Colonial period Organised boxing promotion in
Nassau expanded significantly in the 1940s, when
Charles Major Sr. staged boxing shows that drew spectators from across
New Providence. Major is also credited with establishing a recreation centre in "The Pond" area of Nassau, bringing visiting fighters such as
Joe Louis and
Willie Pep, and helping establish Nassau Stadium as a venue for boxing and other sports. Mid-century professional boxing in the Bahamas was also associated with
Bimini through fighters William "Yama Bahama" Butler Jr. and
Gomeo Brennan. Butler was described as a television "feature fighter" in the 1950s and 1960s at
Madison Square Garden, while Brennan was described as winning the
Commonwealth of Nations middleweight championship on two occasions.
Independent Bahamas The modern amateur boxing programme in the Bahamas dates to 1968, prior to independence in 1973, with Bert Perry and Charlie Major Sr. credited as key early figures in the programme's development. Perry has been described as the first national coach of the amateur programme. In professional boxing,
Everette "Elisha Obed" Ferguson won the WBC super welterweight world title in
Paris on 12 November 1975 and later made two successful title defences in 1976 before losing the belt later that year. Nassau's association with major international professional boxing events in this period includes
Muhammad Ali's final bout in December 1981. In amateur boxing,
Steve Larrimore won a bronze medal at the
1982 Commonwealth Games and competed at the
1984 Summer Olympics. From the 2000s onward, domestic boxing activity continued through club-led programmes, development shows and tournaments in Nassau and the Family Islands. These events included the Ray Minus Sr End of Year Boxing Show and the Wellington "Sonny Boy" Rahming Silver Gloves tournament at Wulff Road. In 2016, clubs were also reported as staging exhibitions and tutorials in
Exuma as part of outreach activity. In professional boxing, the Bahamas hosted an all-female professional boxing card in 2023, headlined by a World Boxing Association world middleweight title bout. In 2024, a memorial boxing show at the National Boxing Gymnasium was held in memory of
Ray Minus Jr and was announced as an annual event. The Bahamas World Boxing Federation was formed in November 2024 and was later admitted to the international federation
World Boxing in March 2025. In 2025, the Bahamas Boxing Academy began renovating government-leased buildings at the Sports Centre in Nassau while continuing training programmes, including youth training and competitive pathways. == Participation of Bahamian boxers in international competitions ==