Changes

Amateur and professional boxing, although having a similar origin, began to diverge already in the 19th century. Prizefighting quickly became associated with professional fighting; however, amateur boxing began to emerge as an alternative that disassociated money from fighting. With the birth of the modern Olympics, by 1904 amateur boxing was now included into the games. The United States and United Kingdom became known as leaders in both professional and amateur boxing, but other countries or territories, in particular Cuba, gained a reputation for producing highly competitive boxers. The development of the International Boxing Association in 1946 helped to standardize and expand amateur boxing. NowBy then, 24 countries joined and these countries became competitive in the international circuit and Olympic games.<ref> For more on the history of amateur boxing, see: Scambler, Graham. 2005. Sport and Society: History, Power and Culture. Issues in Society. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open Univ. Press.</ref>

Professional boxing, meanwhile, continued in its climb of popularity. In 1908, Jack Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion that made boxing now also a racially -charged event in the United States. In the 1920s, prize money now eclipsed the one million mark in a famous fight between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney. In the 1930s, world events shaped boxing, as bouts between the American Joe Louis and German Max Schmeling became symbolic of world event and political and racial competition that led to World War II. However, despite the symbolic character of their fights, neither boxer fit their countries' ideals. Joe Louis was black and racial prejudice made him a less than ideal champion for some of the pubic, while Schmeling never liked the Nazis. In fact, he later stated in his life that he was happy to loose to Louis in 1938 so he avoid avoided having to receive a medal from the Nazis.<ref> For more on early 20th professional boxing, see: King, Chris. 2013. Boxing: The Greatest Fighters of the 20th Century : A Complete Guide to the Top Names in Boxing, Shown in over 200 Dynamic Pictures. Wigston: Lorenz Books.</ref>

Boxing recovered in the late 1940s after a brief drop in interest during the war. After the war, other weight classes began to be of greater interest to the public, with fighters like Sugar Ray Robinsonwho was often a Featherweight fighter. The rise of Cassius Clay ( Muhammad Ali ) ushered a new Golden Age for heavyweight boxing, as it not only brought tremendous interest in fights but with medium of TVtelevision, Ali introduced the concepts of "trash talking" and a more colorful personality to the sport that has since become not only a part of boxingbut also other sports. He became a global phenomenon that has helped boxing to become one the most popular international sports. To this day, boxing has been shaped by its TV viewership and Ali's personality has left its influence on the sport.<ref>For more on post-World War II boxing and the rise of the Golden Age of boxing, see: Experiencing the Golden Age of Boxing. 2014. Xlibris Corp.</ref>