BETHNAL GREEN in London is widely viewed as the spiritual home of modern boxing. Daniel Mendoza, the most scientific and accomplished fighter of his time, whose championship reign extended from 1792 to 1795, lived there. So did many of his fighting brethren.
In the centuries that followed, there were small fight clubs all over London. Most of them have disappeared. But York Hall in Bethnal Green still exists. For many British fighters, competing there is a rite of passage. Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Joe Calzaghe, Ricky Hatton, Carl Froch and David Haye all fought in York Hall early in their respective careers. But the venue is better defined by the thousands of anonymous fighters who have plied their trade within its walls.
“It’s a place that’s frozen in time,” former BN editor Tris Dixon said recently. “In summer, it’s hotter than hell. In winter, it’s brutally cold. The changing rooms are a disgrace. And it’s wonderful. If you’re a boxing fan with a bucket list, York Hall has to be on it.”
I’ve been to a lot of fights in my life, but only once before in England and that was 20 years ago. On September 16, I went to the fights at York Hall.
I’d arrived at Gatwick Airport south of London on September 15 and stepped into a world of
