Boxing was introduced to the United States after many rules were implemented because many white gentlemen in the United States thought that it was not a gentlemen's sport. However, in 1888 every economic group officially recognized boxing in the United States. Even though it was officially recognized in 1888, many people still thought of it as ungentlemanly because of this, it was blacks in the United States that took the sport and ran! Many sport historians, such as Kevin Smith and A.J. Leibling, later named African American boxers the "Carmel Colored Kings." .
Before boxing reached the United States, many blacks were already involved in the sport of boxing. These blacks were not African-Americans they were the blacks that lived in Europe during the British Empire. Not only were blacks boxing, but also their matches were being covered in local papers.
"Yesterday afternoon a most desperate battle was fought in the Ring, in Hyde Park, between a butcher's apprentice of St. James Market, and a black stripling, who was lately a servant to the celebrated Mr. Katterselto, which lasted upwards three quarters of an hour, during which time the success of the combatants was as dubious as it was obstinate. The honorable Mr. Booth by happening to pass the time, the crowd took his attention time enough to see a sufficiency of the conflict, to prove to him, that the parties were obstinately beat on each side not to yield. Struck with the ferocious obstinacy, he stepped into the ring, parted the lads, and gave them a guinea each to make up the quarrel. The Black, though he bears the character of meekness and sobriety, has been unfortunate enough to have been obliged to fight no less than five scuffling battles within this week, all with young men of superior strength and proven victorious." .
Although the blacks had excelled in the sport, a color bar had been put into place so that blacks and whites could not fight each other.