Did you know?A British periodical, London Protestant Mercury, featured the victory of James Figg in ...

1. History of Boxing
Did you know?A British periodical, London Protestant Mercury, featured the victory of James Figg in
bare-knuckle championship in 1719 for the first time ever in the history of prizefighting. This was
when the term 'boxing' was coined.
Boxing, today, is a multimillion dollar sport that has inspired and garnered millions of passionate
followers throughout the world. However, the sport itself is mired with stories, controversies,
contradictions and of course, personal enmities. It was officially ranked as the most difficult sport by
ESPN in 2004. Possibly, the very fact that it is a brutal combat sport, wherein participants take on
each other, one on one, plays an important role in creating the hype that exists around modern
boxing.
The Beginning
The first solid evidence of boxing has been recorded way back around 3000 B.C, and comes from
Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Boxing is one of the oldest contact sports known to mankind. Because it essentially involves fist
fighting, the practice may have existed, not as a sport, but as a form of violent encounters, even
during the prehistoric times. The Greek epic Iliad, an 8th century B.C. work by Homer, illustrates
how boxing was a sport that was played in the form of 'prize-fight' during funerals. This shows how
ceremonially important the sport may have been in ancient Greece. Later on, though, it was included
in the Olympic games and thus became a full-fledged sport rather than making ceremonial
appearances. But still, boxing was in a very rudimentary form, in that there were no defined rules
and regulations about any aspect of the sport. Whoever wished, could take part, and anybody could
fight anyone. When one of the boxers was too tired and injured to fight any further, the other one
was declared the winner.
Gladiator contestants wrapped their hands in leather straps embedded with metal shards, sharp
enough, to injure their opponent.
An interesting take on boxing, as a mortal combat event, comes from ancient Rome where it was
included in the gladiator contests, where the contestants fought until one of them died, or was
severely injured. Some sources also tell us that in ancient Rome, where slavery was deeply rooted,
boxing matches were arranged for those slaves, who sought freedom. The combat took place
between two such slaves and the one who won was released from the bonds of slavery. On the
contrary, the one who lost was either killed in that combat or was retained as a slave for the rest of
his life.
So, in ancient times, boxing was in a very primitive stage. It was one of those competitive sports
wherein contestants either lived or died, or in some cases suffered irreparable injuries. However, the
sport itself fell into a state of obscurity after the downfall of the Roman Empire. It did make minor
appearances in the form of bare-knuckle fighting during the Renaissance age in 16th century
Europe, but did not manage to gain enough popularity, as it was then practiced predominantly by
the lower classes. The upper class elites indulged in more noble forms of entertainment and
regarded boxing as a savage sport.

2. The 18th century Revival
18th century Europe saw the age of Enlightenment. This was the period when the people of Europe
looked keenly into their ancient sources of knowledge and wisdom and tried to incorporate them in
their daily lives. Everyone was suddenly very curious to know about their roots and the origin of
things. In this quest of gaining knowledge from the sources of antiquity, the curious Europeans
stumbled upon ancient references to boxing which triggered a renewed interest in the sport.
The first officially recorded boxing match took place in England, where Christopher Monck, an
English politician set up a contest between his butler and his butcher. The butcher eventually won
and was rewarded.
The wealthy English aristocrats began to patronize bare-knuckle fights among the boxers whom they
chose. A lot of money was involved in such fights, with the victorious individual winning hefty
amounts. A major part of this physical sport then involved fencing and cudgeling. England became
the birthplace of what came to be known as 'prizefighting', wherein the two contestants fought on
behalf of their patrons, sometimes even to settle their patrons' personal grudges. But again, these
contests were not based on any kind of rules and regulations. Sometimes, the fights became so
intense and vehement that they resulted in the death of one of the fighters.
Free Videos Of The Best Boxers Of All Time
Owing to his contribution to the sport, Jack Broughton is known as the 'Father of English Boxing'.
In order to avoid such gruesome situations, in 1743, a set of rules were introduced for all boxing
matches which were supposed to be played thenceforth. This was the first true revolution that
happened in the field of boxing. These rules came to be recognized as Broughton's rules named after
an English bare-knuckle champion Jack Broughton, who formalized them. Some of the basic rules
that shaped conventional boxing since then, included
The use of 'mufflers' or padded gloves,
Prohibition to attack and grapple an opponent below the waist, and
Disqualifying a player if he was unable to get up and fight back within a prescribed time limit of 30
seconds, after being knocked down by his opponent.
Broughton is said to have formalized these rules after he injured an opponent in a prize-fight so
severely that he eventually died.
The Torch is Lit
After Jack Broughton's era as a bare-knuckle champion, the interest of English aristocracy in boxing
faced a decline. However, the following Anglo-French war for colonial dominance that took place
during the 1780s, triggered a strong nationalist sentiment in the people of England in general.
Suddenly, everybody wanted to do things that they thought were truly 'English'. As a result, owing to
the development of boxing as a white-collared sport in England and the valuable contribution of
their very own Jack Broughton to it, boxing also re-emerged, alongside many other things, with force
and double the energy.
Daniel Mendoza was a Jewish fighter and so was often referred to as 'the Jew'.

3. A lot of fights began to be arranged during this time leading to a lot of new pugilists rising to
popularity. Moreover, every new kid on the block, brought with him his own style of fighting (staying
within the framework of Broughton's rules) which gained more and more fame for the sport. One
such name that rose to prominence was a London-based pugilist called Daniel Mendoza. He brought
with him, his unique style of boxing footwork and counter punches. His fights, particularly with
Richard Humphreys fetched a lot of audience as both of them would block attacks, taunt each other
(both during the match and in the newspaper bytes that they gave the night before the match) and
wave their bodies in a unique way for the purpose of self-defense.
Though many people thought that such kind of dance-like moves gave a crude tint to the otherwise
white-collared gentleman's sport, the sport did manage to get a considerable fan following of the
young and the old alike.
A Leap Forward
Men began looking at boxing as a way of defending themselves from hooligans who menaced all
across the streets of London.
The popularity of boxing was thus increasing at a tremendous speed. It became the sport of the
masses, a sport in which men from every race, class and creed could participate. More and more
people wanted to learn the sport and be an active part of it. Owing to this, boxing took one more
leap forward. Numerous boxing schools and academies sprang up all across England and, not
surprisingly, most of them were soon overflowing with applications.
The 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules' borrows the name from the 9th Marquess Of Queensberry, Sir
John Sholto Douglas.
In 1838 came the introduction of the 'London Prize Ring Rules' which were to be revised later in
1853. The rules, however, revolved around bare-knuckle boxing only and upheld Jack Broughton's
legacy for a little over a century. These rules were eventually succeeded by 'Marquess of
Queensberry Rules' that set the parameters for modern-day boxing. The code of these rules was
penned down in 1865 by a Welshman called John Graham Chambers, who was an all-star athlete and
sportsman excelling in boxing, cycling, wrestling, rowing and billiards. Chambers was also an
honored member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules'
were finally published in 1867. The 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules' was a set of 12 rules which
called for the mandatory use of gloves during the boxing match, a standard size of the boxing ring,
dividing a boxing match into different rounds of three minutes each and a count of 10 seconds for a
complete and an undisputed victory. Players were prohibited from wearing boots with springs or
even from hugging the opponent or wrestling with him.
The 1867 draft of the 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules' paved the way for a number of amateur
competitions at popular venues throughout London. The competitors were divided into lightweight,
middleweight and heavyweight in accordance to their physical characteristics which broadened the
possibilities of participation. The introduction of gloves changed the entire pulse of the game. The
attack and defense strategies, gradually began to change from their orthodox bare-knuckle
counterparts.
Roosevelt wanted all men of America to be strong and sturdy and regarded boxers to be "men as
hard as nails".
The 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules' then transitioned as the foundation of boxing governance into

4. the USA and Canada. In 1892, in New Orleans, the title for the first heavyweight champion under
the Queensberry Rules was spectacularly fought between John L. Sullivan (Boston Strong Boy) and
James J. Corbett ("Gentleman Jim" Corbett). The result of the match saw James J. Corbett emerge as
the victor. Also, Theodore Roosevelt advocated boxing to a large extent. While he himself was
trained in boxing as a young man, he also promoted it as a manly sport.
Glamor to the Glitz
What had commenced on dingy streets and shady taverns, evolved into a stage with cheering
spectators and spotlights; Boxing had officially arrived!
Despite the establishment of the 'Marquess of Queensberry Rules' and the soaring popularity of the
sport, boxing in the late 19th century came to be outlawed in U.K. as the law was a little skeptical
about the motive of this prizefighting sport that was usually held at shady venues. Gambling and
betting on the fighters came to be a rage with huge stakes involved. People from all walks of life
would flock to the venues and this spectator sport was usually held at underground locations like the
Lillie Bridge in London which was often subject to raids and arrests by the local police. Shortly after
this era, in the 20th century, boxing, through its highs and lows came to be recognized as a
prominent part of society and featured many influential promoters and legendary champions. This
was followed with the establishment of boxing commissions, legal sanctioning and governing bodies.
In countries like Cuba, North Korea and Norway, professional boxing still remains banned.
Soon enough, boxing grew to international heights and 'professional boxing' emerged in many
countries. But popularity always has a price to pay. Boxing has also been controversy's child through
time. The modern professional boxing scene saw many legends showcasing their talent since 1920s.
Some of these boxers included Henry Armstrong, Joe Louis, Max Schmeling, James. J. Braddock,
Jack Dempsey, Jess Willard and Georges Carpentier amongst many others.
Journey Thenceforth
During World War II, a boxing ring became a major battlefield for champions hailing from different
countries. One famous incident was the 1938 match between Max Schmeling and Joe Louis that
resulted in Schmeling's defeat after which he was compelled by Adolf Hitler to enroll in the German
armed forces.
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The 'Gillette Friday Night Fights' program that aired live boxing matches from around the globe on
NBC and later on the ABC network, was a rage.
In the 1950s, the world had started finding its feet economically after World War II. Television had
made its way in a majority of homes and international network providers featured live sport
broadcasts. Boxing Championships were now, not only limited to the United States and England but
was also hosted by many other countries like South Africa, Japan, Australia and Argentina. Boxing
event organizers, promoters and managers generated a heavy amount of finance through their work.
The resurrection of boxing finally came about. However, a lot of prominent promoters were either
involved with the Mafia, or were the Mafia themselves, and boxing transitioned into an intense and
notorious backdrop. In the following years, a lot of boxers stemmed from controversial pasts.
One such controversial boxing legend during the 1960s was Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), who

5. embraced Islam and was charged with evasion of not serving the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.
Ali was stripped of boxing title and license, after which he did not make a ring appearance for four
years. Yet, he steadfastly voiced his opinion about being against the whole idea of the Vietnam War
and went on to inspire the likes of Martin Luther King Jr. He, however, returned to the boxing ring
in the 1970s.
Establishments like World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International
Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) began pitching competitions
against each other. Matches for boxing titles in accordance to divisions such as lightweight,
heavyweight, etc. commenced in the 70s which could be viewed live on color television sets.
Mike Tyson, in 1986, was reigning supreme at the peak of his career with the World Heavyweight
Champion title to himself.
Boxing in the 1980s and 1990s featured some of the most magnificent matches, primarily financed
by the corporates. Boxers such as Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán and Marvin
Hagler continued to intrigue the spectators. The 90s paved way for many talented newcomers like
Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Oscar De La Hoya hailing from
countries such as Britain and Canada, who carved a niche for themselves.
With the dawn of the 20th century, Germany emerged as an epicenter for boxing with a number of
talented boxers to its credit. A professional British boxer, Amir Khan, shot to fame quickly with the
WBO Intercontinental, Commonwealth and WBA International titles to his name. Vijender Singh, a
small town boy from India was also recognized by the International Boxing Association which
announced him as the top ranked boxer in the annual middleweight category in 2009. Despite all
this, in the 21st century, the glory that boxing once achieved and enjoyed, seems to have diminished
considerably with other more glamorous and supposedly elitist sports such as cricket and football
coming to the forefront.
As a sport, boxing has given the world great men and excellent sportsmen. These stalwarts in my
opinion are men who have fought for guts and glory and forever left an indelible mark in the minds
of fans.
Sugar Ray Robinson (1940-1965): One of the few sportsmen who have a commemorative stamp in
their name, he is regarded as one of the greatest boxers to ever have set foot inside the ring.
Rocky Marciano (1948-1955): One of the hardest punchers of all times, Marciano remained
undefeated in all the 49 matches which he played. Regardless of this, he never managed to score
high ranks but still his winning record brought to his name, a lot of glory.
Willie Pep (1940-1966): This Italian-American boxer has a record of 229 victories out of the 241
matches that he played. He also has a record of winning 73 matches in a row. This definitely makes
him one of the greatest boxers of all times.
Muhammad Ali (1960-1981): Possibly a living example of why boxing is called a lethal sport,
Muhammad Ali has been revered all over the world as one of the greatest boxers ever. He described
his unconventional and distinctive style of fighting as 'float like a butterfly, sting like a bee'.
Mike Tyson (1985-2005): As a boxer, there was no question that Tyson makes an important part of
this list. But at the same time, he is also a classic case of how too much of publicity and adulation
can be extremely bad for a person.

6. What started off as a competitive sport mainly played for betting, boxing has come a long way from
what it used to be. Despite being an underrated sport today, boxing still finds a huge fan following
amongst fierce and passionate boxing lovers. An immortal legacy has been shaped by various
champion boxers, who came, reigned and left. Several legendary fights of all time are still
reminisced upon by ardent fans and spectators. The whole vibe and accord of times that saw these
champions in action is ineffable and still vests in the hearts of many.
The new generation of boxers are also an energetic and spectacular breed. Fighters from Cuba,
Russia, India and USA have shown some serious talent in the recent times, and the world has
witnessed several women's boxing tournaments as well. But, will there be another iconic era for
boxing? Only time will tell!