R.I.P. Joyce Brothers, Boxing Expert

by Gautham Nagesh

A blog about combat sports might seem like a strange place for a memorial about a pop psychologist and advice columnist, but Dr. Joyce Brothers probably knew more about the Sweet Science than any of us.

Brothers first rose to prominence as a young housewife and boxing expert on the now-infamous gameshow “The $64,000 Question,” which was later part of the Quiz Show scandal. It’s important to note that Brothers was not among those accused of cheating, but producers did suggest the telegenic young lady try mastering an unorthodox subject like boxing.

She responded by mastering 20 volumes of a boxing encyclopedia (where can I get one of those??):

According to the testimony, Brothers applied to be a “64,000 Question” contestant as an expert in home economics and psychology. The producers, looking for an audience-pleasing oddity, suggested the pretty young woman try boxing as her specialty. She learned the subject so well, Koplin said, she kept on winning even after the producers “threw the book” at her with tough questions aimed at eliminating her.

Born Joyce Diane Bauer in New York, Brothers earned her bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia.

An author and fight scholar, and therefore one of us.

R.I.P. October 20, 1927 – May 13, 2013.