Immigrant NeighborhoodSportsWomen Drawing of two women facing each other and wearing boxing gloves. The woman on the right is shown delivering a punch to the face of the other with her left hand. The woman on the left attempts to block with her left hand.

Two Girls in the Ring: An Unsanctioned West End Boxing Match

In September 1886, an unofficial boxing match took place on Staniford Street between two young girls, Lizzie and Mollie. The bout involved a makeshift ring, drawn-up terms, a referee, and two-hundred young people in a crowd. When a police officer arrived, the fight quickly ended, but the event made front-page news, and linked the West End to a century-old tradition of women and girls’ boxing in 1700s Britain.

Read article
Immigrant NeighborhoodSports An ornate yellow ticket listing a $10 price, Sect5ion E, Row H, Seat 14, and a picture of the old Boston Garden

Fight Night: West End Boxers featured on the Old Boston Garden’s opening night

When the gates of the newly-built Boston Garden opened in November of 1928, ticket holders flooded in to witness a world championship match befitting a celebration surrounding the city’s new sports venue. Local boxers from Boston also had the honor of appearing that night, including a teenage amateur champ from the West End named Arthur “Hy” Diamond. Diamond was just one representative of a West End sporting culture whose fame spread far beyond the confines of this small, immigrant neighborhood.

Read article