Boxing was most popular in the 1910's/1920's?

Perhaps, with each generation and Renaisseance, the game continues to grow in popularity, although its a challenge to determine the extent of the current wealth of interest when compared with the past... I believe the interest of the game has wained very little, at any stage, although, the current era seems to be provinding an alphabet of names, titles and promotions.... Very few, however, inspire the adulation of the late 19th century, 30s/40s, 60s/early 70s.. Tyson, with the proper management and guideing, may well have been the first sportsman to exceed the US$1billion mark through earnings and promotions... Does he currently have any personal fortune not being pursued by the I.R.S??????

 

Firstly was it the deepest talent pool?

All we can say, is that in verry general terms the number of profesional fighters in continental America peaked in the 1920s which is not quite saying the same thing. Of course a deep talent pool dosnt necisarily mean that the best talents will come to the forefront.

While the heavyweight division of this period was not the greatest ever a good number of other divsions possibly were. The light heavyweight, middleweight, lightweight, and flyweight divisions of this period were absolutely outstanding.

I wouldnt say that the heavyweight division had to be bad. You had Jack Dempsey and Harry Wills active at the same time, who many people on this site rate as top 10-15 all time heavyweights. The strongest eras are often not the ones with the most talent but the ones where the big fights are made like the 70s.

You always get a few light heavyweights breaking into the top echelon of heavyweights even in strong eras. The fact of the colour line might have alowed some of them to get further than they other wise would have. Kid Norfolk had to fight Harry Wills for a shot at the title while Georges Carpintier didnt.

 

It wasn't considered particularly strong or popular by contemporary writers and experts. On the contrary, as usual, it was considered weaker than the time before it.

 

This is a more than sweeping statment. You could hand pick contemporary writers handing out various impressions.

This was the era that saw million dollar gates for the first time

 

I don't need to hand-pick, it's a general assessment from reading newspapers. Dempsey wasn't as popular as John L. Money isn't a measuring stick in this situation.

 

Money = popularity

Now go ahead and hand pick.

 

Using your criteria last year boxing's popularity was at it's peak with DLH-PBF.
Want to compare audience? Bareknuckle fights in England had 10-30 thousand of spectators on a regular basis, even relatively minor fights gathered thousands of spectators. You wouldn't get such numbers in 1910-1920's.

A curious story I read recently, dated 1899 I think (hardly an "unpopular" or little-talented epoch). Some little-known fighter quit in the 1st round, and explained his actions the following way (quoting the numbers by memory, so may be wrong, but the point remains) . The winner was to receive $35, the loser $15. Now this fighter had to give $15 to the manager, $10 to trainer, and $5 for other expenses, leaving him with only $5. Now, he says, why would I work very hard trying to win, for such little money? I'll better give in quickly and teach my manager and team a lesson to demand too much money from me.

 

I think boxing's peak popularity was the 1940's to 1970's.

 

I will give it to the 70's Heavyweight.

 

Imo the 30s were the golden age of boxing. It had a great deep talent pool, was highly popular and the big matches were made. The time from the 40s to the 70s comes very close though.

 

Senya13... can you please list one of the Prize fights which encountered such a large audience???? The 'special train' provided for the 'Heenan vs Sayers' bout of 1860, perhaps the biggest, and most spectacular fight in the history of the prize ring, catered for 'around a thousand people'... The vacinity of the Farnborough region was purely farmland, so its doubtlees that a crowd in excessof 200 locals made the jaunt to witness the bout... The well known fight between Tom Spring and Jack Langham, in which the stand collapsed was holding approx 2000 fans... I mean absolutely no disrespect towards you from these comments, as Im more intrigued as to the fights and crowds of that callibre.... Id rather stand to be corrected than be an ignoramous.. Cheers.

 

These are only estimations, of course.

Several random picks of minor fights from Sporting Magazine:

January 1796:
BOXING.
Jan 5.
The boxing match fought on Wimbledon-common, on Tuesday, ended in favour of the Irishman, after twenty-eight severe rounds, in which there was no fall without a knockdown blow. The contest lasted forty-four minutes. Colonel Glover and Sir Thomas Apreece were amongst the spectators, who were not less than five thousand.


November 1797 - Chronological history of boxing
THE winter of 1760, was rendered memo-rable in the Boxing Calendar, by a battle fought in the month of February.
It was decided in the hollow called Marybone Bason, (a place as commodious for battleing as the ancient Roman Amphitheare) between Wm. Stevens, a nailer, and Jacob Taplin, a coal-heaver. In the center of the Bason, which held above three thousand spectators, a ring was formed, and the champions commenced, to the satisfaction of the eager crowd.


April 1798 - Chronological history of boxing
1790
March 24, the match between Crabbe the Jew, and Tyne the taylor, was fought in a field adjoining to Horton Moor. At least two thousand persons were present.


Some major fights.

Second fight between Cribb-Molinaeux had about 20 thousands present.
July 17, 1820 Oliver-Painter had at least 20 thousands persons on the ground.
December 11, 1821 Neat-Hickman, Egan estimated them at 30 thousands.
July 19, 1824 Ward-Cannon, about 12 thousands (it was extremely hot, 91 degrees in the shade).
Bendigo-Deaf Burke - not less than 15 thousands.

After late 1820's interest to pugilism started to decrease, and so did the attendance, reducing to several thousands at best.

 

Boxing almost died in the USA in 1910's. Boxing really struggled in Britain post 1870's though to the 1920's. Australia had their golden era in the early 1900's, but again the sport almost died in the 1910's.

The boom of the 20's helped the sport in the USA and Britain, and the depression also helped the sport in the States, where attendance wise it probably was at its strongest in the USA.

The 50s and TV led to the American golden age, boxing in Britain peaked in the late 80s/early 90s.