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Erik Jensen
And the eternally feminine! They are also here, some as coolly non-engaged spectators,
because one simply must be there, some enthusiastic, excited to the tips of their fingers,
lustful, inflamed for the slender one or the blond or the strong one. They are entirely
absorbed and never take an eye off the fighters once they have . . . figured out what
boxing is really about. 66
This article advanced several explanations as to why women attended boxing
matches, including social pressure and the attractiveness of the boxers, referred to
in the article solely by their physical attributes. According to this reporter, even
the enthusiastic female fans arrived at an understanding of boxing only belatedly,
and the overall tone implied that few women truly understood the sport’s strategy
or appreciated its technique.
The suspicion that women watched boxing for reasons other than a high regard
for the sport lingered. A 1928 article in Sport und Sonne, for example, reported
that even the female custodial staff at the arena snuck a glimpse of the proceedings
in the center ring. The reporter suggested, however, that they watched the fight
more for the social cachet that attending such a popular and socially “in” event
conferred upon them than out of any true enthusiasm for the sport: “I was able to
push myself between a small herd of cleaning women, who also wanted to catch a
glimpse . . . [and] want to be able to tell their neighbors the next morning that they
were there.” 67 In a 1925 article in Boxsport, Erwin Petzall analyzed the kinds of
women who attended boxing. The wives of boxers, managers, and fans constituted
one category, a reflection of the fact that many women attended boxing matches
with a male escort, and usually at his behest. Indeed, an ideal evening for upperclass
couples often included a visit to the fights. In the 1928 Fritz Lang film, Spione
(Spies), the two main characters enjoyed a date at the fights, along with table after
table of similarly elegant couples, all of them dressed in tuxedos and evening
gowns. 68
Petzall underscored the presence of many independent women, as well, those
who attended either on their own or in the company of other women. Actresses
and artists constituted a notable part of this category, a further indication of the
popularity of boxing within the cultural circles of 1920s Berlin. Even workingclass
women, though, occasionally went to the fights alone. A 1924 column
described a scene in which a woman spent all of her money on a ticket to a boxing
match and, upon learning that her small boy could not accompany her into the
arena, sent the boy home alone while she hurried inside for an evening of boxing. 69
In his final category, Petzall placed those women who attended partly out of an
interest in the proceedings, but equally out of sexual attraction for the boxers.
“Sexual moments naturally also play a role with these women, who are moved by
the athletic physiques of the protagonists.” 70 Many commentators invoked this
image of the impassioned woman when describing or explaining female boxing
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