A battle for rights and recognition: India’s female fighters

 

101 East meets the women wrestlers and boxers battling for their rights in and out of the sporting arena in India.

In India, wrestling is generally a man’s world. The practice dates back more than 1,000 years but, traditionally, girls were not allowed to even step onto a wrestling mat.

The boxing film that was banned around the world

 

On December 26, 1908, American boxer Jack Johnson became the first Black heavyweight champion of the world, after defeating defending champion Tommy Burns in a title fight in Sydney, Australia. Black fighters were typically denied the chance to win the heavyweight title, a de-facto line of segregation that was known as “the color line.” So when Burns accepted Johnson’s challenge and lost, the film that was distributed around the fight proved controversial.

MMA: Russia's Extreme Obsession

101 East investigates the forces at play in the brutal world of mixed martial arts in Russia and the former USSR.

On a Sunday morning in suburban Moscow, a crowd is gathering around a ring.

Fans have come to watch fighters punch, kick and knee their opponents in the brutal sport of mixed martial arts (MMA).

Across Russia and the former USSR, millions share a passion for this extreme sport, with superstar fighters earning a fortune and inspiring a new generation. But critics say political leaders are using the sport to promote their own interests.