Boxing in the United States

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to navigationJump to search
Boxing in the United States
Floyd Mayweather, Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Márquez.jpg
Country United States
Governing body USA Boxing
National team(s) United States Olympics team
International competitions
Summer Olympics
Boxing's origins began in the United States in 19th century.[1][2] The United
States became the center of professional boxing in the early 20th century.[3][4][5]
[6]

Contents
1 History
2 Professional boxing
3 Amateur boxing
4 Women's boxing
5 Television
6 Present day
7 See also
8 References
History
The sport of boxing came to the United States from England in the late 1700s and
took root in the 1800s mainly in large urban areas such as Boston, New York City,
and New Orleans.[7]

While initially boxing was illegal many fighters and fights were held in secret to
avoid arrest the sport soon found advocates in the late 19th century in the
muscular Christianity movement, a religious sect that views sport as way of
increasing moral and physical character.

John L. Sullivan became the first American heavyweight champion in 1882 under bare
knuckle boxing rules and again in 1892 becoming the first gloved era.[8][9]

He was defeated by James Corbett, often referred to as the father of modern boxing
due to his innovative scientific technique, in 1892.[10]

Jack Johnson was the first African American heavyweight champion.[11] Ring magazine
was founded in the mid 1900s, and it began listing of championships and winners.

The National Boxing Association changed its name in 1962 and became the World
Boxing Association. The new organization brought about an increased global role.

In 1963, a rival organization arrived World Boxing Council. Another body by the
name International Boxing Federation emerged in 1983. There are different regional
sanctioning bodies like the North American Boxing Federation and the United States
Boxing Association promoted championships. Ring magazine list each weight division
champion, and its rankings are still respected by boxing fans worldwide.

Professional boxing
Main article: Professional boxing
The National Boxing Association was founded in 1921 and began to sanction title
fights. Jack Dempsey became one of most popular athletes in the 1920s promoted by
the likes of Tex Rickard.

After World War II television took on an important role in professional boxing. It

was popular because of its relatively low production costs compared with other
sports, professional boxing was a major feature of television programming
throughout much of the 1950s and early 1960s.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Muhammad Ali became an iconic figure, transformed the role
and image of the African American athlete in America by his embrace of racial
pride, and transcended the sport by refusing to serve in the Vietnam War.[12] In
the 1980s and 1990s, major boxers such as Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe were marked
by crime and self-destruction.[13]

Amateur boxing
Main article: Amateur boxing
The Amateur Athletic Union of the United States was founded in 1888 and began its
annual championships in boxing the same year. In 1926 the Chicago Tribune started a
boxing competition called the Golden Gloves. The United States of America Amateur
Boxing Federation (now USA Boxing), which governs American amateur boxing, was
formed after Amateur Sports Act of 1978 enabled the governance of sports in the US
by organizations other than the AAU.[14][15][16] This act made each sport set up
its own National governing body (NGB). Each of these governing bodies would be part
of the United States Olympic Committee, but would not be run by the Committee.

In 1993 Dallas Malloy won a discrimination case against USA Boxing saying women
were forbidden to box.[17]

An international organization for amateur boxing was begun in 1946, known as the
International Amateur Boxing Association. The development amateur scene of boxing
has seen the United States as a world beater. The US played a important role in
building a respected status for the sport and also popularizing and making
professional and amateur level boxing . The Olympic champions, the US has won 106
Olympic medals to date: 47 gold, 23 silver and 36 bronzes. Most heavyweight
champions of this century originate from the United States.[18]

Women's boxing
Main article: Women's boxing
The first recorded women's boxing match in the United States occurred in New York
in 1888, when Hattie Leslie beat Alice Leary in a brutal fight.[19] Barbara
Buttrick was the first woman to appear on a televised boxing match.

Women's boxing at a professional and amateur was rarely acknowledged until 1970's
Cathy 'Cat' Davis , Marian “Tyger” Trimiar and Jackie Tonawanda were pioneers as
they were the first women in the United States to get a license for boxing in the
United States. Cathty Davis was the female boxer to appear on the cover of Ring
Magazine. [20][21][22]

In the 1990s, Women's boxing had a brief period of popularity due to likes of
Christy Martin and Laila Ali.[23] But early into 2000's, the sport fell back to
relative obscurity due to lack of promotion, television exposure and poor
matchmaking.[24] Many female professional boxers in the United States struggle to
make a viable living due to lack of finical opportunities and promotional
opportunities.[25][26][27] In 2012, interest in women's boxing was revived when
women where allowed to compete in boxing at the Olympic games for the first time.
[28]

It has since lost out popularity to Women's MMA due to better financial
opportunities from organistation such as the UFC.[23][29][30]

Television
Boxing used to be a popular staple viewing on American television due to its low
costs and production values and was broadcast on all the major networks. Since the
1970s it is mostly broadcast on PPV channels like HBO.[31] Showtime is another
major network that broadcasts boxing the United States.

Present day
Since the late 1990s boxing has declined in popularity for a myriad of factors such
as more sports entertainment options and combat alternatives such as MMA's UFC
amongst a younger demographic.[32][33][34] Lack of mainstream coverage in
newspapers and access on major television networks.[35] Also the lack of a US
Heavyweight world champion.[36] [37]

It was hoped in 2015 that the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight would
re-invigorate interest in the sport in the United States but because the fight was
disappointing it was perceived as doing further harm to the image of the sport in
the United States.[38][25][39][40]

See also
Golden Boy Promotions
Top Rank
Premier Boxing Champions
Don King Productions
Boxing on NBC
Boxing on ESPN
Boxing on CBS
Fight of the Week
HBO World Championship Boxing
Boxing After Dark
Showtime Championship Boxing