"A Piece of Steak" was a short story written by Jack London which first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in November 1909.
Before his fight against a rising star, Sandel, he eats only bread and gravy and must send his wife and children to bed without food.
The majority of the story details his boxing match with Sandel, who, as a much younger man, has far better stamina and recuperative abilities than King.
"A Piece of Steak" was written at the height of the Naturalist writing movement, which sought to capture the trials of humanity in the face of Social Darwinism.
Additionally, it illustrates the old archetypical story of the mature, experienced fighter struggling against an ambitious, powerful contender.