|
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and involves fighting with the fists. Boxing rivalry means two or more fights between the same fighters. Who can forget the notable rivalries of boxing - Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney, Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield, and other famous bouts? Muhammad Ali, born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., is one of the world's greatest heavyweight boxers, who retired with a career record of 56 wins, 37 by knockout, against 5 losses.
Boxing History
Boxing history can be traced back to ancient times, where it was depicted on the walls of tombs of Beni Hasan in Egypt, dating from about 2000 to 1500 BC. Boxing was a part of the ancient Olympics and there was no break in action in the game. It was an exhaustive and brutal sport. Boxers wound heavy leather strips around their hands and wrists, and under the Roman rule, these were tipped with metal. The Romans went even farther by creating the myrmex ("limb piercer"), which was a spur-like instrument made of bronze.
In the 17th century, boxing was actually a combination of wrestling and boxing. The word "boxing" was first used in the 18th century in England to distinguish from fighting to settle disputes and fighting under agreed rules of sport. In the early 18th century, boxing became organized with the help of royal patronage, in the form of betting or offering prizes. James Figg, an expert fencer and boxer opened a boxing academy in London in 1719. Jack Broughton, Figg's pupil, drew up the first formal rules for boxing in 1743. Broughton also invented the first boxing gloves, known as "mufflers", to protect both the hands and the face from blows.
Boxing first appeared in the Olympic games in 1904, and was part of the Games ever since, except in the 1912 Olympic games. Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic games as a demonstration bout in 1904. It was banned in most nations for most of the 20th century. The revival of Women's boxing was initiated by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which allowed events for women in 1988. The AIBA approved the first European Cup for Women in 1999 and the first World Championship for women in 2001.
Amateur Boxing
Amateur boxing is the version of boxing at the Olympic games. The focus is on scoring punches rather than doing actual physical damage to the opponent. The contenders wear protective headgear, and box for three rounds of three-minutes each. Each punch that lands on the head or torso is awarded a point. A referee monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows and ensure that the boxers don't use holding tactics to prevent the opponent from swinging. If a contender cannot continue the fight because of legal blows from the opponent, the match is concluded and the competitor still standing is declared the winner by knockout. The Golden Gloves is an annual competition for amateur boxing in the United States.To be eligible to compete in AIBA (Association Internationale de Boxe or the International Amateur Boxing Association) Boxing under AIBA Rules, the boxer should not have boxed with or against a professional boxer for a money prize or in open competition.
For Senior and Junior (U-19) boxers there are 11 weight classes in AIBA:48 kg, 51 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 64 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg, 81 kg, 91 kg, 91+ kg.
For Female and Cadet boxers there are 13 weight classes in AIBA:46 kg, 48 kg, 50 kg, 52 kg, 54 kg, 57 kg, 60 kg, 63 kg, 66 kg, 70 kg, 75 kg, 80 kg and 86 kg.
Kickboxing
Kickboxing was known as 'full contact karate'. Kickboxing began in the mid-seventies in the US, where karate proponents wanted a system where they could apply kicks and punches to the knockout. They were frustrated with the limitations of the primitive scoring system. The early bouts of kickboxing were fought on open matted areas, just like karate. Later, kickboxing matches were held in boxing rings. The World Kickboxing Association was formed by Americans and sent teams of kickboxers to Japan to prove their mettle. Joe Lewis, Bill Wallace, Benny Urquidez and Jeff Smith were the stars of early kickboxing games.
We thank you for visiting our directory, and wish you well in whatever endeavor brought you here. We are constantly adding new information and resources to our site, both general and state specific in nature, so check back often. |
