Everyone knows that boxing is a serious pursuit. Those men and women with the courage to step through the ropes to do battle certainly aren’t fooling around.
Unless, perhaps, their aim to get us to chuckle.
Amusing boxing scenes have found their way into movies since the earliest days of the medium, as early as 1894, when “Glenroy Brothers Comic Boxing” was filmed.
And we know everyone — including boxing fans — could use a good laugh right about now.
With that in mind, here are 10 boxing clips over the past century-plus we hope you find amusing (in chronological order).
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Glenroy Brothers Comic Boxing (Thomas Edison, 1894)
This 126-year old snippet was shot at inventor Thomas Edison’s Black Maria production studio in West Orange, New Jersey.
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Combat de boxe (Max Linder, 1910)
Frenchman Max Linder was a great silent film comedian and pioneer who influenced other big-name actors, including Charlie Chaplin.
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The Knockout (Fatty Arbuckle and Charlie Chaplin, 1914)
Fatty Arbuckle was a hugely popular silent film comedian until he was brought down by scandal.
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Battling Butler (Buster Keaton, 1926)
Keaton, a tremendous athlete in real life, is training for what he believes is a big fight in this scene.
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City Lights (Charlie Chaplin, 1931)
This wonderfully choreographed boxing scene might be the best ever on film.
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Mickey’s Mechanical Man (Mickey Mouse, 1934)
Turns out that even the greatest cartoon character of all time was a boxing fan.
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Punch Drunks (Three Stooges, 1934)
Curly is helpless … until Larry plays a certain song. The boxing scene in this colorized short film begins at around the 8:45 mark.
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The Milky Way (Harold Lloyd, 1936)
Harold Lloyd was another of the most popular early film comedians.
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Fright Night (Three Stooges, 1947)
Another one from the Stooges, this time from the Shemp era.
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Sailor Beware (Jerry Lewis, 1952)
Jerry Lewis was at his slap-stick best in this boxing scene.
The Engagement Ring (The Flintstones, 1960)
Boxing evidently originated in the stone age — The Flintstone age.