The Old One Two: Underground Boxing in New York

2 minute read

Photographer Devin Yalkin first heard about underground boxing the way many legendary things are passed along—through the grapevine.

Heading out one night with a few friends, Yalkin arrived at a giant building in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Joining a slow moving mass of people climbing a staircase, he felt the dull vibrations from the steps beneath him. “The scene was rampant,” he says. “The music was shaking the walls as if there was a subway going through the floor below us.” Yalkin had arrived.

Although he’s never boxed, the photographer was immediately drawn to the spectacle of the fights. The uncertainty of the new environment sparked a curiosity in the 30-year-old that brought him back fight after fight, and drew him in on what Yalkin considers the true essence of the underground scene: the rush.

Yalkin’s black and white images, which he began shooting in November 2010, reflect an indefinite undercurrent of the matches, encapsulating not just the fight itself but the emotion of the spectators, the grit of the environment and the sensory overload of the new situation. “These boxing matches not only inspired me to go back to documentary work, but to really experiment with long exposure methods to add to what I consider abstract elements to the photos,” he says. “My aim is to capture what I feel is the true essence of a fight by documenting the rush, sound and the chaotic feel of the environment as much as I can through my photography.”

Devin Yalkin is a New York based photographer and a recent graduate of School of Visual Arts. This year is work was featured at the Noorderlicht festival. See more of his work here.

Sharkie Staxx getting his mouthpiece put in for round two of fighting. Caption commentary courtesy of Devin Yalkin.Devin Yalkin
In between rounds, Staxx gets the crowd riled up.Devin Yalkin
A young patron fights for his window to catch the action.Devin Yalkin
Moments later, dazed and confused, Ian Jones on the left catches a hard one from Juan, a Mexican boxer.Devin Yalkin
The MC looks for a knocked-out contact lens.Devin Yalkin
A young woman tries to catch eyes with Rockstar Charlie.Devin Yalkin
Two fighters in the middle of match.Devin Yalkin
A close up of Sharkie.Devin Yalkin
A close up of Luke Todd after the second round of fighting.Devin Yalkin
Boxers in the middle of a fight.Devin Yalkin
Charlie doubles up before striking Staxx.Devin Yalkin
Charlie and his haymaker.Devin Yalkin
Staxx taking a minute before the next round.Devin Yalkin
Staxx, left, taunting the ring girl with his tongue.Devin Yalkin
Rockstar Charlie, left, after defeating Staxx on the right.Devin Yalkin
Boxers in motion.Devin Yalkin
A boxer takes a second after losing a contact lens.Devin Yalkin
An abstract of two fighters.Devin Yalkin
Charlie with his arms in the air anticipating a win.Devin Yalkin
A boxer, left, is caught off guard, then pummeled.Devin Yalkin
Boxers locked up in the midst of fighting.Devin Yalkin
A member of the crowd.Devin Yalkin
The referee speaks to one of the boxers.Devin Yalkin
Staxx ducking out on one of Charlie’s punches.Devin Yalkin
Staxx in between rounds, hitting on one of the fans.Devin Yalkin
Staxx in the corner being coached into the next round.Devin Yalkin

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