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Theoretical and Applied Economics Volume XIX (2012), No. 1(566), pp. 127-142 The Political Economy of World Heavyweight Boxing during the Great Depression Vlad ROŞCA Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies vlad_rsc@ Abstract. The purpose of the paper is to show how boxing managed to remain an affordable and consumable good for the US- American citizens in the times of the Great Depression of 1929-1933, when industrial production was closing. Moreover, while other economic activities faced problems, boxing continued to produce money. The research analyzes the economic market of professional heavyweight boxing, presenting some of the tools that helped promoters produce and sell the fight shows to the consumers – like price discrimination and cartel agreements, for example, and, thus, helped generating incomes and assured money circulation in the economy. Keywords: economy of boxing; sports economy; Great Depression; sports marketing; cartel agreements. JEL Codes: G01, Z19. REL Code: 5Z. 128 Vlad Roşca 1. From amateurism to professionalism During some fourty years, from the 1880’s to the 1920’s, boxing has risen from a „backyard” sport, a circus entertainment (Barnum, 2000) and an illegal fight to a social phenomenon that attracted masses of people (Boddy, 2009). Tens of thousands of people stormed to bouts, putting stadiums or arenas which hosted boxing next to theater and cinema halls, varietés, ca