Monday 14 April 2014

How Boxing Was Born


Welcome back my fellow learners, today we are going to look at that popular sport boxing, and how it came about. Though I have to add I am more into speed, no not the drug, the sport, racing, whether it be on bikes or cars is more my bag, so I have to ask, what is so enjoyable about watching 2 grown men beat the crap out of each other?

Anyway enough of my rant, lets get the learning done.

Boxing has grown over the centuries, however, it is most popular in Europe and the Americas. People such as Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Benny Leonard, Mickey Walker have made this sport legendary, and made it into what it is today. However, something you may not know but boxing was originally known as Pugilism, which simply means sweet science.

History shows that boxing first starting in 4000BC in North Africa, and was also popular in Greece, and yep you guessed it, by my blood thirsty Romans. In those days there were no rules in boxing, and most of the times it was to the death. Boxing gloves had not even been thought of so leather was used to bind the hands. The Romans used slaves and prisoners for their boxing matches, and sometimes they fought for their freedom. But evidence shows that everyday men enjoyed participating in the sport just for the sheer enjoyment of it. However, a buzzjoy named Augustus decided to ban this sport, and in 500AD it was also banned by the odoric due to its growing popularity, and was blamed for causing a distraction in everyday life, which begs the question of “what was their life like if something as simple as boxing wrecked havoc with it”?

The first documented records on boxing was in England in 1681. It states that a bored Duke of Albermarle decided to make a wage of who would win when his butler and butcher entered the competition, this soon took off and many boxing competitions began to spring up amongst the gentry, this was done with the hierarchy due to boredom mostly, and they wanted something to alleviate this and supply them with fun and amusement.

However, before this a little known man called Jack Boughtonis established the ever set of boxing rules. Jack decided to publish these rules when an opponent of his died within the ring, thus sprung the legend known as the father of boxing.

However, most of know the traditional boxing rules call the Queensbery rules. These were named after the founder the Marquess of Queensberry in 1866. These rules are still in operation even today, and use the 3 minute rounds rule. The Marquess banned all forms of wrestling gouging, and made gloves compulsory.

So there you have it readers, a quick run down on how boxing was first created.


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