As a longtime fan of the series, I cracked open this edition with high hopes. The collection delivers some absolute knockouts – the pro wrestling deep-dive had me grinning like I was ringside, and there's a poignant piece about an aging boxer that stuck with me for days.

But man, this year's curation feels uneven. Three separate stories about battered athletes? By the third one, I started skimming. And that sumo piece? Felt like it wandered in from a different anthology entirely.

What saves it are those unexpected sports stories – the kind you'd never see on ESPN. There's a brilliant feature about competitive jump roping that completely changed how I view the 'sport'. That's when this series shines brightest – when it makes you care deeply about athletics you've never considered.

Would I recommend it? For diehard sports fans, sure – but maybe borrow it first. The 2015 edition isn't bad, it just doesn't quite live up to the series' usual knockout punch.