BOXING

Boxing, fistfighting sport between two matched combatants wearing padded gloves. A boxer’s primary aim is to land as many blows as possible to the head and torso of the opponent, using strength and speed to dominate the contest. One of the oldest sports still practiced, boxing dates back thousands of years. Today the sport is popular in many parts of the world and encompasses both amateur and professional matches. Sometimes it is referred to as pugilism, from the Latin word pugil, meaning “a boxer.” For most of the 20th century boxing attracted huge fan and media attention in the United States. Some boxing champions became legendary, larger-than-life figures, such as Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Sugar Ray Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson. Criticized to varying degrees throughout its history for its violent nature and high injury rate, boxing has somehow always managed to survive—and even thrive—as a sport.

With the fall of the Roman Empire in the 5th century ad, boxing seemed to disappear, at least as a formal sport. Boxing did not reappear in society until the restoration of the English monarchy in 1660 ushered in a more relaxed moral atmosphere, allowing the sport with a barbaric history to make a comeback. The first mention of a staged fight came in an English newspaper in 1681, and the first boxing champion—self-appointed—was James Figg, who claimed the title in 1719. James Broughton, a protégé of Figg, drew up a set of rules in 1743 promoting the idea that boxing was a bona fide British sport. Broughton’s rules forbade hitting below the waist or hitting an opponent who was down. Although most bouts were still bare-knuckle, Broughton also promoted the use of rudimentary gloves known as “mufflers.” These regulations remained the standard in the sport until they were supplanted by the Revised London Prize Ring Rules of 1838.

Despite a 1750 ordinance outlawing prizefighting in Great Britain, many members of the nobility believed boxing symbolized the manly virtues of courage, strength, and fair play. Boxing academies enrolled poets and nobles, and outstanding fighters such as Daniel Mendoza, Tom Cribb, and “Gentleman” John Jackson emerged. But with the rise of the middle class and the influence of reform and religious movements during the early 19th century, public approval of boxing sagged. New antiprizefight laws were passed, police began stopping fights, and judges prosecuted those involved. Many boxers subsequently emigrated to the United States, hoping to find greater boxing opportunities.

Modern boxing regulations are based upon the 12 rules set out by British boxing officials in the mid-19th century. These rules became known as the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, named for the 8th Marquess of Queensberry, John Sholto Douglas, who sponsored and published them. In addition to in-the-ring rules, modern boxing also has specific regulations regarding eligibility for the fighters themselves. Sanctioning bodies can bar boxers from competing in a certain jurisdiction for medical reasons or for violating specific rules or codes of conduct.

The modern rules for professional and amateur bouts differ, but both types of contests are divided into time periods, called rounds. In professional bouts each round lasts three minutes; in amateur bouts, two minutes. A one-minute rest period between rounds is standard. Amateur contests consist of three rounds; professional bouts may consist of up to 12 rounds. A bell is usually sounded by a timekeeper to begin and end each round.

A successful boxer must have sound training and fundamental techniques. These techniques include stance, punches, feints (fakes), blocks, footwork, and other aspects of the sport sometimes called the “sweet science.” In addition, boxers often employ different strategies during a bout.