Images by Xavier Frances Diekman //
“The Bareknuckle event was on the Public Holiday, at someone’s (nicely sized) backyard in Blacktown. Communities like this are super interesting to me. They occupy a space that’s pretty different and I’m drawn to combat sports as they’re so visual. They also represent such a raw form of competition and tend to attract a diverse and intriguing range of people.”
“I shot one of The Hood Contender events last year, and saw Mick Mack fight there. Mick’s one one of the guys who’s involved with BKA. He’s a very talented boxer and getting a glimpse of the scene really motivated me to capture some more of their stuff when I could. So when I saw that this was happening I asked, very politely.
I didn’t have too many expectations beforehand, I tend to consciously try and avoid imagining what an event’s going to be like in too much detail, mainly because I don’t want to accidentally bias any of the photography on the day. I did imagine it would probably have a community vibe with a bit of a sharp edge and in that way I was pretty spot on.”
“I got there right on doors, so people were filtering in and it had a bit of a Christmas day BBQ kind of vibe haha, but filled with people who are good at fighting. Like there was a jumping castle out the front for the kids and a barbecue was going.
The atmosphere was pretty electric, you can’t help but get pulled into the emotions of fighters when they are competing so close to you and there was a lot of excitement in the air, particularly as it got busier and fighters were warming up. The mood overall was extremely friendly. It’s hard to properly describe, like I definitely understand that from the outside looking in there’s a lot of tough people who look tough and are tough, but there wasn’t a lot of ego. I mean, if you’re game enough to step into something like this in front of a crowd in a backyard in Blacktown, then I suppose you don’t need to question your own gameness do you?”
“I think a lot of the atmosphere of mutual respect also comes down to how well respected Randall and Mick are too (the guys running it), as individuals and I got the impression that the bigger point was the shared act of getting in there, doing it, and bonding over the shared intensity of the experience, rather than being the victor in a bout, even though I’m sure that felt nice. Both fighters were cheered equally after every match though too.
I’d definitely like to keep documenting these events and events like it. In a world that feels increasingly awful, yet somehow sanitised and separated from a shared sense of reality, I am more and more drawn to documenting things that are indisputably real and unsanitised.”
2y
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