The type of people that turned up to watch a boxing fight in the past and present

[davros2010]

Just a quick one. I notice when I watch a lot of old fights that the type of people watching them at ringside is different compared to today. It seemed to be a lot of middle class and maybe more upper class people in the audency who where more polite and where maybe more knowledgeable. These days it seems to be more casual drunks who turn up and are not real boxing fans. Would say that is a correct judgment? Most of the time I have been to a fight half the people I talk to know nothing about boxing.

[JAB5239]

Just a quick one. I notice when I watch a lot of old fights that the type of people watching them at ringside is different compared to today. It seemed to be a lot of middle class and maybe more upper class people in the audency who where more polite and where maybe more knowledgeable. These days it seems to be more casual drunks who turn up and are not real boxing fans. Would say that is a correct judgment? Most of the time I have been to a fight half the people I talk to know nothing about boxing.

Anybody can sit ringside nowadays if they get lucky at the craps table. I like it better when ringside for the biggest fights was reserved for movie stars, athletes and wise guys. Seemed like more of an event in my opinion.

[TBear]

It can be decieving at the crowds of the 30's-50's. Back then everyone in the cities would put on slacks and a tie daily. You look at the crowd back then and everybody was dressed up. In my grandfather's day they didn't dress as casual as we do daily.

Back then in the U.S., there were 3 tv stations and at least one of them showed boxing every friday night. Families would gather around the tv and watch it. They knew who the fighters were, especially the ones that fought in New York, where most the major fighters ended up. Could anyone imagine if one third of all tv today show fights a couple times a week?

[Scott9945]

It can be decieving at the crowds of the 30's-50's. Back then everyone in the cities would put on slacks and a tie daily. You look at the crowd back then and everybody was dressed up. In my grandfather's day they didn't dress as casual as we do daily.

Back then in the U.S., there were 3 tv stations and at least one of them showed boxing every friday night. Families would gather around the tv and watch it. They knew who the fighters were, especially the ones that fought in New York, where most the major fighters ended up. Could anyone imagine if one third of all tv today show fights a couple times a week?

I've noticed that until the mid 60's all of the men were wearing suit and ties to boxing cards. Seems crazy to me.

[JAB5239]

I've noticed that until the mid 60's all of the men were wearing suit and ties to boxing cards. Seems crazy to me.

Same suit, same ties, same hats.

[TBear]

When I was a kid I used to think it was funny that my grandfather would wear slacks every day even on weekends. But that was the way they did it back in his day, go out to eat, put on a tie, go to the theater, put on a tie, go to the fights, put on a tie.
Looking back at old fights you'd think the whole crowd was sucessful businessmen which wasn't necessarily the case. Almost everybody dressed up even if it meant putting on your only Sunday suit.

I haven't ever mentioned it but I have a rare picture of Jack Dempsey standing with my grandfather, and of course in the picture my grandfather is wearing a tie....