Olympics

Despite there being records of its existence as far back as the Roman times, boxing was only included as one of the sports in the Olympics in the early 20th century. In order for individuals to take part in boxing at the Olympics, it is necessary for them to retain their amateur status. However, doing well in this arena can still lead to an increase in their stature on the world sporting stage. Boxing at a professional level is much more popular.

Sporting Celebrities

Professional boxing is a massive industry, when compared to the sport at amateur level, though the athletes compete under very similar rules. There can be said to be a causal link between the celebrity status of professional boxers and the popularity of the sport. The combination of ability, fighting style and controversy can dictate the personality of the boxer, which can lead them to earn fans who are prepared to travel to see them fight.

Promotion

The use of very effective promoters is another reason for the popularity of boxing in the sporting world. One example of this is Don King, who has built a personal fortune of $150 million and is the person who arranged the famous ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, for which he negotiated a $10 million purse. The addition of dramatics during weigh-ins and media conferences, for example, add to the tension and help to promote boxing matches further, demanding the attention of more fans from all over the world. This attention is additionally beneficial as it will enable the fight to earn from sponsors and advertisers.

Events

The sport of boxing is more than a mere match, it becomes an event, especially when it takes place somewhere like Las Vegas. These often come after a large amount of promotion, which may have included posters that show the opponents standing toe to toe. This all increases the hype of a boxing match, leading to sales of tickets for live matches and pay-per-view.
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Muhammad Ali

Arguably the most well-known and well-loved boxer of all time, this heavyweight champion began life as Cassius Clay before changing his name to Muhammad Ali on converting to Islam in 1964. During a long career, Ali fought in 61 bouts and knocked out his opponent in 37 of them. Loved as much for his charismatic, out-spoken attitude as for his fighting style, Muhammad Ali has earned life-long fans from his ability to follow-through on his clever patter. The most legendary of his fights were the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ against George Foreman and the ‘Thrilla in Manila’ against Joe Frazier.

Marvin Hagler

Also known as Marvellous Marvin, Hagler is a notable boxer who held the world middleweight championship title in the 1980s. With the highest number of knock outs amongst middle weight boxers, Hagler was inducted into the World and International Boxing Hall of Fame. 2002 saw him named as one of the greatest fighters of the past 80 years by Ring Magazine, coming in at number 17.

Sugar Ray Leonard

After a long amateur career that began in the early 1970s, Ray Charles Leonard, also known as Sugar Ray, became a professional boxer. A member of the International Hall of Fame, Leonard was voted Fighter of the Year in 1979 by the Boxing Writers Association of America. In 40 fights, Leonard won 36, lost 3 and drew 1.

Sugar Ray Robinson

Walker Smith Jr. Was Sugar Ray Robinson’s real name and he had a successful amateur career before becoming professional. Holding both the welter and middle weight titles, Robinson’s professional record 128 wins with 84 knock outs.

Rocky Marciano

Rocky ‘The Brockton Blockbuster’ Marciano is also known as Rocco Marchegiano. Marciano was named as the 10th greatest heavyweight boxer by Ring Magazine in 1971 and was voted boxer of the year by them 3 times. Of 49 bouts, Marciano won 49 times with 43 of them being knock outs, making him the only heavyweight champion never to have been defeated.

Picture: Wikimedia: Bust portrait of Muhammad Ali, World Journal Tribune photo by Ira Rosenberg

Early Training

From the early stages as a child into high school years, the training develops the boxer’s body and conditioning to withstand much more abuse in later years. Scientific studies have confirmed those who have spent years training have multiple scarring and fractures in their body frames and skeleton that have healed over, toughening up the hands and body. This conditioning and repair allows the body over time to deal more and take more abuse from boxing.

Beginning Competition

By the time the boxer is in high school, he should already be making a name for himself in local contests and circuits. At the school level, most of the competition is between schools and clubs under a highly regulated ruleset and arena for safety purposes. With development and age, the boxer then migrates to the amateur ranks.

Amateur Ranking

The amateur ranks are the hard slog for the box. Here he has to show his worth, make a name for himself and rank, but there’s not much payback financially. All the money obtained through help and programs goes right into further training and preparation. Only when the boxer is clearly ready can he consider the professional circuit. By this time the boxer also needs to be represented with an agent.

Professional Entry

The agent opens the door to professional boxing. It’s the agent’s job to work out the deals, the contracts, and the appearances for the prize and compensation. With this help, the boxer then reaches the professional ring. But to get an agent’s attention, the boxer had to have been noticed earlier in the amateur level. So everything builds up to the professional entry.

Luck

In the entire chain of becoming a viable, professional boxer, an athlete needs to stay healthy and avoid career-limiting injury. If the boxer can maintain his endurance, physique, and health, he can have the resources necessary to reach his prime. However, injuries can happen when least expected, derailing many boxers before they ever see the professional level.

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History

Records of fist fights have been found as far back as the 12th century in Italy when the fashion of wearing a weapon would fluctuate. In the 16th century, the sport of bare-knuckle boxing emerged in England and became known as prizefighting. Fights of this time were effectively a free-for-all, allowing opponents of varying size, weight and ability to square up to each other and brawl until one could no longer continue, sometimes leading to death. It was during this period that the term ‘boxing’ first came to be recognised piecemeal as an official name for the sport.

Rules

Despite having an official name, it took longer for boxing to obtain any official rules, and those that did, came gradually. The 18th century arrived before the first rules were implemented, which came about through practice rather than being written down. Known as Broughton’s Rules after champion boxer, Jack Broughton, it was decided that padded gloves should be used during a fight, hitting below the waist was banned and a man would be deemed unable to continue if he remained down for 30 seconds. Hitting below the belt was also classed as against the rules. Though there was some documenting of rules in the late 18th century, the official Prize Ring Rules were drawn up in the early 19th century. In addition to outlining what actions would be deemed fouls, such head-butting and hitting below the waist, the size of the ring was also specified. This was superseded by the Marquess of Queensberry Rules, which developed what was already in place.

Official Rules

The early 20th century saw amateur boxing being included in the Olympics, which gave the sport more legitimacy after the banning of bare-knuckle boxing. The regulations set out in the Queensberry Rules have been extended for professional boxing matches, ensuring safety and the ability to determine a clear winner between similarly matched opponents.

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Gloves

One of the first pieces of equipment that is thought of in respect of the pugilist sport is a pair of boxing gloves. While it seems logical that the only requirement is to obtain a pair that fit, there are other aspects to consider, such as material and weight. While boxing gloves worn in a professional match are approximately 10oz, those worn whilst sparring tend to be a little heavier. In addition, hand-wraps are necessary to give extra protection to the small bones of the hands.

Boots

A boxer that is fast in the ring may get the upper hand, which makes it essential for them to be able to perform some quick footwork. This highlights the requirement for the correct footwear, which allows a boxer to be light on their feet. While the correct boots offer little support to the foot, they are designed to be light and offer ventilation to increase their comfort. The boots tend to be made from suede or leather.

Head guard

Skilled boxers will be aware of how to protect their heads with their fists and forearms, but this is not the only barrier that should be utilised. Use of head guards arose as part of the regulation of the professional sport, offering protection to the boxer’s head and face. The construction of the head is designed to cushion any blows aimed at the head, which
helps to lessen the effect and reduce the risk of serious injury.

Gum shield

Even with the use of a head guard, the face is mostly exposed, which makes it vulnerable to injury. It is necessary to use a gum shield to prevent a punch to the face resulting in broken teeth or some other oral injury.

Clothing

Clothing that allows the body to move freely is essential to remain fast and efficient in the ring. There will often be rules in respect of what can be worn in a professional match, but a vest and shorts is standard.

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