Boxing is a combat
sport where two opponents score points punching with padded
gloves at the
head,
chest and stomach, fighting within a
boxing ring. Boxing contests are found throughout antiquity.
Greek boxers would wear boxing gloves (not padded) and wrappings on
their arms below the elbows, but were otherwise
naked when competing.
Women's boxing was virtually unknown until the
1990s, but now attracts small numbers of competitors and
spectators.
In amateur boxing (the version of the sport found at the
Olympic Games) the primary emphasis is on landing scoring
punches rather than concern with doing actual physical damage to
one's opponent (though it still occurs). Competitors wear protective
headgear, and box for three rounds of three-minutes each. Each punch
that lands on the head or torso is awarded a point. A
referee[?] monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use
only legal blows (a belt warn over the torso represents the lower
limit of punches - any boxer repeatedly landing 'low blows' is
disqualified). Referees also ensure that the boxers don't use
holding tactics to prevent the opponent from swinging (if this
occurs, the referee separates the opponents and orders them to
continue boxing. Repeated holding can result in a boxer being
penalised or, ultimately, disqualified).
If a competitor is punched sufficiently hard to have trouble
continuing the fight, and the opponent inflicted this condition with
only legal blows, the match is over and the competitor still
standing is declared the winner by
knockout. In amateur boxing, referees will readily step in and
award knockouts even if the competitor is only relatively lightly
injured.
Professional bouts are far longer (consisting of anything from
four to twelve rounds), headgear is not permitted, and knockout wins
are usually only awarded when the competitors are knocked down and
stay on the canvas for ten seconds (or are repeatedly knocked down,
a "technical knockout", or TKO). At any time, however, the referee
may stop the contest if he believes that one participant can not or
should not continue to box. In that case, the other participant is
also awarded a technical knockout win, which in the boxer's record
also counts as a knockout win (or loss). A technical knockout would
also be awarded if a fighter lands a punch that opens a cut on the
opponent, and the opponent is later deemed not fit to continue by a
doctor, because of the cut. If a boxer simply quits fighting, or if
his corner either tells the referee the boxer will not continue or
throws a towel into the ring (signalling they are quitting), then
the winning boxer is also awarded a technical knockout.
In case no knockout or disqualification occurs in professional
boxing, the fight must go to the scorecards. Professional
fights have three judges each, and each of the judges must use the
10 point must system: Under this system, each time a boxer wins a
round in the judges' eyes, the judge gives that boxer 10 points, and
the other 9, with points deducted every time a boxer suffers a
knockdown or loses a point because of illegal blows. If the judge
deems the round to be a tie, he or she may score it 10-10. When the
fight reaches its scheduled distance, all scores are added, round by
round, to determine who won on each judges' cards. When all three
judges have the same boxer as the winner, this is a unanimous
decision. When two judges have one boxer winning the fight and the
other one has it a tie, this is called a majority decision. When two
judges have one boxer win the fight and the other judge has the
other boxer win, this is called a split decision. In the case one
judge gives his or her vote to one boxer, another one gives it to
the other boxer and the third judge calls it a tie, this is a draw,
and its also a draw when two judges score the fight a tie,
regardless of whom did the third judge score the bout for, and when
all three judges scored the fight a tie.
In
England, judges might score the fight under a 5 point must
system instead, and they might also award half a point to the loser
(example 4 and a half points) if desired, except when a world title
fight is being held. Although generally referees do not act as
judges, in England, referees are sometimes allowed to score too,
although they can not score in world title fights held there either.
In the rare case a fight can not go on because of an injury
caused to one of the competitors by a headbutt, there are different
rules: If the fight has not reached the end of round three, (in some
places, round four), the fight is automatically declared a technical
draw. If it has reached beyond the end of round three (or four),
then the scorecards are read and whoever is ahead, wins by a
technical decision.
Serious injuries are far more common in professional boxing, a
sport with considerable (though waning) spectator appeal, but with a
large number of dubious organisations promoting "world championship"
bouts and a long connection to organised crime.
It used to be that fights were traditionally fought for up to
fifteen rounds in professional boxing, more than anything during
most of the
20th century. But the tragic death of boxer
Duk Koo Kim in
November of
1982 after a fight with
Ray Mancini began to change that, and by
1988, all fights had been reduced to a maximum of 12 rounds
only.
Medical authorities around the world have consistently argue for
a ban on boxing (or at least the changing of the rules to prevent
blows to the head) because of the
brain damage found in large fractions of professional boxers,
but such calls have not been successful, both on civil liberties
grounds and the argument that banning boxing would lead to
underground, illegal bouts with far fewer safety regulations than
currently.
However, boxing may be better than the real alternative,
dueling. There is some reason to believe that English gentlemen
quietly promoted boxing as a humane alternative to the deadly Irish
Code Duello. Certainly it was promoted by the class of English
gentlemen that were prone to duel, and many observers said that
dueling with pistols was too dangerous a way to maintain anyone's
honor.
By
1867, when the
John Sholto Douglas, 9th Marquess of Queensberry lent his name
to
John Chambers[?]' rules, sporting fisticuffs had become a nearly
perfect replacement for dueling. It made for a satisfyingly brutal
and (for the loser) humiliating fight but it was nearly impossible
to cause permanent damage. One indication of this movement is that
the rule-makers of the time promoted the rules for "amateurs," a
code word for noblemen. Another is that swank clubs and gymnasia
took it up with a will, leading to its present popularity. Another
is that even now, there is a tradition of urging hot-headed young
men to "get in the ring, and work it out."
In
Mississippi City[?], on
February 7,
1882 the last heavyweight boxing championship bareknuckle fight
took place.
See also:
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