The History of Boxing Podcast

The History of Boxing Podcast

By History Podcasts & Josh LinskSociety & CultureDocumentarySportsHistory
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The History of Boxing Podcast episodes

  • Radio Rings: How 1930s Broadcasts Made Boxing a National Spectacle

    From cramped apartments to living rooms across America, the 1936 radio broadcast of Max Schmeling vs. Joe Louis turned boxing into a shared narrative. This episode traces how announcers, sponsorships, and sound design created a new cultural phenomenon that paved the way for TV and modern sports media.

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    16 min
  • Harry Greb’s Silent Legacy: How a 1920s Champion Endures Without Film

    In this episode we trace the story of Harry Greb, the Pittsburgh Windmill whose 299‑win record and knock‑out of Gene Tunney live on in print but never in motion. We explore how boxing historians reconstruct his relentless pressure style from newspaper accounts, judges’ notes and opponent memories, and what that means for the wider practice of chronicling a sport when the visual record is missing.

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    21 min
  • From Blood to Rules: How a 1741 Death, Arturo Gatti, and John L. Sullivan Shaped Boxing

    We trace how George Stevenson’s fatal bout in 1741 forced the first codified rules, how Arturo Gatti’s raw heart created a new marketing myth, and how John L. Sullivan bridged bare‑knuckle tradition to modern spectacle—revealing the economic, cultural, and regulatory currents that still drive boxing today.

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    16 min
  • The 75‑Round Saga: Jake Kilrain vs. John L. Sullivan

    In this episode we trace the brutal 75‑round fight between Jake Kilrain and John L. Sullivan—a defining moment that closed the bare‑knuckle era under the London Prize Ring Rules. We explore how that grueling bout shaped boxing’s transition to gloves, influenced modern endurance training, and set the stage for the sport’s global professional spectacle.

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    18 min
  • Battling Nelson: The Iron‑Bound Legacy That Shaped Early Boxing

    This episode examines Oscar Matthew "Battling" Nelson, a 1900s lightweight champion famed for his relentless endurance in bare‑knuckle bouts. We trace how his brutal fights reflected early boxing’s raw rules and how they influenced later regulations, training methods, and the cultural narrative of toughness.

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    18 min
  • Stillman’s Gym: New York’s Underground Boxing Crucible

    From the smoky brick walls of mid‑town Manhattan to the global stage of boxing today, Stillman’s Gym was a breeding ground for champions, trainers, and business models that still echo in modern ring culture. In this episode we trace how Lou Stillman’s gritty philosophy forged techniques, matchmaking practices, and the very infrastructure that allowed fighters like Dempsey, Louis, and Marciano to rise.

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    18 min
  • Caestus: Rome’s Fist‑Weapon That Shaped Modern Boxing

    Explore how the Roman caestus—an iron‑studded glove turned fist‑weapon—redefined early pugilism, turning protective wraps into tools of spectacle and influencing safety, rulemaking, and equipment design for centuries to come.

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    19 min

About The History of Boxing Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Step into the brutal, dramatic, and endlessly fascinating history of boxing. The History of Boxing Podcast explores the origins of the sport, the rise of legendary fighters, championship eras, unforgettable bouts, historic rivalries, training traditions, promoters, venues, and the cultural forces that transformed prizefighting into one of the world’s most recognizable sports.