Portrait Of The Artist As A Boxing Homeboy

Remembering Pernell Whitaker.

The appeal of pure boxers in minority communities is that they are physical manifestations of intellect. To stand in front of a fighter, hit, and not get hit is to show an improvisational mastery of skills, skills that aren’t just obvious but ones that no white person can deny. You could say many things about boisterous, cocky, charismatic…