Those of us who wanted an alternative to the streets, could find our way to a local gym, or a PAL program. It saved many from the eventual cruelty that life on the streets can bring.

Badminton, rowing, beach volley ball, or even water polo were not elective options? They didn’t have a goal in the Harlem River.

Boxing was a way out of the ghetto and the poor neighborhoods. You can almost follow the ethnic roots of boxing through the struggle to escape from poverty. Among the early battlers were the Irish, Jews, Italians. African Americans.and the Latinos. They all however started as amateurs, even if it was a non-sanctioned smoker.

The very first Olympic boxing tournament was held in conjunction with the 1904 Games in St. Louis. The tournament however took place after athletes from Europe and elsewhere had already gone home. So only U.S. boxers competed and there is doubt that those first winners should be considered Olympic champions.