Global InformationBoxing information
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 Two Royal Navy men boxing for charity (1945). The modern sport was codified in England in the 19th and early 20th centuries. | |
| Also known as | Western boxing, pugilism[a] |
|---|---|
| Focus | Punching, striking |
| Country of origin | The sport itself: Ancient history, possibly Prehistoric Modern rules: United Kingdom |
| Olympic sport | 688 BC (Ancient Greece) 1904 (modern) |
Boxing (also known as "western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport and a martial art[1] in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.
Although the term boxing is commonly attributed to western boxing, in which only fists are involved, it has developed in different ways in different geographical areas and cultures of the World. In global terms, "boxing" today is also a set of combat sports focused on striking, in which two opponents face each other in a fight using at least their fists, and possibly involving other actions such as kicks, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and headbutts, depending on the rules. Some of these variants are the bare-knuckle boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, Lethwei, savate, and sanda.[2][3] Boxing techniques have been incorporated into many martial arts, military systems, and other combat sports.
Humans have engaged in hand-to-hand combat since the earliest days of human history. The origins of the origin of boxing in any of its forms as a sport remain uncertain,[4] but some sources suggest that it has prehistoric roots in what is now Ethiopia, emerging as early as the sixth millennium BC. It is believed that when the Egyptians invaded Nubia, they adopted boxing from the local populace, subsequently popularizing it in Egypt. From there, the sport of boxing spread to various regions, including Greece, eastward to Mesopotamia, and northward to Rome.[5]
The earliest visual evidence of any type of boxing is from Egypt and Sumer, both from the third millennia,[6] and can be seen in Sumerian carvings from the third and second millennia BC.[7][8][9][10] The earliest evidence of boxing rules dates back to Ancient Greece, where boxing was established as an Olympic game in 688 BC.[7] Boxing evolved from 16th- and 18th-century prizefights, largely in Great Britain, to the forerunner of modern boxing in the mid-19th century with the 1867 introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.
Amateur boxing is both an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is a standard fixture in most international games—it also has its world championships. Boxing is overseen by a referee[11] over a series of one-to-three-minute intervals called "rounds".
A winner can be resolved before the completion of the rounds when a referee deems an opponent incapable of continuing, disqualifies an opponent, or the opponent resigns. When the fight reaches the end of its final round with both opponents still standing, the judges' scorecards determine the victor. In case both fighters gain equal scores from the judges, a professional bout is considered a draw. In Olympic boxing, because a winner must be declared, judges award the contest to one fighter on technical criteria.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Boxing is a martial art:
- "Is boxing considered a martial art? Yes, here's why". MMA Channel. 5 June 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- "9 reasons why boxing is the perfect martial art". Evolve MMA. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- "Reasons why boxing is the perfect martial art". MMA Channel. 29 September 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2023.
- "Inside the UK's white-collar cage fighting scene". BBC News. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ^ Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia of History and Innovation, Volumen 2 - by Thomas A. Green
- ^ A Historical Overview of Mixed Martial Arts in China, by William Acevedo, Mei Cheung
- ^ Symposium: Sports and the Law by William B. Gould (IV), Henry T. Greely, Stanford University. School of Law - Page 9
- ^ The A-Z of World Boxing: An Authoritative and Entertaining Compendium of the Fight Game from Its Origins to the Present Day page 296
- ^ Boxing equipment and history - Olympics
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
EncyclopaediaBritannicaEntrywas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Boxing Gloves of the Ancient World Copyright © Steven Ross Murray 2010.
- ^ Early evidence of boxing in ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia: A Comparative Study. Fawziah Abdullah Mohamedorcid Egyptology Department, Faculty of Archaeology
- ^ The Martial Science of Boxing and its Contribution to Military Close Combat / James R. Lee-Barron. Published 2012
- ^ Australia, Boxing. "The Neutral Corner". www.boxing.org.au. Retrieved 30 January 2024.