The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring

The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring

For much of the twentieth century, boxing was one of Americaâ€™s most popular sports, and the heavyweight champions were figures known to all. Their exploits were reported regularly in the newspapersâ€”often outside the sports pagesâ€”and their fame and wealth dwarfed those of other athletes. Long after their heyday, these icons continue to be synonymous with the â€œsweet science.â€

In The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring, Paul Beston profiles these larger-than-life men who held a central place in American culture. Among the figures covered are John L. Sullivan, who made the heavyweight championship a commercial property; Jack Johnson, who became the first black man to claim the title; Jack Dempsey, a sporting symbol of the Roaring Twenties; Joe Louis, whose contributions to racial tolerance and social progress transcended even his greatness in the ring; Rocky Marciano, who became an embodiment of the American Dream; Muhammad Ali, who took on the U.S. government and revolutionized professional sports with his showmanship; and Mike Tyson, a hard-punching dynamo who typified the modern celebrity.

This gallery of flawed but sympathetic men also includes comics, dandies, bookworms, divas, ex-cons, workingmen, and even a tough-guy-turned-preacher. As the heavyweight title passed from one claimant to another, their stories opened a window into the larger history of the United States. Boxing fans, sports historians, and those interested in U.S. race relations as it intersects with sports will find this book a fascinating exploration into how engrained boxing once was in Americaâ€™s social and cultural fabric.
Country USA
Brand Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Manufacturer Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2017-09-08
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781442272897

Country	USA
Brand	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Manufacturer	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2017-09-08
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781442272897

The Boxing Kings: When American Heavyweights Ruled the Ring

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