Blog #158 5/19/16
Someone once called boxing “The Sweet Science.” Irony? While some of the best boxers approach their sport with a researcher’s focus and a scientist’s methodology, there’s nothing sweet about one person’s fist colliding with another person’s face.
I am passionately interested in human courage, and so, studied professional championship boxing for six years, from 2006 to 2012.
I photographed fighters at ringside and also in my studio. The thousands of pictures I made during that period culminated with the publication of “AT THE FIGHTS: Inside the World of Professional Boxing” by Sports illustrated and Time Life books.
I’ve photographed almost every type of athlete, but boxers are very different. I was fascinated by many of the aspects of the sport, but was especially impressed by the raw courage of fighters, and their resilience. A punch to the face, one that caused cuts and bleeding, often seemed to invigorate the fighter on the receiving end of that punch and ramp up his aggressiveness.
Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ_ Kelly Pavlik.
Capitale, NYC, Jose Rivera.
Capitale, NYC, Jorge Luis Teron.
In the book, I didn’t include this particular series of images, all made at ringside: close-up “portraits” of the boxers in the anguish, turmoil and struggle of the fight. However gruesome some of the pictures are, they compelled me to make them because they begged the question, “Why would anybody submit willingly to receiving and giving this kind of punishment?”
Hammerstein Ballroom, NYC, Pauli Malignaggi.
Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX, Joe Morales.
Capitale, NYC, Elton Dharry.
Manhattan Center, NYC, Luis Bolano.
Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX, Antonio Margarito.
Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX, Humberto Soto.
When the fight was over, this occurred almost invariably.
Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX, John Duddy and Michael Medina, just after the last bell.
Boxers are a different breed, or species.
Glitterati Incoprorated, the publisher of the Retrospective, Schatz Images: 25 Years is now offering the two- book boxed set at a discount from the original price. The set comes with an 11″x14″ print of the buyer’s choice.
