Boxing

Introduction

Boxing, a sport of aggression and strength is a combat sport in which two people hit each other with their fists only and score points. Almost all the areas of the head and body above the waist are designated scoring areas. Athletes are won on points or by knockout. It is contested at amateur level as well as professional level.

The modern sport became a part of the Summer Olympics in 1904 and has been contested since then regularly except for the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm. It is governed by International Boxing Association (AIBA) at amateur level and by International Boxing Federation (IBF) at professional level.

Objective

To score maximum points by landing valid punches to the opponent or by knocking him/her down for a period of at least 10 seconds.

History

The earliest depiction of boxing prevalent among humans comes from the second and third millennium, with sculptures and paintings build primarily focused on boxing. It then travelled through history and the whole world to reach ancient Greece, where it became an Olympic sport in 688BC. Boxing then evolved from the 16th and 18th-century prizefights to the 19th and 20th-century bare-knuckle boxing, which is the precursor of today's modern boxing.

Later on, John Chambers introduced the Marquess of Queensberry, the current rules of boxing, in 1867.

Equipment History

Boxing Gloves

At the time of the introduction of boxing in the 688 BC, fighters used leather thongs to cover their hands. These thongs later evolved into cestus, which was also a type of leather gloves fitted with blades or spikes. These cestuses were worn less for the protection of hands and more for adding injury/impacts to one's attacks.

The first padded boxing glove was introduced in 1743, which later helped in bringing the modern boxing gloves into acceptance. Initially, they were made brown but were then changed to red to hide the occasional blood spit in boxing matches and make it look less violent.

Mouthpiece

The modern-day mouthpiece was first introduced by Ted 'kid' Lewis in 1921. It was a rubber mouthpiece invented by his friend in a dental laboratory.

Headgear

The headgear was first proposed by Jack Dempsey, who ordered a local swimwear company to create a durable helmet which can withstand extensive training. It was the first basic version of the modern headgear which is used nowadays.

Variants

Amateur Boxing

It's a type of boxing mainly played in the Olympic games, Pan-American games, and the commonwealth games. These fights, as evident from the name itself, are not professional and are performed with a spirit of sportsmanship. Fighters wear a lot of protective equipment as compared to professional fighters and have a strict set of rules to follow. Each bout is short, and judges monitor the whole fight to ensure that only the clean punches are dealt.

Professional Boxing

It's a type of boxing that originated in the early 20th century. Bouts in this type of boxing match last longer, and so does the number of rounds. Protective gears are not allowed, and the boxers are free to inflict more damage upon their opponents. This type of boxing is often ruthless and is also called prizefighting.

Equipment

Boxing Gloves

Boxing gloves are generally of two types - bag gloves and sparring gloves. Bag gloves are thin and less cushioned gloves made only for hitting the speed bags and heavy bags, whereas the sparring gloves are thick and highly cushioned gloves made for intense training and live sparring. Sparring gloves are bulky and provide far better protection to hands than the bag gloves.

Headgear

A headgear is a piece of boxing equipment designed to protect a fighter's head, chin, nose, etc.

Heavy Bag

A heavy bag is a piece of boxing equipment used by boxers for training. It's a big bag made up of leather or other durable/synthetic materials which are filled with sand, rags, etc.

Hand Wraps

A hand wrap is a strip of cloth used by boxers to prevent their hands or wrists from injuries.

Mouthguard

A mouthguard is a  protective device worn by fighters that covers their gums and teeth and reduces the chances of injuries to the teeth, gums, and lips.

Shoes

Jersey

Shorts

Participants

Two boxers of similar weight compete during a boxing match (bout).                                                                 

Playing Area

Boxing takes place inside a square ring, which has around 16-20 feet side length inside the ropes and is 3-4 feet high from the ground. Ropes are around 1 inch in diameter and held up on posts at heights of 18 in, 30 in, 42 in and 54 inches parallel with the posts rising around 5 feet.

The ring floor has about one inch of padding covered by stretched canvas to protect the boxers when they fall.