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| A
Quick History Lesson |
| Boxing
has come a long way since the days of bare-knuckle fighting.
Now considered the “sweet science,” boxing has taken on a
whole new form.
During the days
of bare-knuckle boxing (in the 19th century), competitors had
to be extremely accurate with their punches. One wrong move
and they could wind up severely damaging their hands. Boxers
of this era relied on defending themselves—blocking,
slipping, countering and wrestling. The action of a fight
tended to be slower paced with a lot of luring and drawing
tactics. Boxers fought 20, 45, and even 75 round matches, and
had to be conservative with their punches. They would pick
their openings and fight in two and three punch bursts over
the course of a fight.
With the
introduction of gloved boxing in 1892, boxing made its first
step toward modernization, although styles didn’t change
right away. In general, boxers threw only two or three punches
at a time. Parrying and countering were the fundamentals of
boxing technique at the turn of the century.
Advances in
footwork and defense began during the early 1900’s. With the
hands better protected, a boxer did not have to fight so
defensively, or be so cautious. Eventually boxers learned that
skill could overcome a superior punch. By the 1920’s
combination punching had become universal. Most of the best
techniques were in place by this time, and only minor
innovations occurred throughout the rest of the century.
Today, boxing
is divided into amateur and professional. Overwhelmingly,
boxers start as amateurs and later become professional boxers.
The rules in each division are quite different. We have
outlined these differences below. |
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| Amateur
Boxing vs. Professional Boxing |
| OBJECTIVE |
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| Land
punches. The force of a strike or its effect on the opponent
does not count.
A strike that
knocks a boxer to the mat receives no more credit than any
other strike. A knockdown is scored as a single blow and does
not necessarily make the boxer a winner of that round. |
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| Score
points. Points are awarded based on a strike’s impact and
effect on the opponent. Judges award points based on a fighter’s
aggressiveness and technique. The knockdown or knockout is an
objective in the pros. In rare cases, a fighter who scores a
knockdown may lose the round. |
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| ORGANIZATION |
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| Amateur
boxing is under the jurisdiction of a single national
governing body. USA Boxing, for example, has jurisdiction over
the administration and rules of competition for amateur boxing
in the United States. |
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| No
single governing body exists. Many state-controlled
commissions have different sets of rules and guidelines. |
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| INTERNATIONAL
REGULATIONS |
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| Amateur
boxing uses the same set of rules worldwide. USA Boxing’s
rules comply with the international regulations. However, USA
Boxing has more stringent safety guidelines. |
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| There
are various sanctioning bodies which all have their own set
rules. |
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| GLOVES |
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| USA
Boxing requires 10-ounce gloves for 106-156 Lb. boxers,
12-ounce gloves for 165 to 201+ Lb. boxers. Gloves used in the
US must have the USA Boxing label.
All AIBA gloves
are 10 ounce in weight, and must have the AIBA label. White
area denotes striking surface—this aids judges in scoring.
Must be thumb-attached or thumbless.
Gloves are
specially designed to absorb shock. |
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8
and 10 oz. gloves, depending on jurisdiction.
No striking
surface is indicated.
Gloves are
designed to transmit force. |
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| HEADGEARS |
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| Headgears
are mandatory in the U.S. and in major international
competitions. |
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| Headgears
are prohibited. |
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| MOUTHPIECES |
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| Form-fitted
mouthpieces are required and must be worn at all times. |
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| Certain
states, but not all, require mouthpieces in pro fights. |
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| INJURY |
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| If
a boxer becomes injured, the referee stops the sparring and
the boxer consults the on-site physician in his corner. The
continuation of the bout is determined by the physician; the
physician’s decision to stop or continue a match is binding.
The criteria
for stopping bouts due to injury are strict. Lacerations or
swelling which impair vision will cause a bout to be stopped. |
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Under
some rules, it is the same.
A fighter will
continue to fight even if his or her eye is swollen shut or if
a cut around the eye, nose or mouth is bleeding. |
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| FOULS |
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| A
strike counts for scoring only if the knuckle surface is used;
slapping, etc., is not allowed nor does it count for points.
The striking
area is limited to the front and side of the head and body,
above the waist.
Fouls (unfair
or dangerous tactics, hitting outside of the striking area)
lead to warnings and point penalties. Disqualification after 3
warnings. |
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| Fighters
are warned only if they have performed a harmful foul (below
the belt, etc). |
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| STANDING
EIGHT COUNT |
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| Given
to a boxer in difficulty, standing eight counts allow the
referee to evaluate the condition of a boxer. For men, the
bout is stopped after 3 eight-counts in a round or 4 in total.
The cumpulsory count limit for females is one less than men. |
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| Usually
do not exist in professional boxing. |
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| OUT-CLASSED |
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| Referee
will stop the bout if a boxer is out-classed. |
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| Referee
is authorized to stop the fight. Due to financial and TV
arrangements however, fights are rarely stopped. |
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| PHYSICAL |
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| Physicals
are mandatory before and after a bout. In a tournament, the
boxer has an initial physical and then before and after each
bout for each day of competition. |
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| Professional
physicals range from cursory to substantial before the fight,
depending on the state requirements. Typically no physical
takes place after the fight, unless a fighter obviously needs
medical attention. |
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| ATTIRE |
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| Tops
are mandatory for males and females. They assist the judges in
identifying the boxers. Tops also absorb sweat, blood and
dirt. |
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| Tops
are prohibited for males. Female pro fighters usually only box
in a sports bra-type top (not a singlet). |
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| VASELINE/GREASE |
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| ROUNDS |
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| Four
2-minute rounds with 1-minute break in between for Open
Division males; three 2-minute rounds for women. Shorter
rounds for novices and boxers under 17. |
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| Vary
considerably. From four rounds of 3 minutes up to twelve
rounds of 3 minutes. |
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