Common British clichés might conjure images of well-mannered lads drinking tea, but the white linen gloves were the stars of this showcase of British bare-knuckle (BKB) culture. Interviews with some of the most revered fighters on the scene reveal the softer side of a sport notoriously brutal.
Andy Topliffe gives us an overview of his B-BAD Fighting Company, which is working to legitimize BKB fighting by keeping organized fighting relatively clean. While knocking out opponents is recommended, dirty behavior and gambling will not be tolerated at B-BAD events. Topliffe is driven by his love for the game and his desire to see it grow.
We follow James “Gypsy Boy” McCrory, a man-bear, self-proclaimed “softie,” who loves his mom and stuffs his face for a snuggle at a restaurant. McCrory put on weight for his upcoming bout with American contender Jason Young in what will be the first BKB match between Great Britain and the United States since the late 1800s. As McCrory and Young’s bout draws closer, and McRory talks about the role unarmed combat has played in his life, we meet Young, a man with an ego who’s confident he’ll easily tie his opponent.
We learn that many of the Naked People come from violent street crime backgrounds and are now reformed and able to focus their violent energy in a controlled way. One such BKB fanatic is Seth Jones, 46, who gave up a life as a drug smuggler to attend law school while still being an active fighter in his spare time.
In an interview with James “Mr. Joy” Lambert, we heard the argument for giving up violence altogether instead of continuing to indulge in a controlled environment. As the undefeated BKB champion, Lambert now refuses to hit anything, not even a The punching bag he keeps as a reminder of his past; but his jerky, tense movements betray his indomitable fighting spirit, as his friends say of him.
These are just some of the characters portrayed in the BKB subculture, which prompts us to consider whether the controllability of violence legitimizes the sport, or whether it is simply an attempt to perpetuate extreme masculinity.
