We don’t know if the young boxers won or lost. The only information Nicolai Howalt (*1970 København) gives us is: ‘Mark Wirenfeld, Dk, 14 years, 5 fights, 57 kg, 2001, still boxing,’ as in the example above. But there is much more to know.

The series portrays young boxers the moment before and after the match. A sense of spirit, emotion, expectation and energy characterize the photographs. The double portraits convey the dreams of boyhood, puberty and identity. The boxing match stages a platform for Howalt who otherwise refrains from describing the inner concerns of boxing or the competitive elements of the sport.

Boxing becomes a symbol for the match between fear versus courage, dream versus reality. The photographs highlight the age dividing a boy from being a man and address what it is to be on your own for the first time. Howalt boxed as a teenager and as a consequence he understands that the moments just before and after the match are the most loaded.