Prizefighting: An American History
- ISBN-10
- 0786492449
- ISBN-13
- 9780786492442
- Category
- Sports & Recreation
- Pages
- 274
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2012-11-12
- Publisher
- McFarland
- Author
- Arne K. Lang
Description
This work brings a fresh perspective to the history of modern prizefighting, a sport which has evolved over several centuries to become one of mankind’s most lasting and valued sporting attractions. With his primary focus outside the ropes, the author shows how organizers, publicity agents, and political allies overcame both legal and moral roadblocks to make fisticuffing a lively commercial enterprise. The book begins with the clandestine bare-knuckle fights in eighteenth-century London, and ends with the vibrant, large-scale productions of modern Las Vegas “fight nights.” Along the way, he explains many of the myths about antiquarian prizefighters, describes the origins of slave fight folklore, and examines the forces that transformed Las Vegas into the world’s leading venue for important fights.
Get the book
Other editions
Similar books
-
The Manly Art: Bare-Knuckle Prize Fighting in America, Updated Edition
By Elliott J. GornElliott J. Gorn's The Manly Art tells the story of boxing's origins and the sport's place in American culture.
-
Boston's Boxing Heritage: Prizefighting from 1882 to 1955
By Kevin SmithJohnny Wilson won the World Middleweight Championship from Mike O'Dowd at the Mechanics Hall in Boston on May 6 , 1920. Wilson won a second match in New York a little over a year later . He never officially defended his title in Boston ...
-
Counterpunch: The Cultural Battles over Heavyweight Prizefighting in the American West
By Meg Frisbee... A Political History of Private Power in America (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1990); and Richard Maxwell Brown, Strain of Violence: Historical Studies of Violence and Vigilantism (New York: Oxford University Press, 1975).
-
The Passing of Prize-Fighting - A Collection of Classic Articles from Pugilistica, the Times and Punch Magazine
By Various AuthorsThis book contains classic material dating back to the 1900s and before. The content has been carefully selected for its interest and relevance to a modern audience.
-
Prizefighting and Civilization: A Cultural History of Boxing, Race, and Masculinity in Mexico and Cuba, 1840-1940
By David C. LaFevorAfter the bout, Clarke visited the offices of several Mexico City newspapers and alleged that Smith had imbibed illegal substances that gave him an advantage in the contest and that his seconds had unfairly intervened in his favor.
-
I Fought Them All: The Life and Ring Battles of Prize-Fighting Legend Tom Sharkey
By Moira SharkeyI Fought Them All: The Life and Ring Battles of Prize-Fighting Legend Tom Sharkey
-
Oregon Prizefighters: Forgotten Bare-knuckle Champions of Portland & Astoria
By Barney BlalockJoin author Barney Blalock as he reveals the remarkable stories of Oregon's bare-knuckle champions.
-
The Main Event: Boxing in Nevada from the Mining Camps to the Las Vegas Strip
By Richard O. DaviesRichard O. Davies won Foreword Reviews' INDIEFAB Book of the Year Bronze Medal in Sports for The Main Event: Boxing in Nevada from the Mining Camps to the Las Vegas Strip. Davies' book was chosen as one of the best indie books of 2014.
-
Boston's Boxing Heritage: Prizefighting from 1882-1955
By Kevin SmithAt its core this story is truly about a city and its relationship with a sport. Boston's Boxing Heritage: Prizefighting from 1882 to 1955 covers the early bareknuckle years of boxing through the sport's post-World War II boom.
-
Bare Fists: The History of Bare Knuckle Prize Fighting
By Bob MeeIn its heyday, which spanned the mid 18th to the late 19th centuries, the bare-knuckle prize-fight was a wildly popular sport which, as gloved boxing does now, produced some extraordinary...