Billy Papke
Billy Papke (1886-1936) was an American boxer. He was the world middleweight champion in 1908. Previously, we saw this photo of him weighing in for a fight in France in 1912. In those days, fighters weighed in naked and nobody thought twice about it. No need for false modesty.
What boxers wore in the ring was also less regulated. It was not uncommon in the early 20th century for prizefighters to wear only a jockstrap. In this 1910 fight, Joe Thomas, on the left, is wearing boxing trunks, but Papke is wearing some kind of jock or thong that leaves his buttocks exposed.
In 1908 and 1909, Papke and Stanley Ketchel fought four times for the world middleweight championship. The video above has some clips from the fourth fight on July 5, 1909. Papke is wearing what the announcer called "abbreviated shorts" that expose his buttocks. Papke lost the fight.
In an earlier fight against Ketchel in 1908, Papke is wearing a jockstrap with a cup protector, which was said to be his usual attire in the ring.
This view of that fight shows that the audience was all-male. They didn't care that Papke's butt was exposed. As I've said before, we think we're more liberated than previous generations, but when it comes to male nudity, our great-grandfathers were less prudish than we are today.
This closer view shows what Billy was wearing, apparently some kind of leather jockstrap (maybe with a protective cup) with a cloth jockstrap over it. Was Billy bothered that his rear was exposed to hundreds of spectators? He didn't give a (rat's) ass.
7 comments:
Women back then would not have DREAMED of being involved in boxing or wrestling, and men were far less hung up themselves. Weighing in naked? Yes. No women were around. Now, women have insinuated themselves into these sports to the point where it's "required" to have some present. Even so, sometimes the boxer will strip naked. It's bullshit, and I wish there were still SOME exclusively male activities.
@BigDude -- I agree with you emphatically!
@Larry -- Thx for these posts.
Papke sure had a mighty find ass in that video.
Let's bring back those abbreviated trunks!
My fear is that they will start using T-shirts from now on
it is the grandfather of today jockstrap
Links:
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/9XPS-RQ7
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/236368719/william-herman-papke
https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Papke-195
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Papke
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