More than a fight -Boxers, more than many other athletes, often come to represent nations, political mvmnts & social causes. AA boxers have played a role in some of the most significant political controversies in US history. Some of the sport's most important matches have been linked to a wide range of social issues, including democracy, segregation, wartime patriotism, the Civil Rights Mvmnt, black power & anticolonial battles in Africa. Source: Smithsonian National Museum of African Amer. Hist