Thursday, March 28Royal Holloway's offical student publication, est. 1986

Author: Dalia Alireza

Features

Racism in Boxing: An Insider Perspective

Through the bright red doors on the corner of Harrow Road and First Avenue lay the iconic and undoubtedly legendary All Stars Boxing Gym. Dubbed ‘Home of Champions’ the gym does live up to its name seeing the likes of Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Evander Holyfield and Mickey Ward, to name a few, pass through for a few punches. But it’s not the visitors that are the essence of this gym, it’s all about its story and legacy. It begins in 1974 when the young aspiring boxer Tee Jay Akay, the son of Ghana-born Isola Akay, introduced his group of friends to this invigorating sport and invited them to train at his local gym; upon arriving they were turned away due to the colour of their skin. This incident was not a deterrent however; Akay was determined to give these young boys the boxing trainin...