40s and 50s Boxing

As discussed in the previous blog post, Boxing grew significantly in popularity during the Great Depression. The economy was in a much better state, which could potentially lead to more profitability for the sport too. However, the U.S. was soon engaged in World War II.

In this brief essay I will examine how these wars benefited boxing through the advancement of technology and as it served as a form of distraction and entertainment from the tense situation. I will analyze numerous articles as well as provide historical examples of world-renowned boxers and share their opinions on the topic. All of this will help me in determining how these wars and this overall time period affected the profitability and popularity of boxing in the U.S.

Raging Bull

The popularity of boxing was higher than ever following the Great Depression and the profitability of the sport was quickly catching up given the recovering economic situation. Fighters such as Jake LaMotta and “Sugar” Ray Robinson brought in thousands of spectators per fight and inspired young children. Boxing and baseball were once again the two biggest sports in the U.S. during this time. According to the article “History of Boxing in the 1950s” by acclaimed boxing journalist Scott Levinson, “Boxing all over the world, but particularly in the United States is tied to economics. The more disadvantaged groups have typically provided the best boxers. As the complexion of the ghetto changes, so does the sport of boxing. The 1950s were the last era where a vast amount of  Jewish, Irish, and Italian fighters truly thrived in the states. [...] The 50s introduced the beautiful partnership between boxing and television. Perhaps the best sport to watch on TV, boxing saw unprecedented exposure during this time. Regularly shown fights, such as the Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, allowed fans to watch their heroes for free. This was a crucial turning point in the history of boxing. Exponentially more people watched fights. It provided a steady stream of fans and revenue to a sport that previously thrived only as a live attraction. There were no closed-circuit events at the time and no pay-per-view, enabling anyone with a TV to watch the best fighters in the world.” 

Because of the access people had to view boxing matches, the sport grew greatly in popularity during this time period too. This new found access is largely related to the television and watching fights at home on a screen rather than simply listening to them on a radio. Rocky Marciano, my personal favorite fighter and the only Heavyweight World-Champion to retire undefeated, also attracted people to the sport winning 42 of his 49 fights with a KO. Because of the entertaining nature of the fights and the television, boxing popularity and profitability were still on the rise in the U.S.

In the next blog I will research what caused the eventual downfall of the sport as well as some of the key fighters and promoters that are responsible for this.