Honor and Identity in Bare-Knuckle Fighting

Have you ever noticed the guy in a fighting stance on the Art of Manliness logo? That’s not just some random symbol; it’s an actual dude: John L. Sullivan, the greatest bare-knuckle boxer of the 19th century.

While most people think bare-knuckle boxing came to an end during Sullivan’s era, in fact, it never entirely went away. In his new book, Bare Knuckle: Bobby Gunn, 73–0 Undefeated. A Dad. A Dream. A Fight Like You’ve Never Seen, Stayton Bonner charts bare-knuckle boxing’s rise, fall, and resurgence, as well as the improbable story of its modern chapter’s winningest champion. Today on the show, Stayton describes bare-knuckle boxing’s incredible popularity a century ago, and why gloved boxing took its place while bare-knuckle got pushed into a shadowy, illicit underground. Stayton takes us into that secret circuit which still exists today, revealing the dark, sweaty basements and bars where modern bare-knuckle fights take place and the ancient code of honor that structures them. And Stayton introduces us to a dominant figure in that world, Bobby Gunn, an undefeated bare-knuckle fighter who combines a love of faith, family, and fighting and has helped turn bare-knuckle boxing into what is now the world’s fastest-growing combat sport.

Resources Related to the Podcast

• AoM series on honor
• AoM Podcast #41: Honor in the Civil War — The Gentlemen & The Roughs
• Podcast #54: The Life of John L. Sullivan
• AoM Podcast #111: Why Men Fight & Why We Like to Watch 
• AoM Article: America’s First Popular Men’s Magazine — The National Police Gazette
• Videos of Bobby Gunnfighting and talking about bare-knuckle boxing
• Tom Molineaux
• John L. Sullivan
• The Sullivan-Kilrain fight
• William “Bill the Butcher” Poole
• Gangs of New York bare-knuckle fight scene
• Far and Away bare-knuckle fight scene

Connect With Stayton Bonner

• Stayton on X
• Stayton on LinkedIn