Boxing is a sport where two fighters attack and defend using padded gloves. They aim punches at the upper body of their opponent until one of them cannot continue or is outscored. Boxing bouts take place in a roped-off square space known as a ring. Fighters must be about the same weight, and they fight for 3 to 12 rounds of three minutes each unless the fight stops earlier. Boxing was included in the Olympic Games of 688 BC. The 2012 Olympics included women’s boxing for the first time.

Origins

There are ancient Egyptian carvings from about 1350 BC showing spectators watching fist-fights. The Greeks included boxing in the 688 BC Olympic Games, when bouts continued without breaks until one man held up a finger to give in. Some Roman gladiators fought with their fists, wearing leather bands around their hands. These sometimes had metal pieces sewn in to cause bloody injuries when punches landed.

Modern rules

The rules were revised in 1838, when kicking, gouging, biting and hitting below the belt were banned. In 1867 the Queensberry Rules introduced padded gloves and established that fights should be held in rounds of three minutes, with a minute’s break in between. They also allowed a fallen man 10 seconds to get up without being punched. Over the following years, weight classes came in, so that boxers were more evenly matched. The first modern bouts between women boxers were fought in Sweden in 1988, and women’s boxing became an Olympic event in 2012.

Classes and equipment

There is no worldwide ruling body for professional boxing, so countries (and individual US states) have their own rules. The boxing ring is 5.5–6.7 metres (18–22 feet) square, surrounded by four strands of rope. The contest lasts between 3 and 12 three-minute rounds.

Styles

There are four basic punches: the jab, a straight punch with the lead hand; the hook, a shorter punch from the lead hand with the elbow bent; the uppercut, an upward blow with either hand; and the straight right or left, a hit from the rear hand. Defending involves blocking or deflecting blows with the arms and gloves, and rapid movement. Boxers need fast footwork for both attack and defence.