'Standing Eight' By Adam Pitluk

traditional approach to boxing, getting in the most hits as possible. “Griffith won most of the

Mike Tyson was on top of the world, winning the WBC boxing title in 1986 at age 20 (“Sports”). Although Tyson is acclaimed to be one of the best boxers to ever live, he had a dark side to his character. Much like Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, Tyson was, in a way, was publicly shunned.Something they both share in common is what they were punished for. It could be said both were shunned because of committing adultery. Tyson’s hyper aggressiveness led to many runs-in with the law and being suspended from boxing.

Did you ever wish of meeting a professional boxer? The Washington Post informs that, “Muhammad Ali, the charismatic three-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world, who declared himself “the greatest” and proved it with his fists…”. Muhammad Ali was a great boxer and champion and he was declared a magnificent boxer. “His fights were among the most memorable and spectacular in history, but he quickly became at least as well known for his colorful personality, his showy antics in the ring and his standing as the country’s most visible member of the Nation of Islam The Washington Post”. The Washington Post states that, Muhammad was a spectacular boxer and that his fights were unforgettable, Muhammad was well known in the ring and outside of the ring. Many people ubiquitous Muhammad

Boxing, an official sanctioned sport in the early 20th century, is a sport that is known as one of the most violent and physically demanding sports on the earth. Professional boxers that get paid to fight must be in top shape in order to preform at the highest level. Being a professional boxer is a tough life. Boxers train hard for many months leading up to one fight and either win, lose, knock out the opponent or even get knocked out. The sport has been around for centuries, but has most recently taken off over the last 100 years. It is a multibillion dollar industry with fighters taking home hundreds of thousands of dollars if not even millions of dollars for big matches. In his novel Papa Jack, Roberts tells the story of the famous African American boxer Jack Johnson. He details the boxers rise to fame and fortune and his downward spiral that would soon follow. In Papa Jack, Roberts displays life of a professional boxer through firsthand accounts with events that happened during Johnson’s life and shows how boxing not only influenced his life but also how he influenced the African American community.

Gabriel is a wise, observant, and slightly delusional. Troy uses Gabriel disability checks to pay for his house while Gabriel lives in an apartment. When Troy says, “Don’t nobody want to be locked up, Rose. What you wanna lock him up for?” (Act 1, scene 2, Line 174) in a way he his turning down the idea of getting Gabe into a mental hospital. Troy is controlling Gabe’s life by not even considering the chance at a better life for gabe. The hospital could provide for him, but Troy believes Gabe can take care of himself. By the end of the play, Gabriel is admitted into a mental hospital. He ends the play by opening the “gates of heaven” for

The fact that boxing popularity was so low aided Fitzpatrick in his ability to set the whole thing up. There was not much coverage of the contract signing, and little of the fight, since it

James Burke, also known as James Burke or the Deaf Un, was born December 8, 1809, in England. He was born with deafness (He can’t hear). He grew up living in a very poor family. His mother and father died when he was at a very young, so he really had no parents to help him with his boxing career. He worked on the River Thames as a waterman, before he had started his actual career. He started boxing professionally in 1828. Five years later, on May 30th he fought Simon Byrne (the Irish champion) for the World Heavyweight championship and won, the fight had lasted a total of three hours and six minutes, but the previous WHC (World Heavyweight Champion), Jem Ward,

Tommy Burns was the new heavy weight champion and like Jefferies, he to was denying Johnson a shot at the title. This time Johnson was not having it. He followed Burns for two years from San Francisco to New York from Paris to London, mocking him to fight him. Burns would just state that Johnson was yellow, eventually it was said that King Henry himself called Burns a bluffer, I guess this got to Burns for in the end he agreed to fight Johnson for 30,000 dollars win, lose, or draw. This

Therefore, Mendoza was lacking on the support factor of boxing. Not letting that get in the way of things, he went on to fight in numerous places. Here, he took his defense method and rose to the top of the competition. In a sense, Daniel Mendoza was not only fighting for himself. Rather, he was fighting for all of those who were considered minorities and unimportant. He wanted to fight for equality within each other and prove that even though he is a Jew, that does not make him, or anyone for that matter, less of a person. Although Mendoza faced some obstacles, such as defeats and beatings, he did not let that get in the way of things. Daniel Mendoza made attempts to alter the nation and fit into the mainstream British society. He wanted to join the nation and make it a whole. The best way to do this was by getting involved in boxing.

moved in and out of vacant homes that were for sale. He had a charm about him that always had

James J. Braddock was a legend in his time. From getting kicked out of the rink during the depression to getting back on his feet in the end. When the depression hit, his boxing career hit a low. After losing 16 out of 22 matches during which he shattered his right hand, he decide to call it and joined the government relief line. He joined the relief line to support his wife and children. During this time he finds work on the docks for a few dollars and due to his shattered right hand he is forced to use his left hand.

came to him fulfilling his mission to spread christianity; he never gave up, day by day. Even

Cassius clay, one of the world’s most distinguished boxers, was born in Louisville, Kentucky on January 7, 1942. Clays work ethic was apparent even in the early years of his life. As a child, he raced the school bus to school each morning. His friends would wave to him as the lead fluctuated based on the school bus’ stops. This work ethic extended to the classroom. Because of a learning disability, Clay had to work extra hard in school to not fall behind. Clay grew up with racial segregation all around him. These injustices sparked a passion in him to change the way people viewed African Americans: “I wanted to show that color didn’t matter”(Muhammad Ali: An American Legend). Clay’s boxing career began because of an incident when he was 12 years old. He and a friend rode their bikes to the Columbia Auditorium for The Louisville Home Show. When they were ready to go home, Clay discovered that his bike was stolen. Filled with rage, Clay wanted to retaliate. He found police officer, Joe Martin, who told him, “You better learn how to fight before you start challenging people that you’re gonna whoop” (Hauser 18). Martin became his coach, and although Clay never found the thief, he found a love of boxing that would continue throughout his life. Between the ages of 12 and 18, Clay

Mendoza The Jew story illustrates the tension between the tolerances that is upheld by the Jews residing in Britain. Boxing was considered something only a poor person would play, and therefore the community in Britain Mendoza discovers a quick way to accept the way of life in Britain and finds love in boxing. Boxing was a sport that brought the two sides together, whether it was the working class or simply the higher end class. He continued to box after being arrested in 1797. He first started doing exhibition matches but he eventually passed away in 1836.

and won all two of his fights by knockouts. In recent years, in American football there have been more