Clinch, Pete McCoy and Johnny Reagan, from the Boxing Positions and Boxers series (N266) issued by P. Lorillard Company to promote Red Cross Long Cut Tobacco 1893

This vibrant lithograph was printed by the P. Lorillard Company in 1893 as a promotional item for Red Cross Long Cut Tobacco, immortalizing boxers Pete McCoy and Johnny Reagan. The central motif here is the "clinch," a tight embrace in boxing that momentarily halts the action. Consider the etymology of "clinch"—to hold fast, to rivet. Echoes of this can be traced back to ancient wrestling matches depicted in Egyptian tombs, where competitors grappled for dominance. Even in the mythic struggles of heroes, the clinch appears, a pause in the storm, a moment of enforced intimacy amidst violence. Yet, the clinch is more than a mere pause. It is a psychological battle, a dance of exhaustion and strategy. In this embrace, each boxer seeks to sap the other's strength, whispering silent threats. Thus, even in stillness, the emotional power of the match persists, engaging us, the viewers, in its subconscious drama. The clinch is not only a pause, but a coiled tension that can be repeated throughout history.