Why boxing? And, why Lawrence boxing?

Andy Callahan

The Andrew Andy Callahan Waterway

A few years ago, I became hypnotized by a lovable badass boxer named Andy Callahan.  I found his photograph while volunteering at the Lawrence History Center.  From Callahan's file I learned he held three New England titles at once, fought for a world title, had national name recognition and died a hero in WWII. At the Lawrence Dam, there is a plaque naming an important stretch of the Merrimack River, “The Andrew 'Andy' Callahan Waterway. Other than hard-core boxing buffs and a few hearty yet long-in-the-tooth souls, Andy Callahan has been largely forgotten.

It's sad to see this local sports celebrity culture disappearing. Boxing history outside of big city markets is difficult to track down. Many local papers aren't archived online and old photos of B-listers rarely make it onto memorabilia websites. In a city that has seen dramatic turnover, Lawrence city barber shops and bars are no longer papered with pictures of legendary locals.  The good stuff – the stories, scrapbooks and pictures, are found in descendants' attics and basements.

Boxing movies are still made in spite of the sport's fade from our everyday consciousness.  Successful boxing movies combine undiluted elements of human drama with hip, gritty backdrops.  Lowell, Philadelphia or the 1950s NYC waterfront are the best supporting co-stars.  I had an epiphany - why wait for Hollywood to tell me the story? I can mine the local research and have a never-ending movie in my head. Best yet, I can share what I've found.

The drive to know more about boxers like Andy Callahan led me into an undiscovered country. I have hours of fun looking at history through the prism of boxing. I've made new friends and thanks to the internet I can share my passion with the equally obsessed and much more knowledgeable members of the International Boxing Researchers Organization.