White Collar Boxing

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White Collar Boxing is a form of boxing where men and women in white collar professions train to fight at special events. Most have no previous experience of boxing.

1 US origins of the sport
2 White Collar Boxing comes to London
3 Royal support
4 White Collar Boxing in Norfolk / Suffolk
5 White Collar Boxing in Hampshire / The South
6 References

[edit] US origins of the sport

The sport first came to prominence in mid-1990s New York. Many professional people joined previously blue collar gyms like Gleason's Gym in Brooklyn - one of the oldest boxing gyms in the US. According to a 2004 Business Week article, by that year over 65% of Gleason's membership was from a white collar background. The same article said that 70% of the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood were white collar boxers. Boxing had traditionally been viewed as a working class pursuit - a way out of the ghetto - but the growth of white collar boxing has seen a middle class influx in to the game. Many are prepared to enter in to a gruelling work-out routine in order to take part in organised bouts that are often well attended.

[edit] White Collar Boxing comes to London

London businessman Alan Lacey visited New York in the nineties and took the idea back to the UK capital. He founded The Real Fight Club, which trains City of London executives and stages large white collar boxing events. The Real Fight Club website carries the slogan "Pugilism is back; forget golf". The British Boxing Board of Control has not looked favourably on the growth of this sport and refused to license events. The British Medical Association has also criticised the sport alleging that white collar boxers are exposing themselves to serious head injuries. In response, Alan Lacey has been quoted in the Independent newspaper as saying, "Look at where football was in the 1970s and 1980s. It was ruled by thugs - you'd never consider taking your family to a match. Now it's clean. We're doing the same with boxing. We're taking it up market."

[edit] Royal support

In June last year, Princes William and Harry attended the Boodle's Boxing Ball to support their friend, Hugh Van Cutsem, a financial executive, who took to the ring and won the event. The event was covered widely in the British press with photographs of the two princes on their feet cheering Van Cutsem. Van Cutsem was coached during his fights by former European champion Errol Christie.

[edit] White Collar Boxing in Norfolk / Suffolk

In September 2005 Matt Smith opened the doors of Ultimate Boxing a white collar boxing club based in Lowestoft. The club operates from a fully equipped boxing gymnasium and now has members enjoying the buzz of competing on white collar boxing events in London.

[edit] White Collar Boxing in Hampshire / The South

In December 2007 Rob Back opened a brand new white collar boxing club, Gloves On 300, based in Waterlooville. The club has a unique concept of Team 300 : 300 Male gym members and 300 female, with the intention of members being able to choose how far they want to take the skills they learn, from fitness through to full contact boxing in events across the country.

[edit] References

Business Week article on White Collar Boxing [1]
The Real Fight Club website [2]
The City Boxer website [3]
Ultimate Boxing website [4]
Gloves On 300 website [5]
Gleason's Gym, New York [6]
USA Today article [7]
BBC article on Real Fight Club and criticism from the British Boxing Board of Control [8]
Independent article on white collar boxers risking injury [9]
Daily Telegraph article on Boodles Boxing Ball attended by Princes Harry and William [10]
The London Paper on white collar boxing [11]