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The gloves of a boxing professional in the fly- to welter-weight categories
weigh 6 ounces; light-middleweight and above, 8 ounces.
PAGE CONTENTS:
Boxing
Jack Johnson
Joe Louis
The Greatest
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, Western Boxing, prizefighting (when referring
to professional boxing) or the sweet science (a common nickname among fans), is a sport and martial art in which two participants
of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a series of one to three-minute intervals called "rounds". In both
Olympic and professional divisions, the combatants (called boxers or fighters) avoid their opponent's punches while trying
to land punches of their own.
Points are awarded for clean, solid blows to the legal area on the front
of the opponent's body above the waistline, with hits to the head and torso being especially valuable. The fighter with the
most points after the scheduled number of rounds is declared the winner. Victory may also be achieved if the opponent
is knocked down and unable to get up before the referee counts to ten (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is deemed too
injured to continue (a Technical Knockout, or TKO).
Archaeological evidence suggests boxing existed in North Africa as early
as 4000 BC and had also developed in the Mediterranean by 1500 BC. Around 900 BC a mythical Greek ruler named Theseus allegedly
invented a form of boxing in which two men, seated face to face, would beat each other with their fists until one of them
was killed. In time, the boxers began to fight while standing and wear gloves (not padded) and wrappings on their arms below
the elbows, although otherwise they competed naked. First accepted as an Olympic sport in 688 BC, participants trained on
punching bags.
In 1867, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were drafted by John Chambers
for amateur championships held at Lillie Bridge in London for Lightweights, Middleweights and Heavyweights. The rules were
published under the patronage of the Marquess of Queensberry, whose name has always been associated with them. There were
twelve rules in all, and they specified that fights should be "a fair stand-up boxing match" in a 24-foot-square ring. Rounds
were three minutes long with one minute rest intervals between rounds. Each fighter was given a ten-second count if he was
knocked down and wrestling was banned.
Olympic (or Amateur) boxing is found at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth
Games. Olympic boxing prizes point scoring rather than physical damage or knockouts. Bouts comprise four rounds of two minutes
in Olympic and Commonwealth, and three rounds of two minutes in a national ABA (Amateur Boxing association) bout, each with
a one-minute interval between rounds.
Copyright 2006 ArcaMax Publishing. All rights reserved.
Jack Johnson
by Jessica McElrath
March 31, 1878 – June 10, 1946
Early 20th century boxer Jack Johnson was one of the few black
men in history that created white anxiety about black equality. He was unafraid, his actions in and out of the ring were bold,
and with the black public in his corner he achieved his greatest accomplishment. He challenged racial views about equality
when he beat a white boxer, and became the first black international heavyweight-boxing champion.
With only a fifth grade education, a young Galveston, Texas
born John Arthur (Jack) Johnson set out on his own, and worked as a painter, a baker, and a dockworker. Shortly thereafter,
the frail Johnson began working as a janitor at a gymnasium where he quickly became intrigued with boxing. He began training,
but during his early years, he suffered from malnutrition and fatigue. In 1897, he fought his first fight.
All of Johnson’s hard work to become a heavyweight champion
paid off when in 1903 he became the unofficial black heavyweight champion after beating “Denver Ed” Martin. Determined
to break down the United States color barrier that prohibited him from fighting the white heavyweights, Johnson earned an
international reputation that eventually led to a match with Australian boxer, Tommy Burns. On December 26, 1908, to the world’s
amazement, Johnson won the world heavyweight title.
The win challenged commonly held beliefs about equality. Boxing was a
sport that required both physical strength and wit. Johnson showed that he had both. It was feared that blacks would interpret
such a win as their equality with whites. After Johnson beat Martin, white fears came true. From thereafter, whites searched
for the “Great White Hope,” a white fighter who could win the heavyweight championship title back.
Over the next two years, hope was placed on five white challengers
who were all defeated by Johnson. The greatest anticipation for a capable boxer was placed on the retired heavyweight champion,
Jim Jeffries. After succumbing to pressure from the public, Jeffries agreed to the match. Called “The Fight of the Century,”
it took place on July 4, 1910. To the dismay of whites, Johnson beat Jeffries.
Just as Johnson was unafraid in the ring, his behavior outside
of the ring was also unafraid, confident, and bold. Not disturbed by the potential reaction of the public, Johnson married
a high-society white woman named Etta Terry Duryea in 1911. As expected, whites were unhappy with the marriage. Married to
a playboy and faced with intense racism, Duryea committed suicide in 1912.
Unfazed by public reaction to his first marriage, Johnson
married his white bookkeeper, Lucille Cameron in 1912. In 1913, Johnson was arrested and convicted under the Mann Act, which
prohibited the transportation of a woman across state borders for immoral purposes by a man. Before he was sentenced, Johnson
left the United States and went to France. He returned to boxing in 1915, when he fought and lost his heavyweight title to
white boxer, Jess Willard in Havana, Cuba.
In 1920, Johnson returned to the United States, and served
a year in prison. Shortly after getting out of prison, he divorced his wife in 1923, and married a white woman named Irene
Pineau. Johnson spent the remaining years of his life writing, engaged in business endeavors, and fought at boxing exhibitions.
On June 10, 1946, he died in an automobile accident.
Johnson’s victory of becoming the first black world
heavyweight champion was more than a personal win. It challenged commonly held views on equality. Johnson, a prideful man,
was the perfect person for the job. He had strength and intelligence, and did not cower over public reaction to his victories
in the ring or his controversial marriages.
| ©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Times Company. All
rights reserved. | ![]()
 
Joe Louis
by Jessica McElrath
Dates: May 13,
1914 – April 12, 1981
Also known as: The
Brown Bomber
Accomplishments: World
Heavyweight Boxing Champion from June 22, 1937- April 12, 1949
About Joe Louis: On
the eve of World War II, boxer Joe Louis emerged as a formidable opponent to Nazi Germany’s white supremacy. He showed
that he was up for the challenge when he defeated Germany’s top boxer. Surprisingly, at a time when segregation and
discrimination were prevalent, he became a national hero for both black and white America.
Early Career
Joseph Louis Barrow was born on May 13, 1914, in Lafayette,
Alabama. His family resided there until they moved to Detroit in 1926. After the move, an interest in boxing arose. Louis
secretly hired a trainer and began boxing. Like other boxers who wanted to hide their identity from their families, Louis
dropped the Barrow from his name.
As a light-heavyweight boxer at nineteen, out of fifty fights,
Louis won forty-three by knockout. Louis’ potential was recognized immediately. His manager, John Roxborough, and his
trainer, Jack Blackburn, set out to carve a safe public image of Louis.
Determined not to replicate the mistakes of Jack Johnson,
the first African American heavyweight whose marriages to white women created a negative public image, Louis’ management
made sure that he had a clean image. Although the modest and quiet Louis did have relationships with women of all races, he
did so discreetly.
Professional Career
Louis’ first professional fight was against Jack Kracken on July
4, 1934. Louis knocked Kracken out within the first two minutes of the fight. In 1936, he fought former German heavyweight
champion, Max Schmeling. He lost the fight. A year later on June 22, 1937, Louis fought the heavyweight champion Lou Braddock
and won.
Now that he was the world heavyweight champion, Louis was scheduled to
fight Schmeling again on June 22, 1938. The match was viewed in a political context with Schmeling representing Nazi Germany
and Louis representing the United States. The rematch resulted in a victory for Louis and America. The win made Louis a hero
to the white and black American public at a time when segregation and discrimination were still prevalent.
Despite his success in the ring, Louis had incurred heavy debts. To payoff
these debts, he fought every month. He remained undefeated. During the war, he joined the army. While serving he fought in
close to one hundred exhibition matches. He served from 1942 to 1945.
Retirement
In 1949, he retired, but he was forced to return to the ring a year later
in order to pay back taxes that totaled more than a million dollars. He fought his last fight in 1951. He had 68 wins and
3 losses. In retirement, debt continued to plague his life, so he worked as a professional wrestler from 1956 to 1957. In
the 1970s, he worked at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas where he was paid to greet guests. Louis died of a heart attack
on April 12, 1981.
The young, modest, and quiet Joe Louis could not have guessed that a
career in boxing would make him into national hero. As war loomed, Joe Louis was thrust into the political arena when he fought
German Max Schmeling. Louis’ win over Schmeling was a win for America. Louis immediately went from an unknown boxer
to one of the most popular figures of the time.
©2006 About, Inc., A part of The New York Company. All
rights reserved.
The Greatest
By
Denis Mueller
The champ is about ready to die. His battle with Parkinson
disease has gotten worse with no real possibilities for improvement. But in this age of self-centered stupid athletes like
Terrell Owens, and civil rights leaders like Jesse Jackson whose main concern seems to be to get into the papers, we forget
how important people like Muhammad Ali were. Ali burst into the scene as Cassius Clay of Louisville. But he was mere
than a mere athlete, or a mere mortal for that manner, but a prince who made us laugh.
The late Malcolm X befriended Ali during the turbulent 1960's. His conversion
to Islam shocked and angered the country. He said things like: "I won't be what you want me to be." His outspoken opposition
to the Vietnam War made him a folk hero to many. "I have no quarrel with those Viet Cong they never called me a nigger." In
an age when it seems impossible for any sports star to think about anything other than themselves, Ali talked about walking
amongst the poor, the winos, those that are addicted to drugs and making an impact with ones own life.
Ali wrote poetry
and became one of the most recognizable faces on the planet. But what is unique to me are the differences between the athletes
of today and of Ali's time. There were others, Bill Russell, Jim Brown, Tommie Smith and John Carlos who gave the black power
salute at the Olympics. These were people who had ideas of their own, who had beliefs other than their new contract.
A long time ago. Ali decided that his life would be important, and on
the way to making us laugh and thrilling us with the drama of his own performances. He taught us something about having the
courage of your own convictions. It must be remembered that for a full three years Ali had no income. He gave away his best
times as a fighter all for what he believes. I think that was his noble gift to all of us was his ability to make us laugh.
Soon he will be gone and there will never be anyone like him. He was an athlete and a man who went far beyond his limited
education to become a world figure.
"Float like a butterfly
And sting like a bee.
Your hands can't hit
What
your eyes can't see."
"If you want to lose your money then go ahead and bet on Sonny."
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