Images of Sports

During the early years of Atlantic City (AC) boxing, the fight game was bustling. An array of ring talent, from club fighters to champions, came to the shore to compete at thriving venues like the Northside’s Waltz Dream Arena and Convention Hall on the boardwalk. Although ring action was plentiful, the biggest fights were still happening elsewhere, and boxing was just one of many entertainment options in AC. However, everything changed once gambling came to town. As casinos popped up along the boardwalk, Atlantic City fights got bigger and bigger. By the late 1970s, boxing was on the rise, and within a few years, business was booming. Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson ushered in the city’s peak era in the late 1980s, a time when more than just fight fans turned their attention to Atlantic City for some of the biggest sporting events ever. Although AC never again topped the impact of those days, boxing action at the shore remained vital for decades to come.

Philadelphia has long been called the number one fight town in the world. The relentless fighting style of its boxers has thrilled fans over the years. Twenty-seven champions have come from the city over the course of more than a century.

Philadelphia's Boxing Heritage: 1876-1976 retraces the legacy of determined battlers such as Joe Frazier, Benny Bass, Gil Turner, Bob Montgomery, and Bennie Briscoe. Philadelphia has also produced legions of highly skilled craftsmen such as Tommy Loughran, Jack O'Brien, Midget Wolgast, Harold Johnson, and Joey Giardello. In 1926, the Gene Tunney-Jack Dempsy heavyweight championship bout was witnessed by more than one hundred thousand fans. In 1956, Rocky Marciano brought his guns to town and won the heavyweight title from Jersey Joe Walcott. In 1971, Philadelphia-trained Joe Frazier won the "Fight of the Century" from Muhammad Ali at Madison Square Garden in New York. Philadelphia's Boxing Heritage: 1876-1976 showcases these legends and retraces their championship bouts through more than two hundred dazzling photographs.

The boxing history of Baltimore dates back over a century. Over that time the Monumental City has produced seven world champions and numerous top contenders. Joe Gans, the first Baltimorean and African-American ever to win a world title, in 1902, learned his boxing science in the city, earning him the title of "The Old Master" while he shucked oysters on Broadway.

Baltimore's Boxing Legacy: 1893 to 2003 chronicles the evolution of fistiana from venues such as the Eureka Athletic Club, Gayety Theatre, Lyric Theatre, Carlin's Park, Baltimore Coliseum, Oriole Park, Steelworkers' Hall, to the Civic Center. It is a tale of ethnicity and race, of color barriers broken, and near-champions and contenders remembered. The likes of Johnny Kid Williams, the Dundee brothers Joe and Vince, Benny Schwartz, Jack Portney, Harry Jeffra, Red Burman, Joe Poodles Sr., Mack Lewis, Vincent Pettway, Hasim Rahman, and many more are showcased in addition to trainers, managers, matchmakers, and promoters.

For many years, New York City was considered to be the fight capital of the world. Local venues put on shows almost daily, and the mecca of boxing, Madison Square Garden, hosted boxing regularly. Fans flocked from one arena to the other to catch all of the action. New York City's Greatest Boxers is a photographic journey featuring over 180 photographs showcasing many of the outstanding boxers who helped make up the city's colorful history. New York City's biggest boxing stars are all found here, from legendary champions like Terry McGovern and Benny Leonard to local stars and celebrities like Joe Miceli, Tiger Jones, and Tony Danza.