Emerald Emperors of the Ring: Irish and Irish American Boxers in the United States

In 1903, the National Police Gazette wrote that Irish boxers were greeted by audiences with "a hearty cheer and earnest backing." For a time in the United States, the Irishman became the idealized boxer—the apotheosis of masculinity. The "Emperors of Masculinity," as author Randy Roberts described the leading heavyweight boxers of the era, had become Emerald Emperors. This book is the first in-depth study of the role played by the Irish and Irish Americans in U.S. boxing. It examines the li...