What is Boxing?
Boxing is a form of hand-to-hand unarmed combat where one athlete attempts to land punches on the head or body (above waist-height) of the opponent to score points - as decided by judges - or render said opponent unable to continue.
By whom, where and when was Boxing invented?
While the earliest evidence of boxing dates back to Ancient Egypt in around 3000 BC, it was not until the 16th century that 'prizefighting' or bare-knuckle boxing began to spring up, largely in Great Britain.
In 1867, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were published which codified boxing for the first time and mandated the use of boxing gloves.
What are the rules of Boxing?
Boxing takes place in a 'ring' - a squared circle with sides between 4.9m and 7.3m in length and ropes between the four corners - attached to an elevated canvas mat.
The two boxers face each other over a number of rounds which usually last three minutes. A referee controls the action and can stop the bout if they deem one boxer unable to continue. They can also suspend proceedings temporarily to allow cuts to be attended or equipment to be adjusted.
If one boxer is punched to the floor, it is called a knockdown and the referee starts a count to 10. If the boxer fails to beat the count, they are knocked out. The referee can also award a standing eight count if they feel a boxer has taken a sufficiently hard punch to require a break.
Judges score each round separately with 10 points going to the boxer they feel has had the better of proceedings in terms of the power and accuracy of their punches although aggression is also often rewarded. The loser of the round usually scores nine points, but this can be eight if the winner has been particularly dominant or scored a knockdown. If the contest goes the distance, the scorecards will decide who has won.
What is the difference between Olympic Boxing and Professional Boxing?
In Olympic boxing, bouts for men and women consist of three three-minutes rounds. Adjudication and scoring has changed over the years but now there are five ringside judges who assess the contest.
Headguards were introduced at Los Angeles 1984 but then scrapped for the men ahead of Rio 2016. Women's Olympic boxing - which made its debut at London 2012 - still requires the use of headguards.
Having previously been restricted to amateur boxers, professionals were first admitted at Rio 2016.
In men's professional boxing, championship bouts consist of 12 three-minute rounds with just three ringside judges. In non-championship bouts of shorter durations, the referee is also the scorer.
In women's professional boxing, championship bouts consist of 10 two-minute rounds.
Boxing and the Olympics
Boxing made its Olympic debut at St. Louis 1904 and has featured at every Games since except Stockholm 1912 due to the sport being illegal in Sweden at that time.
Women's boxing was introduced at London 2012 with just three weight classes, although that number has gradually increased with men's weight classes reduced.
Cuba and the United States are the historical powerhouses of Olympic boxing with Great Britain and Russia also known for their strength in the sport. Britain, Ireland and the United States have so far enjoyed the most success in women's Olympic boxing.
Best Boxers to watch
Many boxers turn professional after competing at the Olympic Games with Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather (who won bronze at Atlanta 1996 after a controversial semi-final points defeat), Vladimir Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua going on to win world title belts.
With Cuban athletes previously only able to compete professionally if they defected from the country, several boxers stayed on to become greats of amateur boxing including heavyweights Teofilo Stevenson and Felix Savon.
But in April 2022, after a ban lasting 60 years, Cubans were finally permitted to turn professional with Tokyo 2020 gold medallists Arlen Lopez and Julio Cesar La Cruz among those doing so.
Boxing Competition Rules at Paris 2024
The number of men’s weight classes was reduced to seven (down from eight at Tokyo 2020), while the women’s weight classes increased to six (up from five).
The competition followed a straight elimination format from the beginning, with no box-off for third place—losing semi-finalists both received bronze medals.
Preliminary contests took place at Arena Paris Nord, while the medal bouts were held at Roland Garros, the iconic venue of the French Open tennis tournament.
