Josh Clenshaw v King Davidson

Josh Clenshaw v King Davidson
Originally uploaded by rockfingers

A photo contributed by rockfingers in the "Get In The Ring" photo pool I started on Flickr. It's a great shot in black and white. It reminds me of the old Ring Magazine photos that I used to check out in the 70's as a kid.

When you would get your hands on an older issue and see some of the classic fights of Marciano, Zale and Graziano (to name but a few), you really felt like they were true fights. Rockfingers brought all of these memories back for me.

Great shot!

B Mike A
www.theboxingmatch.net

The Boxing Wall

The Boxing Wall
Originally uploaded by TheBoxingMatch

When Aaron Emmons graciously allowed me to come down to the Hamlin Park gym and take some photographs, I really looked forward to it. After taking pictures at the pristine and clean Executive Boxing Gym, I wanted to see the grittier side of a gym. Hamlin Park wasn't exactly gritty but you got the feel of something more "real" and that was a good thing.

This is a picture of the bulletin board at the gym. I loved the photos, flyers and assortment of catchy visual elements. The treatment is actually just a slight exaggeration of the lighting in the gym. I had set the camera so that there was a slight blur so that nothing that was sensitive (information-wise) would be seen.

B Mike

The Boxing Match

Okay, so lets start the commentary on boxing photography and designs here with the relaunch of the web site www.theboxingmatch.net.  If you read the previous post, you will be tired of me explaining that this site is dedicated to art & commentary inspired by boxing etc.  The picture above was shot the first week of April and the lighting effects turned out really well.  This is a black and white treatment of the version that I will be posting on Flickr later tonight.  I converted it to black and white because I wanted the colors of the web site name and the logo to really "POP" out at the viewer.  Though it isn't perfect, I liked it enough to use for now. 

The photo comes from a shoot I sketched out for treatments that I imagined using for my version of a CD booklet.  You probably didn't know this but I used to record my own music in the 80's and 90's in hopes of getting a music project going.  I had an idea of shooting two guys that represented the duality of my ethnic make up.  One guy would be blonde and blue eyed (the Lithuanian side of things) and then a dark-haired and dark-eyed guy (representing the Mexican side of things).  It was going to signify the duality and opposing aspects...  I never got a chance to do that shoot as I didn't have anywhere near the cheapo toys I now have to work with! 

Now, as I look to expand my portfolio of shots for a boxing photo project (slooooow in the making), boxing graphics for t-shirts and then other boxing art pieces, I decided to try and capture the shots I originally went after.  The process was similar to my "iBoxer" art that I once featured on my Flickr page.  And, I intend to try to complete it all. 

The goal is to get some new gym pictures (outside of the ones that I took at Executive Boxing Gym (most of the pictures there are mine with the exception of a few in the Flash galleries on the Our Gym sub-galleries).  I want to check out some other places here in Chicago and work with some local fighters.  The first phase would be posed shots and then hopefully sparring. 

Also, check out the sidebar on this blog.  I am on Facebook and Twitter also.  The www.theboxingmatch.net site is just in the baby stages.  I will be adding bio page, so to speak and an artist statement along with features of other special events and people involved in the sport of boxing. 

Oh yeah, and for anyone that may possibly read this (it's lonely here...ha ha), check out the previous post on the Chicago Battle Of The Badges charity boxing match.  There isn't anything out there as far as a web site is concerned so I am spreading the word in meager ways.  I think I may approach them with the idea of creating a page for free for them.  I think that would be cool. 

B Mike

Blogged with the Flock Browser

Chicago Battle of the Badges

I wanted to attend this but it looks like I won't make it. In case you have the date and time open, check out Chicago's annual Battle of the Badges. This event features charity boxing exhibitions that pit Chicago police officers against Chicago Firefighters. It's a great night of boxing and for a great cause.

Date/Time:	8:00 PM - 4 17 09
Location:	DeLaSalle Institute 3455 S. Wabash Chicago IL 60608 Map and directions

I had thought that there was a main web site for the event but found out that the site I was thinking about was for the Super Cop event.

Here is a video from last years matches at the Battle of the Badges.

B Mike

Your Boxing Match Host

Hey there, just in time for the relaunch of "The Boxing Match" site at www.theboxingmatch.net, a post introducing myself to the Internet. Since I have been so neglectful, I decided I would type up something here while I work on the official "bio" page of my web site.

I was a young guy in the late 70's and recall the heavyweight boxers of the late 60's and 70's. I remember seeing pictures of Muhammad Ali and thinking that he was the strongest, baddest and top dog of the world. The Heavyweight Boxing Champion of The World; That title had a lot of prestige and coolness behind it. Every kid on the block wanted to be that.

I was also a big comic book fan and loved the exploits of all the classics. And, again, every boy on the block wanted to be Superman. The strongest and invulnerable of all the heroes. Imagine my awe when the Superman Vs. Muhammad Ali oversized book was getting ready for release! I remember thinking about the logistics and the arrangements of such a fight. How would Ali be able to take on Supe's strength? How would Superman box? Ha! I was thinking about all of these things obsessively and probably thought there was no way they could pull it off.

Neil Adams drew the masterpiece of fun and man, it was amazing. Though the little details were lost here and there and Superman was wearing a cape in the fight (huh?), it blew my mind. (Spoiler Alert) I remember thinking, "Only two rounds? Come on!" I still go back to that comic as an example of some great artwork. The visuals left a a mark on me.

Boxing was featured in the papers at that time and it was always exciting to hear about the Golden Gloves and to watch as the best local fighters advanced through the different classes to the finals. Those days are now long past but they live on in my head.

I was a big boxing fan in the 80's and 90's but started to drift a bit with all the stuff that has been going on in the last few years. I don't qualify myself as an expert anymore but I still enjoy the fights here and there and keep tabs on things.

The visual side of things still inspires me, though. For business, artistic expression and admiration, boxing, like my favorite bands and comic books, still informs a lot of the designs I come up with. Working with a friend on creating a redesign for his web site and working with some boxing related graphics in the past, I decided to launch a web site that pays tribute to boxing visuals in art all across the board. Whether it be movies, posters, adverts, books, paintings music and more... anything I come across is open for me to discuss here.

If any new readers come along, I hope you appreciate the original artwork and pieces I comment on that have been created by others. I hope to offer a large variety of stuff here.

And, for any folks that came by in the past, though I have been playing around with the format for ages, the new direction that I have decided to take with this site will incorporate the interviews completed (that I've discussed) and feature links over to any of the talented and cool people I spotlight here.

Next update will be later today! Until then... Keep that guard up!

B. Mike A
www.theboxingmatch.net