Cold War Era Boxing

Soon following the time of prosperity for the sport of boxing would come a time of hardship. From the 60s to the 80s boxing saw a gradual shift in personality, and not in a good way. Promoters and fighters brought negative connotations to the sport and would leave permanent legacies that taint the art to this day. In this brief essay, I will examine what caused the downfall of boxing and how it changed economically during this time period by using a number of articles as well as examining the tactics of fighters and their managers.

Mike Tyson

Unfortunately for the sport of Boxing, the spectators and media began to focus more on what happened outside of the ring rather than was occurred inside of the ring in the 1960s-1980s. Muhammad Ali, or formerly Cassius Clay, served as the catalyst of this new era of the sport. His loud and rambunctious personality was something the sport had not seen before, and the media loved it. He quickly gained popularity in the boxing community for this reason. Shortly after his rise in the sport came the Vietnam War. Clay was openly against the war and even served as a political figure in an effort to dissuade the US from getting involved. He even converted to the Muslim religion and changed his name in what many critics consider to be his attempt of “dodging the draft.” Because of his rebellious actions and already thriving popularity, the media augmented his popularity with these unprecedented behaviors from a fighter. Ali grew to become a global figure of peace as he traveled the world training, fighting, and expressing his views. His renowned “Rumble in the Jungle” fight against George Foreman which took place in Zaire is a prime example. Ali transformed the sport, for good or for bad, and drew attention away from the actual fights and towards the life of the fighters outside of the sport. After Ali, Mike Tyson became a prominent figure in boxing. His arduous upbringing and tenacity towards the sport caused him to rapidly gain popularity. According to the article “1980s Boxing” by distinguished boxing journalist Scott Levinson, “the emergence of Mike Tyson was a phenomenon that hasn’t been seen since in the United States. International superstars flooded the sport, keeping boxing thriving around the globe.” Tyson was loved by the media and the people. He assisted in what caused this era to be the most profitable and economically successful time periods for the sport. Levison later went on to say that “boxing enjoyed high exposure during this time. Networks threw a lot of money into the sport and fans reaped the benefits. On any  given afternoon, you could watch top boxers for free, often in high-stakes fights—many of which were absolute classics. With the proliferation of cable-TV, it was a great time to be a boxing fan. By the end of the decade, most of the big-time fights were moved to pay-per-view. The eighties were the last time where it was really easy (and cheap) to be a boxing fan.” It wasn’t long before Tyson began to spiral downhill though, which elevated his popularity even more, even if for the wrong purposes. He soon had rape charges, numerous lawsuits with promoters, and much more legal trouble that caused him to take a hiatus from the sport and which the media jumped all over. For these reasons, boxing itself was a highly popular sport, however during this time it was more related to the fighters that the sport.

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.

The Great Depression and Boxing

During the late 1920s through much of the 1930s, the economy in the United States was in a poor state, and boxing was not immune to these difficult times. With unemployment higher than ever before, people were less willing to spend money on boxing matches and therefore many fighters retired to other jobs where they could earn a higher wage.

In this brief essay I will examine and analyze the effects that the economy in the 1930s had on the popularity and profitability of boxing through numerous sources. I also intend to share my opinions and beliefs on the topic. Overall, boxing and the fighters took a hard hit from the depression, however, boxing also resembled hope for many which helped to combat the arduous situation.

Cinderella Man

Against popular belief and according to the article “Cinderella Man” by Aqsa Zafar, “Boxing popularity grew significantly during the Great Depression. Boxing committees knew they would always have a crowd for their championship matches because boxing appealed to all classes. Boxing was an escape for those suffering from the Great Depression.” People turned to boxing as a source of relief from their hardships as it was cheap and fulfilling at the time. The more people had to endure, the greater popularity and support boxing would acquire. The profitability of boxing was struggling though at this time when the popularity was rising. Nobody has as much money to spend as in the 20s, this includes politicians and business owners. Boxing “ became a social event for many politicians, business executives and social leaders who wanted to be seen at these championship fights with their ladies in hand.” However, they did not have the same incentive or opportunity to attend as the previous decade which resulted in a lack of funds for the sport.

As the economy was able to recover though, so was boxing, and this is what I will discuss in the next blog post.

1920s: The Golden Age of Boxing

At one point, boxing and baseball were the two biggest sports in the United States. This is before the days that Hollywood glamorized boxing too, this was when boxing was truly thriving and prosperous. The best boxers were among the most famous people in the world at the time and the matches were attended by thousands of spectators.

This time period was the 1920s, and in this brief essay I will examine and analyze why boxing's popularity skyrocketed during this era. I will also explain my opinion on the information laid forth. After reading a number of articles on the topic, I believe the reason for the success of boxing during the 1920s is due to the atmosphere of the US at the time in unison with the new marketing techniques and, of course, the intrigue of the somewhat new sport.

Dempsey v. Tunney

In part boxing's popularity in the 1920s was due to fighters like Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, Barney Williams, and many others who would rack up hundreds of wins in their careers. However, Scott Levinson contends that there are other influential aspects that lead to the tremendous popularity of boxing in his scholarly journal "1920s Boxing." According to Levinson, "The growing sophistication of motion film cameras helped bring footage to millions, as radios helped spread the good word." This new technology allowed promoters at the time to spread the word of big fights and allowed drew people to the actual fights by giving them a speculation of the action. He then goes on to explain that "one should picture the idea of the roaring twenties—a festive time where money was in lush supply. The United States was coming off a momentous victory in World War I. Boxing was able to attract the entertainment dollar with legendary fighters and great fights." The time period itself was ideal for boxing to make its rise. Given the economic well being in the US during the early '20s, people were willing to spend their money on entertainment as their basic needs were met, and what better thing to spend it on than the raw competition of one man vs. another in a mystical, dramatic battle.

Unfortunately, in the decades following this glorious era for boxing came a time of hardship and suffering.

Boxing

Triumph in the Ring

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• Briefly explain why you are interested in studying your topic:  

I have been boxing for over two years. It is my greatest interest and passion. I am interested to learn about not only the sport but also about the economics behind the sport and what causes its popularity during different eras and how the sport has changed over time.

• The overall question I plan on answering by the end of the project:

What has determined the popularity and profitability of boxing?

• Sub questions I will need to answer in order to answer the overall question:

How has the profitability and popularity of boxing changed since it was introduced in the 1904 Olympic Games?

How do movies change the popularity of the sport?

When was boxing most popular and why?

How has technology changed the profitability of boxing? (ex: television, internet highlights)

• My plan of research (what specific Library Databases, specific websites, names of authors, people, etc. will I pursue to find the answers to the questions above):

1. www.fightclubamerica.com/about/history-of-boxing/
2. “The Sweet Science” by A.J. Liebling
3. ProQuest Research Library
4. Gale Virtual Reference Library

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