The Strange World of Show Fights

The first time I went to a show fight was last summer. It was at a country club out by O'Hare Airport. That was the first time I had been inside a country club, as well. Just like the movies--dark wood, plush furniture, the smell of old and new money mixed together.

Show fights are private amateur boxing shows put together by promoters for organizations. The coaches and boxers get paid a little money for their efforts. If some of the people in the crowd are impressed by the boxers' performances, they may press a few dollars in their hands.

The boxers were hustled into a room away from the patrons. I got the feeling that the management didn't want us to get too close to the country club members. There were a lot of stares as the boxers, their coaches and corner persons walked in. The country club was nestled in an area that is predominately white. Most of the boxers were people of color.

The crowd at that first show fight was filled with nothing but upper class men, ranging from their mid-thirties to their senior years. All of them seemed to have cigars between their teeth. The stench was overwhelming. It's hard enough to contend with an opponent then have to breath in smoke, too.

I don't think we got fed that day. The promoters and judges usually get food. Once in awhile, a spread will be laid out for the athletes, as it was during a show fight I attended that was in a hotel. The coach and the rest of us took a seat in the back after our guys fought. The waiters were clean-cut college boys who probably took the job for networking opportunities. They served all the tables around us except ours. Guess they sensed we weren't the usual country club crowd. A guy at the next table overheard the coach grumbling about being passed over. He offered to get us drinks, but the incident had left us with no taste for them. We politely turned down the offer.

Very few of the spectators at those show fights are true fight fans. I can tell by the stuff they were yelling during the matches. Clearly showed their ignorance. Mainly it was a chance to hang out with their peers and do a little betting. After each match, I saw hands exchanging money, and they weren't small amounts, either.

Never many women at the show fights. A show fight that was held at a hotel was for a trade convention that was in town. The business women bailed out early on, retreating to their rooms. The few females who were left were friends, relatives, and girlfriends of the boxers, and corner persons, such as myself. I talked to a promoter who claimed that there have been show fights that featured female boxers, but I've yet to see one.