Boxing is a sport where people fight with their fists.
There are men's boxing matches and women's boxing matches.
They fight in a space called a ring.
Boxers wear padded gloves and helmets.
A referee makes sure that boxers follow the rules.
Boxing is an ancient sport that began in Greece in 866 BCE. It was part of the Ancient Olympic Games
History of Boxing
Boxing was introduced as an Olympic sport at the ancient games of 688 BC. Boxers wrapped their fists with leather straps and wore protective headgear. The boxers fought until one dropped or admitted defeat. The boxer admitting defeat raised his fist in the air to indicate that he'd had enough.
In Roman times, boxers used gloves studded with metal spikes, and fights often ended in the death of one of the boxers. When the Roman Empire fell, boxing disappeared from recorded history.
Boxing matches have always attracted many spectators. © Getty images
The next recorded boxing match was organised by a British Duke in 1868; it was a bout between the Duke's butler (servant) and the Duke's butcher. In 1867 modern boxing began with the rules made up by the Marquis of Queensberry. These rules, changed slightly, are still followed today.
Boxing in the Olympic Games
Model of a boxing ring. Each boxer has a corner where they sit in between rounds.Image©Dreamstime
Boxing competition is included in the modern Olympic Games. There are both men's and, introduced in 2012, women's competitions in Olympic boxing events. The enclosure where they box is called the ring.
They box in bouts of four rounds. Each round lasts two minutes, and there is a break of one minute in between.
The two boxers in the ring wear padded gloves and can only hit each other in certain parts of the upper body. For protection, boxers wear safety headgear and mouth pieces.
The rules of boxing
A referee is in the ring with the boxers. The boxers can lose points if they do not do what the referee tells them. Judges watch the bout and award points to the boxers for how well they box and how well they obey all the rules. If a boxer is warned three times about breaking the rules by the referee, the boxer can be disqualified.
A boxer trains in a variety of ways to prepare for a fight, or match. Image©Dreamstime
There are ten groups of male boxers who are grouped according to their weight. The lightest men are in a group called Light Flyweight, (46 -49 kilograms) and the heaviest men are in the group called Heavyweight. (91 + kilograms)
There are three groups for female boxers, also according to weight. The lightest females are Flyweight (48 - 51kilograms) and the heaviest Middle weight (69 - 75 kilograms).Boxing became an official Olympic sport for men in 1904. It has been a part of every Olympics since then, except for 1912 in at the Stockholm Games. Swedish law banned the boxing!
Boxing competition and championships are not only held at Olympic Games. They are held all over the world as professional fights in which the winners receive trophies and are paid.
Read about boxing equipment, rules and moves
Read more about boxing and famous boxers
The winner of a championship match greeting the crowd. Image©Dreamstime