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Full contact combat sport and martial art

Boxing 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][2][3][4] 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.

[5][6] Boxing techniques have been incorporated 🍌 into many martial arts, military systems, and other combat sports.

Though humans have fought in hand-to-hand combat since the dawn of 🍌 human history and the origin of the sport of boxing is unknown,[7] according to some sources boxing has prehistoric origins 🍌 in present-day Ethiopia where it appeared in the sixth millennium BC and when the Egyptians invaded Nubia they learned the 🍌 art of boxing from the local population and they took the sport to Egypt where it became popular and from 🍌 Egypt boxing spread to other countries including Greece, and eastward to Mesopotamia and northward to Rome.[8]

The earliest visual evidence of 🍌 any type of boxing is from Egypt and Sumer both from the third millennia[9] and can be seen in Sumerian 🍌 carvings from the third and second millennia BC.

[10][11][12][13] The earliest evidence of boxing rules dates back to Ancient Greece, where 🍌 boxing was established as an Olympic game in 688 BC.

[10] 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 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.

History [ edit ]

Ancient 🍌 history [ edit ]

A painting of Minoan youths boxing, from an Akrotiri fresco circa 1650 BC.

This is the earliest documented 🍌 use of boxing gloves.

A boxing scene depicted on a Panathenaic amphora from Ancient Greece, circa 336 BC, British Museum

Hitting with 🍌 different extremities of the body, such as kicks and punches, as an act of human aggression, has existed across the 🍌 world throughout human history, being a combat system as old as wrestling.

However, in terms of sports competition, due to the 🍌 lack of writing in the prehistoric times and the lack of references, it is not possible to determine rules of 🍌 any kind of boxing in prehistory, and in ancient times only can be inferred from the few intact sources and 🍌 references to the sport.

The origin of the sport of boxing is unknown,[14] however according to some sources boxing has prehistoric 🍌 origins in present-day Ethiopia, where it appeared in the sixth millennium BC.

When the Egyptians invaded Nubia they learned the art 🍌 of boxing from the local population, and they took the sport to Egypt where it became popular.

From Egypt, boxing spread 🍌 to other countries including Greece, eastward to Mesopotamia, and northward to Rome.[15]

The earliest visual evidence of boxing comes from Egypt 🍌 and Sumer both from the third millennium BC.

[16] [10] A relief sculpture from Egyptian Thebes ( c.

1350 BC) shows both 🍌 boxers and spectators.

[10] These early Middle-Eastern and Egyptian depictions showed contests where fighters were either bare-fisted or had a band 🍌 supporting the wrist.

[10] The earliest evidence of use of gloves can be found in Minoan Crete ( c.1500–1400 BC).[10]

Various types 🍌 of boxing existed in ancient India.

The earliest references to musti-yuddha come from classical Vedic epics such as the Rig Veda 🍌 ( c.

1500–1000 BCE) and Ramayana ( c.700–400 BCE).

[17] The Mahabharata describes two combatants boxing with clenched fists and fighting with 🍌 kicks, finger strikes, knee strikes and headbutts during the time of King Virata.

[18] Duels (niyuddham) were often fought to the 🍌 death.

During the period of the Western Satraps, the ruler Rudradaman-in addition to being well-versed in "the great sciences" which included 🍌 Indian classical music, Sanskrit grammar, and logic-was said to be an excellent horseman, charioteer, elephant rider, swordsman and boxer.

[19] The 🍌 Gurbilas Shemi, an 18th-century Sikh text, gives numerous references to musti-yuddha.

The martial art is related to other forms of martial 🍌 arts found in other parts of the Indian cultural sphere including Muay Thai in Thailand, Muay Lao in Laos, Pradal 🍌 Serey in Cambodia and Lethwei in Myanmar.[20][21]

In Ancient Greece boxing was a well developed sport called pygmachia, and enjoyed consistent 🍌 popularity.

In Olympic terms, it was first introduced in the 23rd Olympiad, 688 BC.

The boxers would wind leather thongs around their 🍌 hands in order to protect them.

There were no rounds and boxers fought until one of them acknowledged defeat or could 🍌 not continue.

Weight categories were not used, which meant heavier fighters had a tendency to dominate.

The style of boxing practiced typically 🍌 featured an advanced left leg stance, with the left arm semi-extended as a guard, in addition to being used for 🍌 striking, and with the right arm drawn back ready to strike.

It was the head of the opponent which was primarily 🍌 targeted, and there is little evidence to suggest that targeting the body or the use of kicks was common,[22][23] in 🍌 which it resembled modern western boxing.

A boxer and a rooster in a Roman mosaic of first century AD at the 🍌 National Archaeological Museum, Naples

Boxing was a popular spectator sport in Ancient Rome.

[24] Fighters protected their knuckles with leather strips wrapped 🍌 around their fists.

Eventually harder leather was used and the strips became a weapon.

Metal studs were introduced to the strips to 🍌 make the cestus.

Fighting events were held at Roman amphitheatres.

Early London prize ring rules [ edit ]

A straight right demonstrated in 🍌 Edmund Price's The Science of Defence: A Treatise on Sparring and Wrestling, 1867

Records of boxing activity disappeared in the west 🍌 after the fall of the Western Roman Empire when the wearing of weapons became common once again and interest in 🍌 fighting with the fists waned.

However, there are detailed records of various fist-fighting sports that were maintained in different cities and 🍌 provinces of Italy between the 12th and 17th centuries.

There was also a sport in ancient Rus called kulachniy boy or 🍌 'fist fighting'.

As the wearing of swords became less common, there was renewed interest in fencing with the fists.

The sport later 🍌 resurfaced in England during the early 16th century in the form of bare-knuckle boxing, sometimes referred to as prizefighting.

The first 🍌 documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in England appeared in 1681 in the London Protestant Mercury, and the first English 🍌 bare-knuckle champion was James Figg in 1719.

[25] This is also the time when the word "boxing" first came to be 🍌 used.

This earliest form of modern boxing was very different.Contests in Mr.

Figg's time, in addition to fist fighting, also contained fencing 🍌 and cudgeling.

On 6 January 1681, the first recorded boxing match took place in Britain when Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of 🍌 Albemarle (and later Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica), engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher with the latter winning 🍌 the prize.

Early fighting had no written rules.

There were no weight divisions or round limits, and no referee.

In general, it was 🍌 extremely chaotic.

An early article on boxing was published in Nottingham in 1713, by Sir Thomas Parkyns, 2nd Baronet, a wrestling 🍌 patron from Bunny, Nottinghamshire, who had practised the techniques he described.

The article, a single page in his manual of wrestling 🍌 and fencing, Progymnasmata: The inn-play, or Cornish-hugg wrestler, described a system of headbutting, punching, eye-gouging, chokes, and hard throws, not 🍌 recognized in boxing today.[26]

The first boxing rules, called the Broughton Rules, were introduced by champion Jack Broughton in 1743 to 🍌 protect fighters in the ring where deaths sometimes occurred.

[27] Under these rules, if a man went down and could not 🍌 continue after a count of 30 seconds, the fight was over.

Hitting a downed fighter and grasping below the waist were 🍌 prohibited.

Broughton encouraged the use of "mufflers", a form of padded bandage or mitten, to be used in "jousting" or sparring 🍌 sessions in training, and in exhibition matches.

Tom Molineaux (left) vs Tom Cribb in a re-match for the heavyweight championship of 🍌 England, 1811

These rules did allow the fighters an advantage not enjoyed by today's boxers; they permitted the fighter to drop 🍌 to one knee to end the round and begin the 30-second count at any time.

Thus a fighter realizing he was 🍌 in trouble had an opportunity to recover.

However, this was considered "unmanly"[28] and was frequently disallowed by additional rules negotiated by 🍌 the seconds of the boxers.

[29] In modern boxing, there is a three-minute limit to rounds (unlike the downed fighter ends 🍌 the round rule).

Intentionally going down in modern boxing will cause the recovering fighter to lose points in the scoring system.

Furthermore, 🍌 as the contestants did not have heavy leather gloves and wristwraps to protect their hands, they used different punching technique 🍌 to preserve their hands because the head was a common target to hit full out.

[dubious – discuss][citation needed] Almost all 🍌 period manuals have powerful straight punches with the whole body behind them to the face (including forehead) as the basic 🍌 blows.

[30][31][unreliable source?]

The British sportswriter Pierce Egan coined the term "the sweet science" as an epithet for prizefighting – or more 🍌 fully "the sweet science of bruising" as a description of England's bare-knuckle fight scene in the early nineteenth century.[32]

Boxing could 🍌 also be used to settle disputes even by females.

In 1790 in Waddington, Lincolnshire Mary Farmery and Susanna Locker both laid 🍌 claim to the affections of a young man; this produced a challenge from the former to fight for the prize, 🍌 which was accepted by the latter.

Proper sidesmen were chosen, and every matter conducted in form.

After several knock-down blows on both 🍌 sides, the battle ended in favour of Mary Farmery.[33]

The London Prize Ring Rules introduced measures that remain in effect for 🍌 professional boxing to this day, such as outlawing butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting a man while down, holding the ropes, 🍌 and using resin, stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting.[34]

Marquess of Queensberry rules (1867) [ edit ]

In 1867, 🍌 the Marquess of Queensberry rules were drafted by John Chambers for amateur championships held at Lillie Bridge in London for 🍌 lightweights, middleweights and heavyweights.

The rules were published under the patronage of the Marquess of Queensberry, whose name has always been 🍌 associated with them.

The June 1894 Leonard–Cushing bout.

Each of the six one-minute rounds recorded by the Kinetograph was made available to 🍌 exhibitors for $22.50.

[35] Customers who watched the final round saw Leonard score a knockdown.

There were twelve rules in all, and 🍌 they specified that fights should be "a fair stand-up boxing match" in a 24-foot-square or similar ring.

Rounds were three minutes 🍌 with one-minute rest intervals between rounds.

Each fighter was given a ten-second count if he was knocked down, and wrestling was 🍌 banned.

The introduction of gloves of "fair-size" also changed the nature of the bouts.

An average pair of boxing gloves resembles a 🍌 bloated pair of mittens and are laced up around the wrists.

[36] The gloves can be used to block an opponent's 🍌 blows.

As a result of their introduction, bouts became longer and more strategic with greater importance attached to defensive maneuvers such 🍌 as slipping, bobbing, countering and angling.

Because less defensive emphasis was placed on the use of the forearms and more on 🍌 the gloves, the classical forearms outwards, torso leaning back stance of the bare knuckle boxer was modified to a more 🍌 modern stance in which the torso is tilted forward and the hands are held closer to the face.

Late 19th and 🍌 early 20th centuries [ edit ]

Through the late nineteenth century, the martial art of boxing or prizefighting was primarily a 🍌 sport of dubious legitimacy.

Outlawed in England and much of the United States, prizefights were often held at gambling venues and 🍌 broken up by police.

[37] Brawling and wrestling tactics continued, and riots at prizefights were common occurrences.

Still, throughout this period, there 🍌 arose some notable bare knuckle champions who developed fairly sophisticated fighting tactics.

Amateur Boxing Club, Wales, 1963

The English case of R 🍌 v.

Coney in 1882 found that a bare-knuckle fight was an assault occasioning actual bodily harm, despite the consent of the 🍌 participants.

This marked the end of widespread public bare-knuckle contests in England.

The first world heavyweight champion under the Queensberry Rules was 🍌 "Gentleman Jim" Corbett, who defeated John L.

Sullivan in 1892 at the Pelican Athletic Club in New Orleans.[38]

The first instance of 🍌 film censorship in the United States occurred in 1897 when several states banned the showing of prize fighting films from 🍌 the state of Nevada,[39] where it was legal at the time.

Throughout the early twentieth century, boxers struggled to achieve legitimacy.

[40] 🍌 They were aided by the influence of promoters like Tex Rickard and the popularity of great champions such as John 🍌 L.Sullivan.

Modern boxing [ edit ]

The modern sport arose from illegal venues and outlawed prizefighting and has become a multibillion-dollar commercial 🍌 enterprise.

A majority of young talent still comes from poverty-stricken areas around the world.

[citation needed] Places like Mexico, Africa, South America, 🍌 and Eastern Europe prove to be filled with young aspiring athletes who wish to become the future of boxing.Even in 🍌 the U.S.

, places like the inner cities of New York, and Chicago have given rise to promising young talent.

According to 🍌 Rubin, "boxing lost its appeal with the American middle class, and most of who boxes in modern America come from 🍌 the streets and are street fighters".[41]Rules [ edit ]

The Marquess of Queensberry rules have been the general rules governing modern 🍌 boxing since their publication in 1867.[42]

A boxing match typically consists of a determined number of three-minute rounds, a total of 🍌 up to 9 to 12 rounds with a minute spent between each round with the fighters resting in their assigned 🍌 corners and receiving advice and attention from their coach and staff.

The fight is controlled by a referee who works within 🍌 the ring to judge and control the conduct of the fighters, rule on their ability to fight safely, count knocked-down 🍌 fighters, and rule on fouls.

Up to three judges are typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points 🍌 to the boxers, based on punches and elbows that connect, defense, knockdowns, hugging and other, more subjective, measures.

Because of the 🍌 open-ended style of boxing judging, many fights have controversial results, in which one or both fighters believe they have been 🍌 "robbed" or unfairly denied a victory.

Each fighter has an assigned corner of the ring, where their coach, as well as 🍌 one or more "seconds" may administer to the fighter at the beginning of the fight and between rounds.

Each boxer enters 🍌 into the ring from their assigned corners at the beginning of each round and must cease fighting and return to 🍌 their corner at the signalled end of each round.

A bout in which the predetermined number of rounds passes is decided 🍌 by the judges, and is said to "go the distance".

The fighter with the higher score at the end of the 🍌 fight is ruled the winner.

With three judges, unanimous and split decisions are possible, as are draws.

A boxer may win the 🍌 bout before a decision is reached through a knock-out; such bouts are said to have ended "inside the distance".

If a 🍌 fighter is knocked down during the fight, determined by whether the boxer touches the canvas floor of the ring with 🍌 any part of their body other than the feet as a result of the opponent's punch and not a slip, 🍌 as determined by the referee, the referee begins counting until the fighter returns to their feet and can continue.

Some jurisdictions 🍌 require the referee to count to eight regardless of if the fighter gets up before.

Should the referee count to ten, 🍌 then the knocked-down boxer is ruled "knocked out" (whether unconscious or not) and the other boxer is ruled the winner 🍌 by knockout (KO).

A "technical knock-out" (TKO) is possible as well, and is ruled by the referee, fight doctor, or a 🍌 fighter's corner if a fighter is unable to safely continue to fight, based upon injuries or being judged unable to 🍌 effectively defend themselves.

Many jurisdictions and sanctioning agencies also have a "three-knockdown rule", in which three knockdowns in a given round 🍌 result in a TKO.

A TKO is considered a knockout in a fighter's record.

A "standing eight" count rule may also be 🍌 in effect.

This gives the referee the right to step in and administer a count of eight to a fighter that 🍌 the referee feels may be in danger, even if no knockdown has taken place.

After counting the referee will observe the 🍌 fighter, and decide if the fighter is fit to continue.

For scoring purposes, a standing eight count is treated as a 🍌 knockdown.

Ingemar Johansson of Sweden KO's heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson, 26 June 1959

In general, boxers are prohibited from hitting below the 🍌 belt, holding, tripping, pushing, biting, or spitting.

The boxer's shorts are raised so the opponent is not allowed to hit to 🍌 the groin area with intent to cause pain or injury.

Failure to abide by the former may result in a foul.

They 🍌 also are prohibited from kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of the arm other than the knuckles of a 🍌 closed fist (including hitting with the elbow, shoulder or forearm, as well as with open gloves, the wrist, the inside, 🍌 back or side of the hand).

They are prohibited as well from hitting the back, back of the head or neck 🍌 (called a "rabbit-punch") or the kidneys.

They are prohibited from holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while 🍌 punching, or ducking below the belt of their opponent (dropping below the waist of your opponent, no matter the distance 🍌 between).

If a "clinch" – a defensive move in which a boxer wraps their opponent's arms and holds on to create 🍌 a pause – is broken by the referee, each fighter must take a full step back before punching again (alternatively, 🍌 the referee may direct the fighters to "punch out" of the clinch).

When a boxer is knocked down, the other boxer 🍌 must immediately cease fighting and move to the furthest neutral corner of the ring until the referee has either ruled 🍌 a knockout or called for the fight to continue.

Violations of these rules may be ruled "fouls" by the referee, who 🍌 may issue warnings, deduct points, or disqualify an offending boxer, causing an automatic loss, depending on the seriousness and intentionality 🍌 of the foul.

An intentional foul that causes injury that prevents a fight from continuing usually causes the boxer who committed 🍌 it to be disqualified.

A fighter who suffers an accidental low-blow may be given up to five minutes to recover, after 🍌 which they may be ruled knocked out if they are unable to continue.

Accidental fouls that cause injury ending a bout 🍌 may lead to a "no contest" result, or else cause the fight to go to a decision if enough rounds 🍌 (typically four or more, or at least three in a four-round fight) have passed.

Unheard of in the modern era, but 🍌 common during the early 20th Century in North America, a "newspaper decision (NWS)" might be made after a no decision 🍌 bout had ended.

A "no decision" bout occurred when, by law or by pre-arrangement of the fighters, if both boxers were 🍌 still standing at the fight's conclusion and there was no knockout, no official decision was rendered and neither boxer was 🍌 declared the winner.

But this did not prevent the pool of ringside newspaper reporters from declaring a consensus result among themselves 🍌 and printing a newspaper decision in their publications.

Officially, however, a "no decision" bout resulted in neither boxer winning or losing.

Boxing 🍌 historians sometimes use these unofficial newspaper decisions in compiling fight records for illustrative purposes only.

Often, media outlets covering a match 🍌 will personally score the match, and post their scores as an independent sentence in their report.Professional vs.

amateur boxing [ edit 🍌 ]

Roberto Durán (right) held world championships in four weight classes: lightweight, welterweight, light middleweight and middleweight.

Throughout the 17th to 19th 🍌 centuries, boxing bouts were motivated by money, as the fighters competed for prize money, promoters controlled the gate, and spectators 🍌 bet on the result.

The modern Olympic movement revived interest in amateur sports, and amateur boxing became an Olympic sport in 🍌 1908.

In their current form, Olympic and other amateur bouts are typically limited to three or four rounds, scoring is computed 🍌 by points based on the number of clean blows landed, regardless of impact, and fighters wear protective headgear, reducing the 🍌 number of injuries, knockdowns, and knockouts.

[43] Currently scoring blows in amateur boxing are subjectively counted by ringside judges, but the 🍌 Australian Institute for Sport has demonstrated a prototype of an Automated Boxing Scoring System, which introduces scoring objectivity, improves safety, 🍌 and arguably makes the sport more interesting to spectators.

Professional boxing remains by far the most popular form of the sport 🍌 globally, though amateur boxing is dominant in Cuba and some former Soviet republics.

For most fighters, an amateur career, especially at 🍌 the Olympics, serves to develop skills and gain experience in preparation for a professional career.

Western boxers typically participate in one 🍌 Olympics and then turn pro, while Cubans and boxers from other socialist countries have an opportunity to collect multiple medals.

[44] 🍌 In 2016, professional boxers were admitted in the Olympic Games and other tournaments sanctioned by AIBA.

[45] This was done in 🍌 part to level the playing field and give all of the athletes the same opportunities government-sponsored boxers from socialist countries 🍌 and post-Soviet republics have.

[46] However, professional organizations strongly opposed that decision.[47][48]

Amateur boxing [ edit ]

Nicola Adams (left) is the first 🍌 female boxer to win an Olympic gold medal.

Here with Mary Kom of India.

Amateur boxing may be found at the collegiate 🍌 level, at the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games, etc.

In many other venues sanctioned by amateur boxing associations.

Amateur boxing has 🍌 a point scoring system that measures the number of clean blows landed rather than physical damage.

Bouts consist of three rounds 🍌 of three minutes in the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, and three rounds of three minutes in a national ABA (Amateur 🍌 Boxing Association) bout, each with a one-minute interval between rounds.

Competitors wear protective headgear and gloves with a white strip or 🍌 circle across the knuckle.

There are cases however, where white ended gloves are not required but any solid color may be 🍌 worn.

The white end is just a way to make it easier for judges to score clean hits.

Each competitor must have 🍌 their hands properly wrapped, pre-fight, for added protection on their hands and for added cushion under the gloves.

Gloves worn by 🍌 the fighters must be twelve ounces in weight unless the fighters weigh under 165 pounds (75 kg), thus allowing them 🍌 to wear ten ounce gloves.

A punch is considered a scoring punch only when the boxers connect with the white portion 🍌 of the gloves.

Each punch that lands cleanly on the head or torso with sufficient force is awarded a point.

A referee 🍌 monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows.

A belt worn over the torso represents the lower limit 🍌 of punches – any boxer repeatedly landing low blows below the belt 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 penalized or ultimately disqualified.

Referees will stop the bout if a boxer 🍌 is seriously injured, if one boxer is significantly dominating the other or if the score is severely imbalanced.

[49] Amateur bouts 🍌 which end this way may be noted as "RSC" (referee stopped contest) with notations for an outclassed opponent (RSCO), outscored 🍌 opponent (RSCOS), injury (RSCI) or head injury (RSCH).

Professional boxing [ edit ]

Firpo sending Dempsey outside the ring; painting by George 🍌 Bellows

Professional bouts are usually much longer than amateur bouts, typically ranging from ten to twelve rounds, though four-round fights are 🍌 common for less experienced fighters or club fighters.

There are also some two- and three-round professional bouts, especially in Australia.

Through the 🍌 early 20th century, it was common for fights to have unlimited rounds, ending only when one fighter quit, benefiting high-energy 🍌 fighters like Jack Dempsey.

Fifteen rounds remained the internationally recognized limit for championship fights for most of the 20th century until 🍌 the early 1980s, when the death of boxer Kim Duk-koo eventually prompted the World Boxing Council and other organizations sanctioning 🍌 professional boxing to reduce the limit to twelve rounds.

Headgear is not permitted in professional bouts, and boxers are generally allowed 🍌 to take much more damage before a fight is halted.

At any time, the referee may stop the contest if he 🍌 believes that one participant cannot defend himself due to injury.

In that case, the other participant is awarded a technical knockout 🍌 win.

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.

For this reason, fighters 🍌 often employ cutmen, whose job is to treat cuts between rounds so that the boxer is able to continue despite 🍌 the cut.

If a boxer simply quits fighting, or if his corner stops the fight, then the winning boxer is also 🍌 awarded a technical knockout victory.

In contrast with amateur boxing, professional male boxers have to be bare-chested.[50]

Boxing styles [ edit ]

Definition 🍌 of style [ edit ]

"Style" is often defined as the strategic approach a fighter takes during a bout.

No two fighters' 🍌 styles are alike, as each is determined by that individual's physical and mental attributes.

Three main styles exist in boxing: outside 🍌 fighter ("boxer"), brawler (or "slugger"), and inside fighter ("swarmer").

These styles may be divided into several special subgroups, such as counter 🍌 puncher, etc.

The main philosophy of the styles is, that each style has an advantage over one, but disadvantage over the 🍌 other one.

It follows the rock paper scissors scenario – boxer beats brawler, brawler beats swarmer, and swarmer beats boxer.[51]

Heavyweight champion 🍌 Muhammad Ali was a typical example of an out-fighter.

A classic "boxer" or stylist (also known as an "out-fighter") seeks to 🍌 maintain distance between himself and his opponent, fighting with faster, longer range punches, most notably the jab, and gradually wearing 🍌 his opponent down.

Due to this reliance on weaker punches, out-fighters tend to win by point decisions rather than by knockout, 🍌 though some out-fighters have notable knockout records.

They are often regarded as the best boxing strategists due to their ability to 🍌 control the pace of the fight and lead their opponent, methodically wearing him down and exhibiting more skill and finesse 🍌 than a brawler.

[52] Out-fighters need reach, hand speed, reflexes, and footwork.

Notable out-fighters include Muhammad Ali, Larry Holmes, Joe Calzaghe, Wilfredo 🍌 Gómez, Salvador Sánchez, Cecilia Brækhus, Gene Tunney,[53] Ezzard Charles,[54] Willie Pep,[55] Meldrick Taylor, Ricardo "Finito" López, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy 🍌 Jones Jr.

, Sugar Ray Leonard, Miguel Vázquez, Sergio "Maravilla" Martínez, Wladimir Klitschko and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

This style was also used by 🍌 fictional boxer Apollo Creed.

A boxer-puncher is a well-rounded boxer who is able to fight at close range with a combination 🍌 of technique and power, often with the ability to knock opponents out with a combination and in some instances a 🍌 single shot.

Their movement and tactics are similar to that of an out-fighter (although they are generally not as mobile as 🍌 an out-fighter),[56] but instead of winning by decision, they tend to wear their opponents down using combinations and then move 🍌 in to score the knockout.

A boxer must be well rounded to be effective using this style.

Notable boxer-punchers include Muhammad Ali, 🍌 Canelo Álvarez, Sugar Ray Leonard, Roy Jones Jr.

, Wladimir Klitschko, Vasyl Lomachenko, Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis,[57] Wilfredo Gómez, Oscar De 🍌 La Hoya, Archie Moore, Miguel Cotto, Nonito Donaire, Sam Langford,[58] Henry Armstrong,[59] Sugar Ray Robinson,[60] Tony Zale, Carlos Monzón,[61] Alexis 🍌 Argüello, Érik Morales, Terry Norris, Marco Antonio Barrera, Naseem Hamed, Thomas Hearns, Julian Jackson and Gennady Golovkin.

Counter puncher [ edit 🍌 ]

Counter punchers are slippery, defensive style fighters who often rely on their opponent's mistakes in order to gain the advantage, 🍌 whether it be on the score cards or more preferably a knockout.

They use their well-rounded defense to avoid or block 🍌 shots and then immediately catch the opponent off guard with a well placed and timed punch.

A fight with a skilled 🍌 counter-puncher can turn into a war of attrition, where each shot landed is a battle in itself.

Thus, fighting against counter 🍌 punchers requires constant feinting and the ability to avoid telegraphing one's attacks.

To be truly successful using this style they must 🍌 have good reflexes, a high level of prediction and awareness, pinpoint accuracy and speed, both in striking and in footwork.

Notable 🍌 counter punchers include Muhammad Ali, Joe Calzaghe, Vitali Klitschko, Evander Holyfield, Max Schmeling, Chris Byrd, Jim Corbett, Jack Johnson, Bernard 🍌 Hopkins, Laszlo Papp, Jerry Quarry, Anselmo Moreno, James Toney, Marvin Hagler, Juan Manuel Márquez, Humberto Soto, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

, Roger 🍌 Mayweather, Pernell Whitaker, Sergio Martínez and Guillermo Rigondeaux.

This style of boxing is also used by fictional boxer Little Mac.

Counter punchers 🍌 usually wear their opponents down by causing them to miss their punches.

The more the opponent misses, the faster they tire, 🍌 and the psychological effects of being unable to land a hit will start to sink in.

The counter puncher often tries 🍌 to outplay their opponent entirely, not just in a physical sense, but also in a mental and emotional sense.

This style 🍌 can be incredibly difficult, especially against seasoned fighters, but winning a fight without getting hit is often worth the pay-off.

They 🍌 usually try to stay away from the center of the ring, in order to outmaneuver and chip away at their 🍌 opponents.

A large advantage in counter-hitting is the forward momentum of the attacker, which drives them further into your return strike.

As 🍌 such, knockouts are more common than one would expect from a defensive style.

A brawler is a fighter who generally lacks 🍌 finesse and footwork in the ring, but makes up for it through sheer punching power.

Many brawlers tend to lack mobility, 🍌 preferring a less mobile, more stable platform and have difficulty pursuing fighters who are fast on their feet.

They may also 🍌 have a tendency to ignore combination punching in favor of continuous beat-downs with one hand and by throwing slower, more 🍌 powerful single punches (such as hooks and uppercuts).

Their slowness and predictable punching pattern (single punches with obvious leads) often leaves 🍌 them open to counter punches, so successful brawlers must be able to absorb a substantial amount of punishment.

However, not all 🍌 brawler/slugger fighters are not mobile; some can move around and switch styles if needed but still have the brawler/slugger style 🍌 such as Wilfredo Gómez, Prince Naseem Hamed and Danny García.

A brawler's most important assets are power and chin (the ability 🍌 to absorb punishment while remaining able to continue boxing).

Examples of this style include George Foreman, Rocky Marciano, Julio César Chávez, 🍌 Jack Dempsey, Riddick Bowe, Danny García, Wilfredo Gómez, Sonny Liston, John L.

Sullivan, Max Baer, Prince Naseem Hamed, Ray Mancini, David 🍌 Tua, Arturo Gatti, Micky Ward, Brandon Ríos, Ruslan Provodnikov, Michael Katsidis, James Kirkland, Marcos Maidana, Vitali Klitschko, Jake LaMotta, Manny 🍌 Pacquiao, and Ireland's John Duddy.

This style of boxing was also used by fictional boxers Rocky Balboa and James "Clubber" Lang.

Brawlers 🍌 tend to be more predictable and easy to hit but usually fare well enough against other fighting styles because they 🍌 train to take punches very well.

They often have a higher chance than other fighting styles to score a knockout against 🍌 their opponents because they focus on landing big, powerful hits, instead of smaller, faster attacks.

Oftentimes they place focus on training 🍌 on their upper body instead of their entire body, to increase power and endurance.

They also aim to intimidate their opponents 🍌 because of their power, stature and ability to take a punch.

Henry Armstrong was known for his aggressive, non-stop assault style 🍌 of fighting.

In-fighters/swarmers (sometimes called "pressure fighters") attempt to stay close to an opponent, throwing intense flurries and combinations of hooks 🍌 and uppercuts.

Mainly Mexican, Irish, Irish-American, Puerto Rican, and Mexican-American boxers popularized this style.

A successful in-fighter often needs a good "chin" 🍌 because swarming usually involves being hit with many jabs before they can maneuver inside where they are more effective.

In-fighters operate 🍌 best at close range because they are generally shorter and have less reach than their opponents and thus are more 🍌 effective at a short distance where the longer arms of their opponents make punching awkward.

However, several fighters tall for their 🍌 division have been relatively adept at in-fighting as well as out-fighting.

The essence of a swarmer is non-stop aggression.

Many short in-fighters 🍌 use their stature to their advantage, employing a bob-and-weave defense by bending at the waist to slip underneath or to 🍌 the sides of incoming punches.

Unlike blocking, causing an opponent to miss a punch disrupts his balance, this permits forward movement 🍌 past the opponent's extended arm and keeps the hands free to counter.

A distinct advantage that in-fighters have is when throwing 🍌 uppercuts, they can channel their entire bodyweight behind the punch; Mike Tyson was famous for throwing devastating uppercuts.

Marvin Hagler was 🍌 known for his hard "chin", punching power, body attack and the stalking of his opponents.

Some in-fighters, like Mike Tyson, have 🍌 been known for being notoriously hard to hit.

The key to a swarmer is aggression, endurance, chin, and bobbing-and-weaving.

Notable in-fighters include 🍌 Henry Armstrong, Aaron Pryor, Julio César Chávez, Jack Dempsey, Shawn Porter, Miguel Cotto, Gennady Golovkin, Joe Frazier, Danny García, Mike 🍌 Tyson, Manny Pacquiao, Rocky Marciano,[62] Wayne McCullough, James Braddock, Gerry Penalosa, Harry Greb,[63][64] David Tua, James Toney and Ricky Hatton.

This 🍌 style was also used by the Street Fighter character Balrog.[citation needed]

Combinations of styles [ edit ]

All fighters have primary skills 🍌 with which they feel most comfortable, but truly elite fighters are often able to incorporate auxiliary styles when presented with 🍌 a particular challenge.

For example, an out-fighter will sometimes plant his feet and counter punch, or a slugger may have the 🍌 stamina to pressure fight with his power punches.

Old history of the development of boxing and its prevalence contribute to fusion 🍌 of various types of martial arts and the emergence of new ones that are based on them.

For example, a combination 🍌 of boxing and sportive sambo techniques gave rise to a combat sambo.

Style matchups [ edit ]

There is a generally accepted 🍌 rule of thumb about the success each of these boxing styles has against the others.

In general, an in-fighter has an 🍌 advantage over an out-fighter, an out-fighter has an advantage over a brawler, and a brawler has an advantage over an 🍌 in-fighter; these form a cycle with each style being stronger relative to one, and weaker relative to another, with none 🍌 dominating, as in rock paper scissors.

Naturally, many other factors, such as the skill level and training of the combatants, determine 🍌 the outcome of a fight, but the widely held belief in this relationship among the styles is embodied in the 🍌 cliché amongst boxing fans and writers that "styles make fights".

Brawlers tend to overcome swarmers or in-fighters because, in trying to 🍌 get close to the slugger, the in-fighter will invariably have to walk straight into the guns of the much harder-hitting 🍌 brawler, so, unless the former has a very good chin and the latter's stamina is poor, the brawler's superior power 🍌 will carry the day.

A famous example of this type of match-up advantage would be George Foreman's knockout victory over Joe 🍌 Frazier in their original bout "The Sunshine Showdown".

Although in-fighters struggle against heavy sluggers, they typically enjoy more success against out-fighters 🍌 or boxers.

Out-fighters prefer a slower fight, with some distance between themselves and the opponent.

The in-fighter tries to close that gap 🍌 and unleash furious flurries.

On the inside, the out-fighter loses a lot of his combat effectiveness, because he cannot throw the 🍌 hard punches.

The in-fighter is generally successful in this case, due to his intensity in advancing on his opponent and his 🍌 good agility, which makes him difficult to evade.

For example, the swarming Joe Frazier, though easily dominated by the slugger George 🍌 Foreman, was able to create many more problems for the boxer Muhammad Ali in their three fights.

Joe Louis, after retirement, 🍌 admitted that he hated being crowded, and that swarmers like untied/undefeated champ Rocky Marciano would have caused him style problems 🍌 even in his prime.

The boxer or out-fighter tends to be most successful against a brawler, whose slow speed (both hand 🍌 and foot) and poor technique makes him an easy target to hit for the faster out-fighter.

The out-fighter's main concern is 🍌 to stay alert, as the brawler only needs to land one good punch to finish the fight.

If the out-fighter can 🍌 avoid those power punches, he can often wear the brawler down with fast jabs, tiring him out.

If he is successful 🍌 enough, he may even apply extra pressure in the later rounds in an attempt to achieve a knockout.

Most classic boxers, 🍌 such as Muhammad Ali, enjoyed their best successes against sluggers.

An example of a style matchup was the historical fight of 🍌 Julio César Chávez, a swarmer or in-fighter, against Meldrick Taylor, the boxer or out-fighter (see Julio César Chávez vs.Meldrick Taylor).

The 🍌 match was nicknamed "Thunder Meets Lightning" as an allusion to punching power of Chávez and blinding speed of Taylor.

Chávez was 🍌 the epitome of the "Mexican" style of boxing.

Taylor's hand and foot speed and boxing abilities gave him the early advantage, 🍌 allowing him to begin building a large lead on points.

Chávez remained relentless in his pursuit of Taylor and due to 🍌 his greater punching power Chávez slowly punished Taylor.

Coming into the later rounds, Taylor was bleeding from the mouth, his entire 🍌 face was swollen, the bones around his eye socket had been broken, he had swallowed a considerable amount of his 🍌 own blood, and as he grew tired, Taylor was increasingly forced into exchanging blows with Chávez, which only gave Chávez 🍌 a greater chance to cause damage.

While there was little doubt that Taylor had solidly won the first three quarters of 🍌 the fight, the question at hand was whether he would survive the final quarter.

Going into the final round, Taylor held 🍌 a secure lead on the scorecards of two of the three judges.

Chávez would have to knock Taylor out to claim 🍌 a victory, whereas Taylor merely needed to stay away from the Mexican legend.

However, Taylor did not stay away, but continued 🍌 to trade blows with Chávez.

As he did so, Taylor showed signs of extreme exhaustion, and every tick of the clock 🍌 brought Taylor closer to victory unless Chávez could knock him out.

With about a minute left in the round, Chávez hit 🍌 Taylor squarely with several hard punches and stayed on the attack, continuing to hit Taylor with well-placed shots.

Finally, with about 🍌 25 seconds to go, Chávez landed a hard right hand that caused Taylor to stagger forward towards a corner, forcing 🍌 Chávez back ahead of him.

Suddenly Chávez stepped around Taylor, positioning him so that Taylor was trapped in the corner, with 🍌 no way to escape from Chávez' desperate final flurry.

Chávez then nailed Taylor with a tremendous right hand that dropped the 🍌 younger man.

By using the ring ropes to pull himself up, Taylor managed to return to his feet and was given 🍌 the mandatory 8-count.

Referee Richard Steele asked Taylor twice if he was able to continue fighting, but Taylor failed to answer.

Steele 🍌 then concluded that Taylor was unfit to continue and signaled that he was ending the fight, resulting in a TKO 🍌 victory for Chávez with only two seconds to go in the bout.

Equipment [ edit ]

Since boxing involves forceful, repetitive punching, 🍌 precautions must be taken to prevent damage to bones in the hand.

Most trainers do not allow boxers to train and 🍌 spar without wrist wraps and boxing gloves.

Hand wraps are used to secure the bones in the hand, and the gloves 🍌 are used to protect the hands from blunt injury, allowing boxers to throw punches with more force than if they 🍌 did not use them.

Gloves have been required in competition since the late nineteenth century, though modern boxing gloves are much 🍌 heavier than those worn by early twentieth-century fighters.

Prior to a bout, both boxers agree upon the weight of gloves to 🍌 be used in the bout, with the understanding that lighter gloves allow heavy punchers to inflict more damage.

The brand of 🍌 gloves can also affect the impact of punches, so this too is usually stipulated before a bout.

Both sides are allowed 🍌 to inspect the wraps and gloves of the opponent to help ensure both are within agreed upon specifications and no 🍌 tampering has taken place.

A mouthguard is important to protect the teeth[65][66] and gums from injury, and to cushion the jaw, 🍌 resulting in a decreased chance of knockout.

Both fighters must wear soft soled shoes to reduce the damage from accidental (or 🍌 intentional) stepping on feet.

While older boxing boots more commonly resembled those of a professional wrestler, modern boxing shoes and boots 🍌 tend to be quite similar to their amateur wrestling counterparts.

Boxers practice their skills on several types of punching bags.

A small, 🍌 tear-drop-shaped "speed bag" is used to hone reflexes and repetitive punching skills, while a large cylindrical "heavy bag" filled with 🍌 sand, a synthetic substitute, or water is used to practice power punching and body blows.

The double-end bag is usually connected 🍌 by elastic on the top and bottom and moves randomly upon getting struck and helps the fighter work on accuracy 🍌 and reflexes.

In addition to these distinctive pieces of equipment, boxers also use sport-nonspecific training equipment to build strength, speed, agility, 🍌 and stamina.

Common training equipment includes free weights, rowing machines, jump rope, and medicine balls.

Boxers also use punch/focus mitts in which 🍌 a trainer calls out certain combinations and the fighter strikes the mitts accordingly.

This is a great exercise for stamina as 🍌 the boxer isn't allowed to go at his own pace but that of the trainer, typically forcing the fighter to 🍌 endure a higher output and volume than usual.

In addition, they also allow trainers to make boxers utilize footwork and distances 🍌 more accurately.

Boxing matches typically take place in a boxing ring, a raised platform surrounded by ropes attached to posts rising 🍌 in each corner.

The term "ring" has come to be used as a metaphor for many aspects of prize fighting in 🍌 general.

Technique [ edit ]Stance [ edit ]

The modern boxing stance differs substantially from the typical boxing stances of the 19th 🍌 and early 20th centuries.

The modern stance has a more upright vertical-armed guard, as opposed to the more horizontal, knuckles-facing-forward guard 🍌 adopted by early 20th century hook users such as Jack Johnson.

Upright stanceSemi-crouchFull crouch

In a fully upright stance, the boxer stands 🍌 with the legs shoulder-width apart and the rear foot a half-step in front of the lead man.

Right-handed or orthodox boxers 🍌 lead with the left foot and fist (for most penetration power).

Both feet are parallel, and the right heel is off 🍌 the ground.

The lead (left) fist is held vertically about six inches in front of the face at eye level.

The rear 🍌 (right) fist is held beside the chin and the elbow tucked against the ribcage to protect the body.

The chin is 🍌 tucked into the chest to avoid punches to the jaw which commonly cause knock-outs and is often kept slightly off-center.

Wrists 🍌 are slightly bent to avoid damage when punching and the elbows are kept tucked in to protect the ribcage.

Some boxers 🍌 fight from a crouch, leaning forward and keeping their feet closer together.

The stance described is considered the "textbook" stance and 🍌 fighters are encouraged to change it around once it's been mastered as a base.

Case in point, many fast fighters have 🍌 their hands down and have almost exaggerated footwork, while brawlers or bully fighters tend to slowly stalk their opponents.

In order 🍌 to retain their stance boxers take 'the first step in any direction with the foot already leading in that direction.'[67]

Different 🍌 stances allow for bodyweight to be differently positioned and emphasised; this may in turn alter how powerfully and explosively a 🍌 type of punch can be delivered.

For instance, a crouched stance allows for the bodyweight to be positioned further forward over 🍌 the lead left leg.

If a lead left hook is thrown from this position, it will produce a powerful springing action 🍌 in the lead leg and produce a more explosive punch.

This springing action could not be generated effectively, for this punch, 🍌 if an upright stance was used or if the bodyweight was positioned predominantly over the back leg.

[68] Mike Tyson was 🍌 a keen practitioner of a crouched stance and this style of power punching.

The preparatory positioning of the bodyweight over the 🍌 bent lead leg is also known as an isometric preload.

Left-handed or southpaw fighters use a mirror image of the orthodox 🍌 stance, which can create problems for orthodox fighters unaccustomed to receiving jabs, hooks, or crosses from the opposite side.

The southpaw 🍌 stance, conversely, is vulnerable to a straight right hand.

North American fighters tend to favor a more balanced stance, facing the 🍌 opponent almost squarely, while many European fighters stand with their torso turned more to the side.

The positioning of the hands 🍌 may also vary, as some fighters prefer to have both hands raised in front of the face, risking exposure to 🍌 body shots.

Punches [ edit ]

There are four basic punches in boxing: the jab, cross, hook and uppercut.

Any punch other than 🍌 a jab is considered a power punch.

If a boxer is right-handed (orthodox), their left hand is the lead hand and 🍌 his right hand is the rear hand.

For a left-handed boxer or southpaw, the hand positions are reversed.

For clarity, the following 🍌 assumes a right-handed boxer.

Canelo Álvarez is known as an excellent counterpuncher, being able to exploit openings in his opponents' guards 🍌 while avoiding punches with head and body movement.

He is also known as a formidable body puncher.[69][70]

Jab – A quick, straight 🍌 punch thrown with the lead hand from the guard position.

The jab extends from the side of the torso and typically 🍌 does not pass in front of it.

It is accompanied by a small, clockwise rotation of the torso and hips, while 🍌 the fist rotates 90 degrees, becoming horizontal upon impact.

As the punch reaches full extension, the lead shoulder can be brought 🍌 up to guard the chin.

The rear hand remains next to the face to guard the jaw.

After making contact with the 🍌 target, the lead hand is retracted quickly to resume a guard position in front of the face.

The jab is recognized 🍌 as the most important punch in a boxer's arsenal because it provides a fair amount of its own cover and 🍌 it leaves the least space for a counter punch from the opponent.

It has the longest reach of any punch and 🍌 does not require commitment or large weight transfers.

Due to its relatively weak power, the jab is often used as a 🍌 tool to gauge distances, probe an opponent's defenses, harass an opponent, and set up heavier, more powerful punches.

A half-step may 🍌 be added, moving the entire body into the punch, for additional power.

Some notable boxers who have been able to develop 🍌 relative power in their jabs and use it to punish or wear down their opponents to some effect include Larry 🍌 Holmes and Wladimir Klitschko.

– A quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand from the guard position.

The jab extends from 🍌 the side of the torso and typically does not pass in front of it.

It is accompanied by a small, clockwise 🍌 rotation of the torso and hips, while the fist rotates 90 degrees, becoming horizontal upon impact.

As the punch reaches full 🍌 extension, the lead shoulder can be brought up to guard the chin.

The rear hand remains next to the face to 🍌 guard the jaw.

After making contact with the target, the lead hand is retracted quickly to resume a guard position in 🍌 front of the face.

Cross – A powerful, straight punch thrown with the rear hand.

From the guard position, the rear hand 🍌 is thrown from the chin, crossing the body and traveling towards the target in a straight line.

The rear shoulder is 🍌 thrust forward and finishes just touching the outside of the chin.

At the same time, the lead hand is retracted and 🍌 tucked against the face to protect the inside of the chin.

For additional power, the torso and hips are rotated counter-clockwise 🍌 as the cross is thrown.

A measure of an ideally extended cross is that the shoulder of the striking arm, the 🍌 knee of the front leg and the ball of the front foot are on the same vertical plane.

[71] Weight is 🍌 also transferred from the rear foot to the lead foot, resulting in the rear heel turning outwards as it acts 🍌 as a fulcrum for the transfer of weight.

Body rotation and the sudden weight transfer give the cross its power.

Like the 🍌 jab, a half-step forward may be added.

After the cross is thrown, the hand is retracted quickly and the guard position 🍌 resumed.

It can be used to counter punch a jab, aiming for the opponent's head (or a counter to a cross 🍌 aimed at the body) or to set up a hook.

The cross is also called a "straight" or "right", especially if 🍌 it does not cross the opponent's outstretched jab.

– A powerful, straight punch thrown with the rear hand.

From the guard position, 🍌 the rear hand is thrown from the chin, crossing the body and traveling towards the target in a straight line.

The 🍌 rear shoulder is thrust forward and finishes just touching the outside of the chin.

At the same time, the lead hand 🍌 is retracted and tucked against the face to protect the inside of the chin.

For additional power, the torso and hips 🍌 are rotated counter-clockwise as the cross is thrown.

A measure of an ideally extended cross is that the shoulder of the 🍌 striking arm, the knee of the front leg and the ball of the front foot are on the same vertical 🍌 plane.

Hook – A semi-circular punch thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponent's head.

From the guard position, 🍌 the elbow is drawn back with a horizontal fist (palm facing down) though in modern times a wide percentage of 🍌 fighters throw the hook with a vertical fist (palm facing themselves).

The rear hand is tucked firmly against the jaw to 🍌 protect the chin.

The torso and hips are rotated clockwise, propelling the fist through a tight, clockwise arc across the front 🍌 of the body and connecting with the target.

At the same time, the lead foot pivots clockwise, turning the left heel 🍌 outwards.

Upon contact, the hook's circular path ends abruptly and the lead hand is pulled quickly back into the guard position.

A 🍌 hook may also target the lower body and this technique is sometimes called the "rip" to distinguish it from the 🍌 conventional hook to the head.

The hook may also be thrown with the rear hand.

Notable left hookers include Joe Frazier, Roy 🍌 Jones Jr.and Mike Tyson.

– A semi-circular punch thrown with the lead hand to the side of the opponent's head.

From the 🍌 guard position, the elbow is drawn back with a horizontal fist (palm facing down) though in modern times a wide 🍌 percentage of fighters throw the hook with a vertical fist (palm facing themselves).

The rear hand is tucked firmly against the 🍌 jaw to protect the chin.

The torso and hips are rotated clockwise, propelling the fist through a tight, clockwise arc across 🍌 the front of the body and connecting with the target.

Ricardo Dominguez (left) throws an uppercut on Rafael Ortiz (right).[72]

Uppercut – 🍌 A vertical, rising punch thrown with the rear hand.

From the guard position, the torso shifts slightly to the right, the 🍌 rear hand drops below the level of the opponent's chest and the knees are bent slightly.

From this position, the rear 🍌 hand is thrust upwards in a rising arc towards the opponent's chin or torso.

At the same time, the knees push 🍌 upwards quickly and the torso and hips rotate anti-clockwise and the rear heel turns outward, mimicking the body movement of 🍌 the cross.

The strategic utility of the uppercut depends on its ability to "lift" an opponent's body, setting it off-balance for 🍌 successive attacks.

The right uppercut followed by a left hook is a deadly combination employing the uppercut to lift an opponent's 🍌 chin into a vulnerable position, then the hook to knock the opponent out.

– A vertical, rising punch thrown with the 🍌 rear hand.

From the guard position, the torso shifts slightly to the right, the rear hand drops below the level of 🍌 the opponent's chest and the knees are bent slightly.

From this position, the rear hand is thrust upwards in a rising 🍌 arc towards the opponent's chin or torso.

These different punch types can be thrown in rapid succession to form combinations or 🍌 "combos".

The most common is the jab and cross combination, nicknamed the "one-two combo".

This is usually an effective combination, because the 🍌 jab blocks the opponent's view of the cross, making it easier to land cleanly and forcefully.

A large, swinging circular punch 🍌 starting from a cocked-back position with the arm at a longer extension than the hook and all of the fighter's 🍌 weight behind it is sometimes referred to as a "roundhouse", "haymaker", "overhand", or sucker-punch.

Relying on body weight and centripetal force 🍌 within a wide arc, the roundhouse can be a powerful blow, but it is often a wild and uncontrolled punch 🍌 that leaves the fighter delivering it off balance and with an open guard.

Wide, looping punches have the further disadvantage of 🍌 taking more time to deliver, giving the opponent ample warning to react and counter.

For this reason, the haymaker or roundhouse 🍌 is not a conventional punch, and is regarded by trainers as a mark of poor technique or desperation.

Sometimes it has 🍌 been used, because of its immense potential power, to finish off an already staggering opponent who seems unable or unlikely 🍌 to take advantage of the poor position it leaves the puncher in.

Another unconventional punch is the rarely used bolo punch, 🍌 in which the opponent swings an arm out several times in a wide arc, usually as a distraction, before delivering 🍌 with either that or the other arm.

An illegal punch to the back of the head or neck is known as 🍌 a rabbit punch.

Both the hook and uppercut may be thrown with both hands, resulting in differing footwork and positioning from 🍌 that described above if thrown by the other hand.

Generally the analogous opposite is true of the footwork and torso movement.

Defense 🍌 [ edit ]

There are several basic maneuvers a boxer can use in order to evade or block punches, depicted and 🍌 discussed below.

Slip – Slipping rotates the body slightly so that an incoming punch passes harmlessly next to the head.

As the 🍌 opponent's punch arrives, the boxer sharply rotates the hips and shoulders.

This turns the chin sideways and allows the punch to 🍌 "slip" past.

Muhammad Ali was famous for extremely fast and close slips, as was an early Mike Tyson.

– Slipping rotates the 🍌 body slightly so that an incoming punch passes harmlessly next to the head.

As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer sharply 🍌 rotates the hips and shoulders.

This turns the chin sideways and allows the punch to "slip" past.

Muhammad Ali was famous for 🍌 extremely fast and close slips, as was an early Mike Tyson.

Sway or fade – To anticipate a punch and move 🍌 the upper body or head back so that it misses or has its force appreciably lessened.

Also called "rolling with the 🍌 punch" or " Riding The Punch.

– To anticipate a punch and move the upper body or head back so that 🍌 it misses or has its force appreciably lessened.

Also called "rolling with the punch" or " Riding The Punch.

Bob and weave 🍌 – Bobbing moves the head laterally and beneath an incoming punch.

As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer bends the legs 🍌 quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either slightly right or left.

Once the punch has been evaded, the boxer "weaves" back 🍌 to an upright position, emerging on either the outside or inside of the opponent's still-extended arm.

To move outside the opponent's 🍌 extended arm is called "bobbing to the outside".

To move inside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the inside".

Joe 🍌 Frazier, Jack Dempsey, Mike Tyson and Rocky Marciano were masters of bobbing and weaving.

– Bobbing moves the head laterally and 🍌 beneath an incoming punch.

As the opponent's punch arrives, the boxer bends the legs quickly and simultaneously shifts the body either 🍌 slightly right or left.

Once the punch has been evaded, the boxer "weaves" back to an upright position, emerging on either 🍌 the outside or inside of the opponent's still-extended arm.

To move outside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the 🍌 outside".

To move inside the opponent's extended arm is called "bobbing to the inside".

Joe Frazier, Jack Dempsey, Mike Tyson and Rocky 🍌 Marciano were masters of bobbing and weaving.

Parry/block – Parrying or blocking uses the boxer's shoulder, hands or arms as defensive 🍌 tools to protect against incoming attacks.

A block generally receives a punch while a parry tends to deflect it.

A "palm", "catch", 🍌 or "cuff" is a defence which intentionally takes the incoming punch on the palm portion of the defender's glove.

– Parrying 🍌 or blocking uses the boxer's shoulder, hands or arms as defensive tools to protect against incoming attacks.

A block generally receives 🍌 a punch while a parry tends to deflect it.

A "palm", "catch", or "cuff" is a defence which intentionally takes the 🍌 incoming punch on the palm portion of the defender's glove.

Cover-up – Covering up is the last opportunity (other than rolling 🍌 with a punch) to avoid an incoming strike to an unprotected face or body.

Generally speaking, the hands are held high 🍌 to protect the head and chin and the forearms are tucked against the torso to impede body shots.

When protecting the 🍌 body, the boxer rotates the hips and lets incoming punches "roll" off the guard.

To protect the head, the boxer presses 🍌 both fists against the front of the face with the forearms parallel and facing outwards.

This type of guard is weak 🍌 against attacks from below.

– Covering up is the last opportunity (other than rolling with a punch) to avoid an incoming 🍌 strike to an unprotected face or body.

Generally speaking, the hands are held high to protect the head and chin and 🍌 the forearms are tucked against the torso to impede body shots.

When protecting the body, the boxer rotates the hips and 🍌 lets incoming punches "roll" off the guard.

To protect the head, the boxer presses both fists against the front of the 🍌 face with the forearms parallel and facing outwards.

This type of guard is weak against attacks from below.

Clinch – Clinching is 🍌 a form of trapping or a rough form of grappling and occurs when the distance between both fighters has closed 🍌 and straight punches cannot be employed.

In this situation, the boxer attempts to hold or "tie up" the opponent's hands so 🍌 he is unable to throw hooks or uppercuts.

To perform a clinch, the boxer loops both hands around the outside of 🍌 the opponent's shoulders, scooping back under the forearms to grasp the opponent's arms tightly against his own body.

In this position, 🍌 the opponent's arms are pinned and cannot be used to attack.

Clinching is a temporary match state and is quickly dissipated 🍌 by the referee.

Clinching is technically against the rules, and in amateur fights points are deducted fairly quickly for it.

It is 🍌 unlikely, however, to see points deducted for a clinch in professional boxing.

Unorthodox strategies [ edit ]

Rope-a-dope : Used by Muhammad 🍌 Ali in his 1974 "the Rumble in the Jungle" bout against George Foreman, the rope-a-dope method involves lying back against 🍌 the ropes, covering up defensively as much as possible and allowing the opponent to attempt numerous punches.

The back-leaning posture, which 🍌 does not cause the defending boxer to become as unbalanced as he would during normal backward movement, also maximizes the 🍌 distance of the defender's head from his opponent, increasing the probability that punches will miss their intended target.

Weathering the blows 🍌 that do land, the defender lures the opponent into expending energy while conserving his/her own.

If successful, the attacking opponent will 🍌 eventually tire, creating defensive flaws which the boxer can exploit.

In modern boxing, the rope-a-dope is generally discouraged since most opponents 🍌 are not fooled by it and few boxers possess the physical toughness to withstand a prolonged, unanswered assault.

Recently, [ when? 🍌 ] however, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao skillfully used the strategy to gauge the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto 🍌 in November 2009.

Pacquiao followed up the rope-a-dope gambit with a withering knockdown.

Tyson Fury also attempted this against Francesco Pianeto but 🍌 did not pull it off as smoothly.

: Used by Muhammad Ali in his 1974 "the Rumble in the Jungle" bout 🍌 against George Foreman, the rope-a-dope method involves lying back against the ropes, covering up defensively as much as possible and 🍌 allowing the opponent to attempt numerous punches.

The back-leaning posture, which does not cause the defending boxer to become as unbalanced 🍌 as he would during normal backward movement, also maximizes the distance of the defender's head from his opponent, increasing the 🍌 probability that punches will miss their intended target.

Weathering the blows that do land, the defender lures the opponent into expending 🍌 energy while conserving his/her own.

If successful, the attacking opponent will eventually tire, creating defensive flaws which the boxer can exploit.

In 🍌 modern boxing, the rope-a-dope is generally discouraged since most opponents are not fooled by it and few boxers possess the 🍌 physical toughness to withstand a prolonged, unanswered assault.

Recently, however, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao skillfully used the strategy to gauge 🍌 the power of welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto in November 2009.

Pacquiao followed up the rope-a-dope gambit with a withering knockdown.

Tyson Fury 🍌 also attempted this against Francesco Pianeto but did not pull it off as smoothly.

Bolo punch: Occasionally seen in Olympic boxing, 🍌 the bolo punch is an arm punch which owes its power to the shortening of a circular arc rather than 🍌 to transference of body weight; it tends to have more of an effect due to the surprise of the odd 🍌 angle it lands at rather than the actual power of the punch.

This is more of a gimmick than a technical 🍌 maneuver; this punch is not taught, being on the same plane in boxing technicality as is the Ali shuffle.

Nevertheless, a 🍌 few professional boxers have used the bolo-punch to great effect, including former welterweight champions Sugar Ray Leonard, and Kid Gavilán 🍌 as well as current British fighter Chris Eubank Jr.

Middleweight champion Ceferino Garcia is regarded as the inventor of the bolo 🍌 punch.

Overhand : The overhand is a punch, thrown from the rear hand, not found in every boxer's arsenal.

Unlike the cross, 🍌 which has a trajectory parallel to the ground, the overhand has a looping circular arc as it is thrown over 🍌 the shoulder with the palm facing away from the boxer.

It is especially popular with smaller stature boxers trying to reach 🍌 taller opponents.

Boxers who have used this punch consistently and effectively include former heavyweight champions Rocky Marciano and Tim Witherspoon, as 🍌 well as MMA champions Chuck Liddell and Fedor Emelianenko.

The overhand has become a popular weapon in other tournaments that involve 🍌 fist striking.

Deontay Wilder heavily favours and is otherwise known for knocking many of his opponents out with one of his 🍌 right overhands.

: The overhand is a punch, thrown from the rear hand, not found in every boxer's arsenal.

Unlike the cross, 🍌 which has a trajectory parallel to the ground, the overhand has a looping circular arc as it is thrown over 🍌 the shoulder with the palm facing away from the boxer.

It is especially popular with smaller stature boxers trying to reach 🍌 taller opponents.

The overhand has become a popular weapon in other tournaments that involve 🍌 fist striking.

Deontay Wilder heavily favours and is otherwise known for knocking many of his opponents out with one of his 🍌 right overhands.

Check hook: A check hook is employed to prevent aggressive boxers from lunging in.

There are two parts to the 🍌 check hook.

The first part consists of a regular hook.

The second, trickier part involves the footwork.

As the opponent lunges in, the 🍌 boxer should throw the hook and pivot on his left foot and swing his right foot 180 degrees around.

If executed 🍌 correctly, the aggressive boxer will lunge in and sail harmlessly past his opponent like a bull missing a matador.

This is 🍌 rarely seen in professional boxing as it requires a great disparity in skill level to execute.

Technically speaking it has been 🍌 said that there is no such thing as a check hook and that it is simply a hook applied to 🍌 an opponent that has lurched forward and past his opponent who simply hooks him on the way past.

Others have argued 🍌 that the check hook exists but is an illegal punch due to it being a pivot punch which is illegal 🍌 in the sport.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

employed the use of a check hook against Ricky Hatton, which sent Hatton flying head first 🍌 into the corner post and being knocked down.

Ring corner [ edit ]

Boxer Tina Rupprecht receiving instructions from her trainer while 🍌 being treated by her cutman in the ring corner between rounds.

In boxing, each fighter is given a corner of the 🍌 ring where they rest in between rounds for 1 minute and where their trainers stand.

Typically, three individuals stand in the 🍌 corner besides the boxer; these are the trainer, the assistant trainer and the cutman.

The trainer and assistant typically give advice 🍌 to the boxer on what they are doing wrong as well as encouraging them if they are losing.

The cutman is 🍌 a cutaneous doctor responsible for keeping the boxer's face and eyes free of cuts, blood and excessive swelling.

This is of 🍌 particular importance because many fights are stopped because of cuts or swelling that threaten the boxer's eyes.

In addition, the corner 🍌 is responsible for stopping the fight if they feel their fighter is in grave danger of permanent injury.

The corner will 🍌 occasionally throw in a white towel to signify a boxer's surrender (the idiomatic phrase "to throw in the towel", meaning 🍌 to give up, derives from this practice).

[73] This can be seen in the fight between Diego Corrales and Floyd Mayweather.

In 🍌 that fight, Corrales' corner surrendered despite Corrales' steadfast refusal.

Health concerns [ edit ]

Knocking a person unconscious or even causing a 🍌 concussion may cause permanent brain damage.

[74] There is no clear division between the force required to knock a person out 🍌 and the force likely to kill a person.

[75] Additionally, contact sports, especially combat sports, are directly related to a brain 🍌 disease called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, abbreviated as CTE.

This disease begins to develop during the life of the athlete, and continues 🍌 to develop even after sports activity has ceased.

In March 1981, neurosurgeon Dr.

Fred Sonstein sought to use CAT scans in an 🍌 attempt to track the degeneration of boxers' cognitive functions after seeing the decline of Bennie Briscoe.

[76] From 1980 to 2007, 🍌 more than 200 amateur boxers, professional boxers and Toughman fighters died due to ring or training injuries.

[77] In 1983, editorials 🍌 in the Journal of the American Medical Association called for a ban on boxing.

[78] The editor, Dr.

George Lundberg, called boxing 🍌 an "obscenity" that "should not be sanctioned by any civilized society".

[79] Since then, the British,[80] Canadian[81] and Australian[82] Medical Associations 🍌 have called for bans on boxing.

Supporters of the ban state that boxing is the only sport where hurting the other 🍌 athlete is the goal.Dr.

Bill O'Neill, boxing spokesman for the British Medical Association, has supported the BMA's proposed ban on boxing: 🍌 "It is the only sport where the intention is to inflict serious injury on your opponent, and we feel that 🍌 we must have a total ban on boxing.

"[83] Opponents respond that such a position is misguided opinion, stating that amateur 🍌 boxing is scored solely according to total connecting blows with no award for "injury".

They observe that many skilled professional boxers 🍌 have had rewarding careers without inflicting injury on opponents by accumulating scoring blows and avoiding punches winning rounds scored 10-9 🍌 by the 10-point must system, and they note that there are many other sports where concussions are much more prevalent.

[citation 🍌 needed] However, the data shows that the concussion rate in boxing is the highest of all contact sports.

[84][85][86] In addition, 🍌 repetitive and subconcussive blows to the head, and not just concussions, cause CTE,[87][88][89][90][91][92] and the evidence indicates that brain damage 🍌 and the effects of CTE are more severe in boxing.

[93][94][95][96][97][98]

In 2007, one study of amateur boxers showed that protective headgear 🍌 did not prevent brain damage,[99] and another found that amateur boxers faced a high risk of brain damage.

[100] The Gothenburg 🍌 study analyzed temporary levels of neurofilament light in cerebral spinal fluid which they conclude is evidence of damage, even though 🍌 the levels soon subside.

More comprehensive studies of neurological function on larger samples performed by Johns Hopkins University in 1994 and 🍌 accident rates analyzed by National Safety Council in 2017 show amateur boxing is a comparatively safe sport due to the 🍌 regulations of amateur boxing and a greater control of the athletes,[101] although the studies did not focus on CTE or 🍌 its long-term effects.

In addition, a good training methodology and short career can reduce the effects of brain damage.[102]

In 1997, the 🍌 American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians was established to create medical protocols through research and education to prevent injuries in 🍌 boxing.[103][104]

Professional boxing is forbidden in Iceland,[105] Iran and North Korea.

It was banned in Sweden until 2007 when the ban was 🍌 lifted but strict restrictions, including four three-minute rounds for fights, were imposed.

[106] Boxing was banned in Albania from 1965 until 🍌 the fall of Communism in 1991.

Norway legalized professional boxing in December 2014.[107]

The International Boxing Association (AIBA) restricted the use of 🍌 head guards for senior males after 2013.

[108][109] A literature review study analyses present knowledge about protecting headgear and injury prevention 🍌 in boxing to determine if injury risks associated with not head guard usage increased.

The research of the reviewed literature indicates 🍌 that head guards cover well against lacerations and skull fractures.

Therefore, AIBA's decision to terminate the head guard must be considered 🍌 cautiously, and injury rates among (male) boxers should be continuously evaluated.[110]

Possible health benefits [ edit ]

Like other active and dynamic 🍌 sports, boxing may be argued to provide some general benefits, such as fat burning, increased muscle tone, strong bones and 🍌 ligaments, cardiovascular fitness, muscular endurance, improved core stability, co-ordination and body awareness, strength and power, stress relief and self-esteem.

Boxing Halls 🍌 of Fame [ edit ]

Stamp honoring heavyweight champion Gene Tunney

The sport of boxing has two internationally recognized boxing halls of 🍌 fame; the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF)[111] and the Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas.

The latter opened in Las 🍌 Vegas, Nevada in 2013 and was founded by Steve Lott, former assistant manager for Mike Tyson.[112]

The International Boxing Hall of 🍌 Fame opened in Canastota, New York in 1989.

The first inductees in 1990 included Jack Johnson, Benny Leonard, Jack Dempsey, Henry 🍌 Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, and Muhammad Ali.

Other world-class figures[113] include Salvador Sanchez, Jose Napoles, Roberto "Manos de Piedra" 🍌 Durán, Ricardo Lopez, Gabriel "Flash" Elorde, Vicente Saldivar, Ismael Laguna, Eusebio Pedroza, Carlos Monzón, Azumah Nelson, Rocky Marciano, Pipino Cuevas, 🍌 Wilfred Benitez, Wilfredo Gomez, Felix Trinidad and Ken Buchanan.

The Hall of Fame's induction ceremony is held every June as part 🍌 of a four-day event.

The fans who come to Canastota for the Induction Weekend are treated to a number of events, 🍌 including scheduled autograph sessions, boxing exhibitions, a parade featuring past and present inductees, and the induction ceremony itself.

The Boxing Hall 🍌 of Fame Las Vegas features the $75 million ESPN Classic Sports fight film and tape library and radio broadcast collection.

The 🍌 collection includes the fights of many great champions, including: Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Roberto Durán, Marvin Hagler, Jack 🍌 Dempsey, Joe Louis, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano and Sugar Ray Robinson.

It is this exclusive fight film library that will separate 🍌 the Boxing Hall of Fame Las Vegas from the other halls of fame which do not have rights to any 🍌 video of their sports.

The inaugural inductees included Muhammad Ali, Henry Armstrong, Tony Canzoneri, Ezzard Charles, Julio César Chávez Sr.

, Jack 🍌 Dempsey, Roberto Durán, Joe Louis, and Sugar Ray Robinson.[114]

Governing and sanctioning bodies [ edit ]Governing bodies

Major sanctioning bodiesIntermediateNoviceAmateur

International Boxing Association 🍌 (IBA; now also professional)

Boxing rankings [ edit ]

There are various organization and websites, that rank boxers in both weight class 🍌 and pound-for-pound manner.

See also [ edit ]Notes [ edit ]References [ edit ]

vocational rehabilitation success stories.