Boxing History

The history of boxing goes back thousands of years. Also referred to as pugilism or as Muhammad Ali called it the "sweet science", boxing roots go all the way back to the times of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It has been argued by many that the sport of boxing is amongst the oldest form of combat sports known to man. Historically the fights would take place without the use of gloves, but rather with "leather hand Wraps" to protect the fighter from injuring his hand.

The first boxing match that was recorded was held in Britain in 1961. This fight was promoted and arranged by the Duke of Albemarle who had a keen interest in this particular sport. Due to the fact that the sport was not that popular, fights took place amongst people working class profession. The first bout as aforementioned took place between the Dukes butler and his local butcher.

As years passed, boxing started to become popular especially amongst the working classes of Britain. The growth in the interest in bare knuckle boxing led it to be held in amphitheatres through out England and Wales. Due to the fact that most bouts were unregulated there was a serious need to introduce rules to protect the fighters from serious injury and also set a universal standard.  Jack Boughton, who is often referred to as the "Father of Boxing" devised (what is argued) as the first set of rules. These subsequently gained publication in 1743 as an end result of bout where he killed his opposition in 1741.

The single biggest transition in the sport of boxing happened in 1865. This year the John Douglass introduced the Eighth Marquess of Queensbury. These were revolutionary new rules for boxing which basically transformed the sport into what it is today. John Douglass is regarded by some as the "God" of boxing. The changes that were revolutionary were the inclusion of three-minute rounds and the regulation of sanctioned gloves. These rules significantly reduced the death rate in the sport from serious injury. In addition, the Queensbury rules were also more readily acceptable as they were in the fighter's interest.

With the introduction of the new rules popularity of boxing continued to grow at a rapid pace. Its popularity was such wide-spread that it was introduced in the St. Louis Olympic Games in 1904 for the first time ever. From here on, talented fighters from all over the world would fight each other for sanctioned titles all throughout the 20th Century and well into the 21st Century.
Another hallmark in boxing history was in 1927 when the National Boxing Association (NBA) became the first authorised "sanctioning body" to look over and control the sport of boxing. These governing bodies carried out various tasks such as offering fighter rankings and arranging matches between champions and the most deserving challengers.

In relation to the sport of mixed martial arts, boxing has always been used from the early history in Brazil to modern day MMA competition.