Arena

Episode 478: The Ring - a South London Tale

February 26, 1994

For centuries, bare-knuckle boxing has been going on behind closed doors. Nigel Finch's unusual film investigates this illegal activity by following one hopeful as he prepares for a fight against the "Cyclone", the Northern Ireland bare-knuckle boxing champion (unlicensed). Softly spoken Paul Lynch does not conform to the tough image of a street fighter. But he says "it's show business... it's in my blood." Lynch has already found some fame as the world's two-armed, one-armed and one-fingered press-up champion. Now, in a corrugated-iron barn a short sprint from the Irish border, he has the chance for recognition in his own community. Ultimately, the film probably gives as much of an insight into the making of an arts documentary as it does into bare-knuckle boxing.