ABSTRACT
In the twenty-first century, when boxing might seem to be an anomaly and even a throwback to earlier times when masculinity was defined in terms of physical aggression and courage, this is how Dave, a boxer in his late twenties, training at a gym in a northern UK city, looks back on his decision to take up the sport in his early teens. This is a story that is repeated frequently in gyms in many parts of the world and illustrates the continued popularity of boxing. Boxing still attracts young people, as participants as well as spectators, including women, although many of the sport’s traditions are heavily weighted as masculine. Dave’s account highlights two important aspects of the decision to ‘have a go’ at boxing. Firstly, he points to his own skinny body and what he attributes as the cause of his being ‘bashed around’ at school. Boxing is all about bodies and especially the transformation of skinny bodies that might get ‘bashed about’ into fit, powerful bodies that can take care of themselves and earn the respect of others. Secondly, this brief account highlights the importance of heroic role models of masculinity as illustrated by the reference to Mike Tyson in the media. This was before his conviction and imprisonment, although Tyson retained heroic status among young men in many black communities throughout his public prosecutions (O’Connor 2002). Dave also refers to more local heroes such as WBO cruiserweight Johnny Nelson and the middleweight Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham, the champions who trained at the same gym. The boxing body is, or has the
potential to become, the heroic body. Boys and young men might aspire not only to being able to defend themselves and avoid being bullied, but also to identifying with the successful boxing hero and occupying the public space of boxing legends and stories and being part of boxing culture. The boxer’s body is a heroic body which is configured around a particular version of masculinity, which is also linked to the possibility of overcoming fear of harm and physical damage to oneself as well as incorporating the possibility of inflicting such damage on one’s opponent.
