesting tidbits about notable movies, yet lacking the depth of behind-the-scenes stories that would have thrilled fans.
I arrived with little knowledge of Lundgren’s backstory and enjoyed piecing together bits of his life. However, I expected more than a mere rehash of a career's highlights, perhaps wisdom or poignant reflections arising from his trials. Instead, we’re left with a narrative that largely sticks to the conventional memoir script, lacking the meaningful resonance one might hope for. That said, I didn’t outright despise the book; there were moments of genuine intrigue, enough to hold my interest amid the frustrations.
In short, Fights Worth Fighting serves as a reminder that memoirs can have inconsistent writing, leaving readers yearning for a more mature, introspective exploration of life’s battles, both personal and professional. But who knows? Maybe Dolph’s next book will go a little deeper into the heart of those worthy fights. ╌★★★✰✰
Please consider supporting future reviews on this blog by purchasing Fights Worth Fighting in hardcover [*] or a Kindle eBook [*].
〜B.J. Burgess
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“The plot thickens… especially when you comment.” 〜B.J. Burgess