HOW THE MAFIA CONQUERED BOXING

Описание: The 1950s was the heyday of world boxing. Such fighters as Sugar Ray Robinson, Rocky Marciano, Sonny Liston and Jake LaMotta entered the ring at that time. It was rightfully called the golden age of boxing.

However, at the same time when the audience was admiring the fights of the famous champions, behind the scenes there were events that could destroy boxing, because the Mafia got so deep into it that they actually took over the sport.

They were not interested in the sporting aspect, they were only interested in money. No matter how good a boxer was, he could not become a champion if he did not play by the rules of the gangsters. And vice versa, even a terrible fighter could easily be made into a champion with the help of the right people—who would then reap the benefits of his supposed success.

Fake fights became the norm even at the highest level. Fighters' managers had to pay kickbacks in order to hold fights, and many champions were directly owned by mafiosi. Today I will tell you the story of how organized crime was able to take over one of the most popular sports in America, actually making it their plaything. Meet the Mafia and boxing, on the other side of the law.

Primary Sources:
"Boxing and the Mob" - Jeffrey Sussman
"Jacobs Beach" - Kevin Mitchell