Black Boxers "on the Ropes" with Masculinity

Dublin Core

Title

Black Boxers "on the Ropes" with Masculinity

Subject

Brute masculinity, commonly associated with professional boxing, is used to identify which athletes deserve professional recognition.

Creator

Toni Cuevas

Source

Sports Illustrated

Publisher

Time Inc.

Date

1960-70s

Collection Items

"A Rueful Dream Come True"
Cassius Clay was 21 when this article was written and through the author’s writing, he is characterized as aggressive and arrogant. Cassius Clay was eager to participate in a fight that his sponsoring group thought was coming too soon. They believed…

"A Rueful Dream Come True" (continued)
The picture to the right is of Charles L. “Sonny” Liston, who won the heavyweight championship in 1962 from Floyd Patterson. However, in 1964, he lost his title to Cassius Clay in a fight that rocked the boxing world. Liston dominated, with his…

"He Moves Like Silk, Hits Like a Ton"
After getting his boxing license revoked, Ali is ready to take back the title that is rightfully his. During a conversation with James Earl Jones, Ali is reported to have said, “They can’t say I mess with white women, or drink whiskey or go to them…

“He Moves Like Silk, Hits Like a Ton” (full-page photo)
Ali is pictured naked from the waist up, with beads of sweat dripping down his body and a radiant, white smile in his face. His muscles are defined, he is dressed in boxing shorts and has his hands taped up; he looks like he just finished a grueling…

"He Moves Like Silk, Hits Like a Ton" (continued)
In the collage of pictures on the right side of the page, Ali’s actions shots tell the story of his successful boxing career before his exile from the boxing world. All four photos show him completely dominating his opponents. The upper left photo…

"He Moves Like Silk, Hits Like a Ton" (end)
On the last page of this four-page spread, Ali talks a big game. Ali is recorded describing how famous his upcoming opponent—Jerry Quarry— would be if he beat him. Ali knows that he is still the biggest name in boxing, and is prepared to fight to…

"Still Too Tender to be a Tiger"
The picture to the left of the text depicts a Floyd Patterson with a sheepish smile on his face. Although he has sweat dropping down his forehead and a towel around his shoulders like he just went through a difficult sparring match with his opponent,…

“Still Too Tender to be a Tiger” (continued”
Patterson fought with a lot more compassion than most fighters did. When asked about his fight with Eddie Machen, he justified his actions by saying that he did not need to hurt Machen more than he was already hurting. He then talks about the hard…

Sports Illustrated: The Universal Appeal of Tennis
Front cover of magazine used to access "Still Too Tender to be a Tiger"

Sports Illustrated: Pro Basketball
Front cover of magazine used to access "He Moves Like Silk, Hits Like a Ton"
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