Tent boxing
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
![](/w/images/thumb/6/68/Boxing_Tent_Gundagai_Show.jpg/300px-Boxing_Tent_Gundagai_Show.jpg)
Tent boxing is an amusement seen at agricultural shows throughout Australia. Born in England, now banned in the United States, the outback is today the only place such an attraction can survive.[citation needed]
History
Starting in the late 19th Century boxing troupes of professional fighters would travel the mining towns and outback of the country, following fairs and carnivals, putting up big top tents and taking on all-comers for cash in the ring.
Among the more famous of tent boxing troupes, are the ones created by Roy Bell and Jimmy Sharman. Fred Brophy, who owns the Cracow Hotel in Cracow, Queensland, still travels with his troupe across Queensland.
A dangerous sport
Largely unreported on, little is known about early tent boxers and events due to participants and spectators being largely illiterate. In more modern times, very few photographs exist of the movement as organisers disapprove of media involvement.[citation needed]
Fred Brophy insists he will continue travelling with his tent boxing troupe, until he dies, even though the sport was banned in New South Wales, Victoria, West Australia and South Australia in 1971 by the government, due to health concerns.[citation needed]
References
- Lewis, Daniel. (2003-04-15). Sharman the showman is an official bloody legend. Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2013-05-28.
- Story of tent boxer Bruce Baxter
Further reading
- McLennan, Wayne. (2007). Tent Boxing: An Australian Journey. Granta. ISBN 978-1862078543.
- Chevallier, Laurent. (Director). (1996). Outback Fighters. Gédéon. Australia.
<templatestyles src="Asbox/styles.css"></templatestyles>
- Use dmy dates from February 2012
- Use Australian English from February 2012
- All Wikipedia articles written in Australian English
- Articles with unsourced statements from March 2012
- Boxing
- Sports originating in Australia
- History of boxing
- Combat sports
- Australian circuses
- Boxing in Australia
- Pages with broken file links
- Boxing stubs