Beyond The abysmal brute : a social history of boxing in interwar Nova Scotia

Abstract

In his 1911 novel <i>The Abysmal Brute</i>, Jack London portrayed boxing as a corrupt sport, lacking honest competition. Fights were fixed, gambling was endemic and audiences were robbed of 'on-the-level' sport. A decade later, however, the <i>Halifax Chronicle</i> claimed that the Nova Scotian fight scene offered good, clean boxing to ring enthusiasts. Over the years, films, novels and popular histories have tended to repeat these generalizations. Scandal and corruption, on the one hand, or fame and financial success on the other, comprise the dominant themes of popular boxing history.

This thesis focuses on boxing in interwar Nova Scotia. It provides a more holistic understanding of the sport's social significance, moving beyond the easy generalizations of films, novels and popular histories. The thesis addresses three boxing constituencies--professionals, amateurs and racial and ethnic minorities--explaining the significance of the sport to a broad range of competitors, including journeymen and champions, collegiate and club boxers, Italian, black and Danish pugilists, in terms of gender, race and class.