Collection: 1923 W580 Boxing

Following up on the Allen & Ginter John L. Sullivan card I featured yesterday, here is a 20 card grouping of my 1923 W580 boxing strip cards. Click any of the pics above and below to enlarge them.

I've been a fairly active collector of boxing cards for quite awhile now, and a fan of the sport for nearly my whole life. Heck, being of Filipino descent meant I was genetically predisposed to love the ring. It dates back to my childhood memories of family parties, often as games of mahjong rang in the background. My Dad and uncles would get together to see a big match on television while recounting the great boxers of the past. I remember seeing everyone from "The Hitman" Hearns to Sugar Ray Leonard to Hector Macho Camacho. The best, though, was Mike Tyson. That guy could finish a fight.

As some of you might be thinking, the love of boxing in the Philippines did not start with the rise of Manny Pacquiao. In fact, next to basketball, boxing is the most popular sport on the islands. Heck, the first World Champion from the Philippines was Pancho Villa in 1923.

Anyway, this W580 strip card set can be very difficult to find in good condition. They are the same size as the Baseball T206 cards and feature sharp black & white photos. They are called strip cards because up to 10 cards would be printed side by side, and sold as an uncut group. The purchaser would then cut the strip themselves into their individual cards. Hence, the reason why nice examples are hard to come by.

(click any pic to enlarge)