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Why were many early American boxers immigrants from England or Ireland?

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Floyd Mayweather Jr., wearing black and gold trunks, lands a left punch on Manny Pacquiao, in yellow trunks, during their welterweight title fight in a boxing ring. — boxing Manny Pacquiao (right) and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in their 2015 welterweight bout; Mayweather won in a unanimous decision.

Early American boxing was dominated by immigrants from England and Ireland primarily because boxing was considered the national sport of Britain during that era. As the sport began to take root in large American urban centers around 1800, there were very few American-born fighters, leading to a reliance on those who had emigrated from the British Isles.1

Furthermore, the intense energy and violence associated with the sport during this period suited the American scene and the millions of new immigrants arriving at the time. Bouts were frequently promoted as ethnic grudge matches—such as those between Irish fighters and American-born opponents—which often reflected the social tensions and ethnic gang rivalries prevalent in the era.2