ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with questions of identity and goes on to look at how masculinity in particular can be conceptualized before working through some of the pivotal points of identification in the genealogy of boxing in order to highlight some key aspects of processes of identification. It describes men's boxing as a sport which is used to explore contemporary debates about identity by focusing on masculinity in this context. The chapter explores rethinking masculinity, especially within the field of sport and problematizes masculinities in boxing. It addresses some of the theories of identity which inform recent debates, located within the wider cultural field. The chapter discusses the genealogy of boxing as a field in which masculinities have been constituted, highlighting the dimension of the sport to demonstrate key components in the configuration of masculinities. Masculinity has also been a particular target of the interrogation of insecurity in establishing a sense of belonging and of setting some boundaries about selfhood.
