All sports contain the potential to transcend mere athleticism to become a figure of conflict, mood, and culture of a country in which they take place. One such sport is the sport of boxing, especially in the mid-19th century; the sport contains no equipment, few or no rules and has a foundation that is easy to follow and understand. Boxing is simply two men pitted against each other with only their fists and the thirst for glory that follows victory. Upon their migration to America, the Irish found themselves impoverished and considered the scum of the earth by native-born Americans. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay The large population of Irish immigrants in America was able to assert their membership in the American community through the sport of boxing because of its low financial opportunities, desirable male attributes and the entertainment they provided to the country through the media. Boxing was considered a violent and rough sport and those who participated, the pugilists, were considered to have a strong sense of masculinity. And, by this time, the Irish had permeated American culture. “Irish-born adults outnumbered native-born adults in fifteen of the city's twenty-two wards in 1860” (Anbinder, 149). Their growing numbers gave a bad taste to middle-class Native Americans, and the Irish were seen as cultural outcasts and “other” immigrants. “The Irish arrived in America in terrible financial conditions – no work and no money – with the Irish fleeing famine being the poorest. Without professional training, they had to take the lowest paying and most backbreaking jobs (Anbinder, 158). But these exhausting conditions would lead to a better future. The long hours of manual labor produced Irish workers who were extremely fit and had a high sense of masculinity. “A lifetime of manual labor had prepared Irish athletes for grueling physical competition…when sports began to gain ground in American culture, the Irish, as a class, were better prepared physically than the Anglo-Americans” ( Dowd, 46). fit bodies, poor financial opportunities, and ethnic stereotypes (i.e., violent, dirty, and uncivilized), the Irish took advantage of this and used it to help them excel in their boxing careers. Bill Poole and John Morrison are examples of Irish people using boxing to make money. These pugilists fought on Amos Street for $100 under the eyes of “shoulder punchers and all kinds” (Sporting Intelligence, “Fight between Bill Poole and John Morrison- Poole the Victor). Although this fight was not the boxing we see in entertainment today, it was the start of something the Irish could use to gain social popularity. The newspaper article from the summer of 1854 speaks of this fight with a tone of enthusiasm because it gives the competitors personalities and a little glory. Poole can be seen in the newspapers again a year later, in 1855, when he is killed in a shootout on a street called Broadway. Once again, this newspaper highlights the thrill that Americans found in pugilists. The article begins by saying, "Broadway, near Prince and Houston Streets, was the scene of an exciting shootout," the article then notes that these shootouts between pugilists were not uncommon. . . but a repetition of a similar event,.