Why Bobby Gunn Is The Bruce Lee of Bare Knuckle Boxing
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 Nov 2018
Every sport has their handful of names that are built upon a legacy; in baseball it?s Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, basketball it?s Michael Jordan, boxing is Muhammad Ali, and martial arts its Bruce Lee.
When it comes to bare knuckle boxing, there is only one name that is recognized worldwide, and that?s Bobby Gunn.
But those who only know the bare knuckled pugilist through YouTube videos and social media don?t truly understand the road and path Gunn has taken to garnering worldwide notoriety. His journey has not simply been glamorous fights in the spotlight; he has paved his way in parking garages and abandoned buildings, fighting not for world titles, but for one reason, to put food on his family?s table.
Even before August 5, 2011, when Gunn defeated Richard Stewart in winning the linear John L. Sullivan belt, he fought his way around the country in bare knuckle boxing bouts and rough and tumble fights. This mind you, a former IBA Cruiserweight world champion. A man that has battles against athletic commissions, received countless death threats toward him and his family to defer him from fighting.
But a true champion he is, he continued to step to the line when he was asked to do so, and did what he did best, fight.
Bobby Gunn is the modern day John L. Sullivan, the best at his craft. On August 5, 2011 when he fought the first legal bare knuckle fight on a Native American reservation, it was the beginning of it all. And then a few years later a bunch of mickey mouse organizations starting popping up. But Bobby Gunn is the original bae knuckle fighters and innovator, fighting as Sullivan did back in the day.
There?s no fighter in bare knuckle boxing more famous and internationally known as Bobby Gunn. The man has been featured in the biggest media outlets. ESPN, Esquire Magazine, Rolling Stone, Men?s Journal, Fox Sports, USA Today, CNN, The Ring Magazine, Showtimes Sports to name a few. Because of his name and all the attention he has brought through worldwide media, the bare knuckle boxing has finally become legal.
Going forward more and more Bare Knuckle Boxing promotions are going to pop up, and most of them will feature MMA fighters and former boxers taking their chance at bare knuckle. But you can?t forget the man who paved the way, who fought literally and figuratively to bring this sport to mainstream.
Without Bruce Lee martial arts would not be as well known as it is...and without Bobby Gunn there would be no Bare Knuckle Boxing.
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