History of Boxing

If you are beginning our boxing sessions, learning about the sport's history can provide valuable insight into the legacy you might leave behind through your involvement in the sport. Boxing, also known as pugilism (which translates to "fist battle") and prizefighting (which means "the fight for prizes or money"), is a sport that involves fighting with one's fists. Since the year 1904, the Olympic Games have featured the sport of boxing in some capacity. However, before someone came up with the idea of organizing fights for entertainment, people used their fists to settle conflicts for millennia before anyone had that idea.

BC Period

There is compelling evidence that boxing was practised on the island of Crete as early as 1500 BC. However, researchers from the present day are adamant that similar duels were practised in Africa, more notably in the region now known as Ethiopia, much earlier than that period.

After Egypt had defeated Ethiopia, hieroglyphic texts that dated back to 4000 BC proved that this sport was popular throughout the Nile Plateau and all of Egypt. This popularity spread after Egypt defeated Ethiopia. The expansion of Egyptian civilisation throughout the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions led to the development of boxing's influence. In 686 BC, boxing was officially included as a competition in the Olympic games.

However, historical boxing bears little resemblance to the popular sport today. Every battle took place on broad fields, and the crowds of onlookers served as the "live arena" for the action. Fights of this nature generally continued until one of the combatants sustained a serious injury. Even though glory was the primary motivation for early boxers, whoever emerged victorious often received additional prizes, such as gold, livestock, or other trophies.

To safeguard their hands and wrists, the combatants wrapped thin, supple leather bands around their fists and, in some cases, the upper two-thirds of their forearms. By the fourth century B.C., the straps were manufactured out of leather that had been tanned for a longer period, enabling them to serve as an arm protection device and an assault weapon. Later on, during the Roman Empire, the leather straps were fortified with one-of-a-kind copper and iron brackets used in gladiator bouts, which typically resulted in the death of one of the combatants.

Common Era

First, battles as a form of entertainment went the way of the dodo after the spread of Christianity and the fall of the Roman Empire, and they were largely forgotten for the next few centuries. Then, in 1681, England played host to the first recognized boxing match. In addition, boxing contests have been held consistently at the Royal Theater in London since 1698.

Boxing champions from around the country eventually converged on London in search of fame, glory, and financial opportunity. For this reason, there was an impetus for the development of boxing in London. During those fights, the remuneration for each boxer and the percentage of the stakes that spectators wagered were determined. The combatants did not utilise gloves, and they did not adhere to the restrictions that were in place. Because the competitors' weight classes could not be identified, only one winner could be declared Champion. In several bouts, the lightweight fighters came out on the losing end. Although rounds were predetermined, a fight would typically continue until one of the competitors could not continue the bout. Even after an opponent had been knocked to the ground, it was not against the rules to assault them. Up to the middle of the 16th century, these conditions persisted.

Although boxing was illegal then, more and more people were getting involved. James Figg was a fan favourite and a multiple-time winner in the sport of boxing. In 1719, he was declared the Champion of England and kept the title for the next fifteen years. One of James Figg's followers, Jack Brownton, tried to transform the traditional sport of fist-fighting of the period into a legitimate athletic competition.

Jack Brownton penned the original Code of Regulations in 1743, and those rules, with a few tweaks here and there, were in use up until 1838, when they were finally superseded by the more modern "London Prize Ring Rules".

Broughton ended the fighting methods that were commonly used by his predecessors (mostly the strategies of drunkards' alcoholic brawls in bars), and he solely preferred hand-to-hand combat. It was against the rules for the boxers to throw punches below the waist. Brownton's regulations stated that the combat would continue until one of the competitors was defeated by a knockout blow. In that case, he was deemed to have lost the match since he could not enter the ring and take his position within one yard from his opponent.

After you defeated the opponent, punching him in the face was against the rules. His managers had thirty seconds to place him on one side of the square, facing the other competitor. It was generally agreed that Jack Brownton should be referred to as the "Father of Boxing". He established a training facility to mentor those who followed him. In addition, he was the inventor of the first boxing gloves, which he called "mufflers". These gloves were designed to protect boxers' hands and faces.

After Jack Slack's victory over Brownton, the competition to determine who would hold the champion title became more frequent. The general public's interest in boxing saw a minor decline as a direct result of the sport's declining allure as something special. Despite this, boxers like Daniel Mendoza and John "Gentleman" Jackson continued to enjoy a significant amount of fan support.

Daniel Mendoza possessed a powerful and lightning-fast left punch and weighed 160 pounds (76 kilograms). Following his victory over Mendoza, Jackson made a significant contribution to the prize money financial qualification mechanism, which helped elevate boxing to a more respectable level. The Boxing Society was established in 1814 in the city of London. In 1838, this group decided to adopt the London Prize Ring Rules, which were quite popular in England and the United States. In the fight between James "Deaf" Zamnet and William "Bendigo" Thompson, which took place in 1838, William "Bendigo" Thompson prevailed, and James "Deaf" Zamnet was stripped of his title as The Champion of England.

The battle took place on a ring that was 24 square feet in size and was surrounded by two ropes on each side. The round was stopped as soon as one of the competitors landed on the mat within the ring. During that period, medical attention was provided to the boxer injured in the ring's corner during a gap of thirty seconds. The competitors were given a 30-second break before the start of the following round, at which point they were to take their positions in the centre of the ring. If any of the competitors did not enter the centre of the ring within the allotted eight seconds, the other competitor was declared the victor. It was strictly prohibited to curse, argue with one another, hit with the head or legs, or strike below the waist of the ring. During the ring fighting, all of these behaviours were deemed inappropriate by the referee.

Queensberry Code Of Rules:

Even though the "London Prize Ring Rules" Code of Rules made boxing a more civilized sport, the upper-class audience of English society was startled by quarrels and profanity, which were widespread among old-fashioned pugilists from the lower social classes. It became very clear that the pre-existing bo needs some adjustment. John Gram, a member of the Chamber of Amateur Sports Club, put out a proposal for a new code of rules in the year 1867. Within this document, boxing techniques and regulations were outlined. These regulations are known as the "John Sholto Douglas Rules" in honour of the Queensberry Marquis. The 'London Prize Ring Rules and the new 'Queensberry' Rules were distinct from one another in four important respects:

• The competitors were required to wear cushioned gloves.
• Fights lasted for three minutes, with a mandatory one-minute break between rounds. Only hand combat was allowed during the round; any other fighting type was prohibited.
• If a boxer touched the ring floor and did not immediately stand back up within ten seconds, the referee would rule that the boxer had lost the round, and the fight would be called off.

These rules also included a classification for the athletes based on their respective weight categories (group). At first, the newly adopted regulations were ignored and discarded by professionals, who declared them insufficiently "manly". Instead, they continued boxing by the "London Prize Ring Rules," which had been in place previously. On the other hand, a significant number of younger boxers have indicated that they like the "Queensberry" Rules. James "Jam" Mace was the first sportsman to win the title of Champion of England among heavyweight boxers in 1861. He did so in the sport of boxing. James "Jem" Mace, the first boxer to employ cushioned gloves in such combat, was a big contributor to the adoption of the "Queensberry Rules".

John L. Sullivan, a notable American boxer of the era, voiced his displeasure with the World Championship being organized in line with the "Queensberry" Rules. Sullivan was unhappy with the fact that these rules were used. In 1889, when the heavyweight boxing World Championship was held in a little suburb of London, Sullivan ordered that the bouts be fought bare-knuckled, meaning that the boxers were not allowed to use gloves.

The final occasion that Sullivan fought with his knuckles bared was in the ring against Jake Karline in 1889. Sullivan was the heavyweight boxing champion at the time. The fight took place in the United States since this rule was deemed illegal in England and could not be enforced there.

Following that bout, Sullivan was compelled by several legal matters to defend his Champion title against James J. Corbet wearing the padded gloves and in compliance with the rules established by "Queensberry".

Economic Incentive

At the turn of the 20th century, boxing evolved into what is now considered one of the most direct routes to fame and fortune. The United States of America became the new epicentre for promoting professional boxing over time. It was principally driven by the expanding economy in the United States and a significant increase in the number of immigrants arriving there from all over the world. In addition, thousands of Irish people were driven to seek refuge in the New World because of the tremendous poverty and famine they faced in their homeland.

By 1915, Irish boxers had established themselves as the preeminent national group in professional boxing. These boxers included Terry McGovern, "Philadelphia" Jack O'Brien, Mike "Twin" Sullivan and his brother Jack, Packey McFarland, Jimmy Clabby, and Jack Britton, amongst many others. The Irish national group was represented by boxers such as these.

In addition, several skilled boxers from Germany, Scandinavia, and Central Europe came to the fore. The outstanding Jewish athletes of the time, such as Joe Choynski, Abe Atell, "Battling" Levinsky, and Harry Lewis, were actively boxing until the second wave of such boxers followed in 1915, including Barney Ross, Benny Leonard, Sid Terris, Lew Tendler, Al Singer, Maxie Rosenbloom, and Max Baer. This group of Jewish athletes competed in the sport of boxing. One can't help but think of legendary American boxers of Italian descent like Tony Canzoneri, Rocky Marciano, Johnny Dundee, and Willie Pep. They are all household names at this point.

At the same time, African-Americans in the United States began to achieve remarkable success in boxing. Several African Americans, including Peter Jackson, Sam Langford, Joe Walcott, and George Dixon, are known for reaching the pinnacle of success in boxing in the United States. Joe Gans, who won the World Boxing Championship in the lightweight division in 1902, and Jack Johnson, who became the first black champion in the heavyweight division in 1908, are considered among the greatest fighters of all time. Unfortunately, the participation of black Americans in the world boxing championships was severely hampered by prejudice throughout the sport's history. Jack Dempsey, widely known as the "Manasa Mauler," and Sullivan declined to fight black Jackson to protect their respective titles as world champions. Sullivan also declined to fight black Harry Wills. Because of Johnson's skin colour, he was not given the title of champion. After facing many forms of discrimination, he was ultimately compelled to leave the United States.

Black American boxers persecution lasted until the "Great Depression" of 1929. In 1937 the black boxer Joe Louis won the World Champion title among heavyweight boxers and became one of the most noted fighters. Henry Armstrong, "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, "Jersey" Joe Wolcott, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier also won the World Champion titles in various weight groups.

In the last quarter of the twentieth century, black fighters dominated other boxers. "Sugar" Ray Leonard, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks and Mike Tyson are among them.

Spain also contributed with its famous boxers, such as Carlos Monzon, Pascual Perez, Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello. Pancho Villa from the Philippines was the first Asian boxer who won the World Champion title in the lightweight group in 1923. In the late 20s, Eastern Asia presented many fighters, who were successfully fighting for the highest titles in professional boxing.

Development Of Amateur Boxing:

Marquis The first amateur boxing events were held in 1867 and organized by John Sholto Douglas, the inventor of the "Queensberry" Rules. The Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) was established in 1880, and beginning in 1881, the first regularly scheduled championships for amateur boxers were held. The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was established in the United States of America in 1888, and ever since that time, yearly national championships for amateur athletes have been held.

In 1926, the "Chicago Tribune" organized the "Golden Gloves" amateur events, competing with bouts that the AAU scheduled. These competitions had the status of national championships. In 1978, the United States government enacted a regulation that made it illegal for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) to be in charge of more than one Olympic sport. Consequently, the United States Amateur Boxing Federation (USA/ABF) emerged.

Boxing at the amateur level has swiftly acquired popularity all over the world. As a direct consequence, international competitions are scheduled to occur annually, every two years, or as is the case with the Olympic Games, every four years. In addition, amateur boxers compete in various globally recognised competitions, including the Commonwealth Games, the Pan-American Games, the All-African Championships, and the World Military Games.

The Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA), founded in 1946 and has its headquarters in London, is in charge of all amateur competitions.

The Soviet Union became a member of the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur, or AIBA, in the year 1950. It took part in the Olympic Games in 1952, when the great level of professionalism that Soviet athletes possessed was exhibited, along with that of East German athletes, Polish sportspeople, Hungarian athletes, and Cuban athletes.

Because the government of Fidel Castro continued to restrict professional boxing in Cuba, Cuban fighters dominated the sport of amateur boxing on an international level.

Teofilo Stevenson, a Cuban heavyweight, won the gold medal at three separate Olympic competitions between 1972 and 1980. After the majority of countries in Africa achieved their political independence in the 1950s and 1960s, the sport of boxing began to flourish across the continent.

Professional Boxing Managers And Promoters

In the career of a professional boxer, the person who manages their career is typically the person with the biggest impact. A manager is accountable for ensuring that his boxers continue to train hard and remain motivated, as well as for handling contracts, coaching, supervision, and the whole preparation for fights.

During the era of fist fights, the most successful combatants were supported by patrons who looked out for their financial interests.

However, as time went on, boxing became less popular among the nobles, and as a result, professionals began to hire boxers. These professionals handle financial matters and select a suitable opponent for the boxers. This specific function eventually became the principal responsibility of managers.

A good manager carefully guides his protégé to renown, recognizes and rewards a job well done, and shares in the profits that result from the business. The boxing managers who are the most successful tend to become just as well-known as the champions they represent. Promoters are the individuals who are in charge of the planning and organizing of fights, as well as the invitation of boxers, and they play the most important role behind the scenes (or outside the ring!

The guy responsible for turning boxing into a major business was George "Tex" Rickard, the first renowned promoter. In 1906, he realised that he could make significant profits by arranging professional boxing fights after he arranged the fight for the lightweight World Champion title between Joe Gans and Oscar "Battling" Nelson in a small miners' settlement called Nevada Goldfield. The fight was for the title of lightweight world champion. Rickard significantly enhanced the earnings from ticket sales by playing up the public's feelings and professionally employing advertising to draw spectators to the boxing tournaments. It resulted in a rise in revenue. In addition, he was the first person to propose broadcasting boxing fights, which led to a rise in the sport's audience and the number of supporters.

He put more than one million dollars into each of the five games to promote Jack Dempsey during his reign as World Champion from 1919 to 1926. However, during the so-called "Great Depression", when Jack Dempsey's athletic career was made, Rickard saw a progressive drop in the profits he received from his prior investments. Then, in 1935, promoter Mike Jacobs secured a contract with Joe Louis, which kicked off a new era of huge riches. Louis's revenues throughout his sporting career were greater than $500,000.00.

After World War II, Jack Solomons, an English promoter, assisted one of the struggling British boxers in getting back on his feet. He also urged several of the most prominent American boxers to compete across the Atlantic. However, they admit that staying home would have been their first choice. Nevertheless, Solomons paved the path for many other famous English promoters, like Mikky Daff, Harry Liven, Mike Berrett, and Berry Irn, who followed in his footsteps.

These days, promoters are frequently suspected of being involved in shady business agreements and activities. For example, don King and Bob Arum, two notoriously scandalous American promoters, were the subjects of a comprehensive FBI investigation. It's safe to say that King is one of the most divisive figures in the sport's recent history. Although he dedicated a lot of time and effort to promoting boxing and his boxers, Tyson and Chavez, his techniques and approach were not without some criticism.

The public scrutiny directed at the English promoter Franck Warren in 1990 raised concerns regarding the sport's honour.

TV And Professional Boxing

After World War II's ended, television played an important part in marketing professional boxing. Boxing broadcasts grew more frequent than other sporting events beginning in the middle of the 1950s because of the comparatively small amount of money required to be spent in the transmission of professional boxing contests. After 1962, there was a decline in interest in broadcasting professional boxing matches. But in 1976, when five American boxers won the Olympic gold and then entered the ranks of professionals, television audiences' interest was resurgent in boxing contests. In the middle of the 1980s in the United States, cable television was introduced, which played a significant role in developing many professional boxing clubs where young boxers could be coached and trained.

The returns from professional boxing have increased dramatically due to television broadcasts. The millions of dollar gains acquired through holding the title of Super Heavyweight World Champion in the middle of the 1960s formed a part of the arrangement. For his 20-year professional boxing career, Muhammad Ali amassed earnings of more than $69,000,000.

On April 6, 1987, two of the most famous welterweights of all time, Ray "Sugar" Leonard and Marvin Hagler, split a purse of thirty million dollars. In North America and Europe, the sport of professional boxing became widely popular thanks, in part, to the broadcasting of fights on television and the staging of bouts in casinos. The most prestigious casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, and New Jersey made money from professional boxing contests, although those boxing spectacles were known worldwide.

Modern Boxing Today

The lengthy and eventful history of boxing eventually gave way to the sport that exists today, a sport of which all of us are well aware. Boxing has seen a meteoric surge in popularity during the 19th century. During that time, it has been responsible for the emergence of many sports heroes and legends that have enthralled people's imaginations worldwide.

The sport of modern professional boxing is played in hundreds of different countries, all of which have contributed to the sport's phenomenal rise in popularity. Boxing is considered a way of life in several countries, including the United States, Mexico, and Russia, to name just a few of them.

Boxing has also made its way into popular culture because of films such as the Rocky franchise and more recent adaptations such as Million Dollar Baby and Cinderella Man. In addition, superstars have also come to the forefront of popular culture, with names such as Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. and Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao inspiring and delighting millions of fans from all over the world.

Boxers now have the potential to earn millions of dollars for their performances inside the ring, thanks to the rise in the value of the prizes. The battle between Mayweather and Pacquiao in 2015 is considered the most lucrative in the history of boxing. It resulted in record paydays for both competitors, with Mayweather reportedly earning close to $300 million US in a single evening of the fight.

Boxing, one of the oldest forms of martial art still practised today, is here for good. Therefore, the next time you are putting on a pair of boxing gloves, take a moment to reflect on the long and illustrious history of the sport and pay your respects to the boxers who came before you. But, of course, the fate of boxing in the years to come is in our hands as fans, enthusiasts, and as people who are passionate about the sport.