Through My Lens: The Sweet Science in a pandemic

Published by CBC Communications

The Sweet Science became more real than ever when I walked into the Fredericton Boxing Club in April 2021.  

My neighbour David Furneaux, an ex-professional pugilist and now a coach at the club, invited me to take photos of his fighters while training and sparring.  

After seeing my world turned upside down in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, and not being able to connect with my fellow man, I was curious to see what boxing during a pandemic would look like and what – as a photographer – I could add to the conversation.  

It was a photographic opportunity that I couldn't pass up.

Boxing gyms are very different from fitness centres—they're gritty, grimy, no nonsense places. You're there to "hit and not get hit." There's no time for posing, posturing or looking at your physique in a mirror, because boxing is dangerous at the best of times, and deadly at its worst. I spent my first hour just watching.

My expectation was that in this time of masks, social distancing and disinfectants, boxing clubs would be somewhat different.  

True, there was a noticeable absence of gym smells (because of the deep cleaning implemented during its closure), but after a jovial warm-up each fighter's demeanor changed, as did their proximity to each other. The sparring began with heavy hits, sweat and spittle flying with every punch. To me, they needed this connection—it was their reason to get up in the morning. 

The boxers had just come back after spending too much time in and out of lockdown and seemed to lust for the connection that comes from pitting their strength and skills against one another.  

It takes a special individual to step into a ring, so by eventually raising my camera, I gave the fighters a sense that I respected them and that their sport was extremely important to me.  

I meet Alex, Karl and Faryad—fighters with very different stories as to why they box.

In 2020, we all faced COVID-19/Far Right/Alt Right/Antifa/Black Lives Matter, but the FBC is a sanctuary of sorts, welcoming these men into its protective embrace.  

Ethnicity, wealth and social status are not mentioned, while footwork, upper body movement and conditioning are. FBC is – to me – a simpler world where hard work pays off, an uppercut starts the evening, and a big hug finishes it!
 

Through My Lens is a new community series that features the point-of-view stories behind photos from across the East Coast.