2011/12/01 by Martin Johnes · 1 citation
Social Sciences · Psychology · #Sports, Gender, and Society #Pride #Courage #HERO #Welsh #Tragedy (event) #Meaning (existential) #Feeling #Face (sociological concept) #History #Literature #Aesthetics #Sociology #Art #Psychology #Law #Social psychology #Political science #Social science
paper · doi:10.1080/17460263.2011.646832
openalex publication_date 2011/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
Boxing is widely seen as a deeply symbolic sport. Perhaps at no time was that truer than when Welsh boxer Johnny Owen died after being knocked out in a world title bout in 1980. Owen's likeable personality, his commitment to his family, community and nation and his skinny appearance all exacerbated the widespread feeling that someone special had been lost in tragic circumstances. His death led to debates about whether boxing should be banned but in his home town, and towns like it, there was also widespread pride in Owen. Like many boxers before him, he was an emblematic figure who represented both the ideals of Welsh working-class communities and their suffering and courage in the face of adversity and tragedy. His story was thus told and retold, its meaning and relevance shifting in the emerging post-industrial environment.