Boxing

Boxing (sometimes known as "western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two individuals compete against each other in a boxing ring while wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards. For the purposes of this definition, "boxing" can be any combat sport in which two opponents face off against each other in a fight using their fists, which are typically covered by gloves in most cases, and which is differentiated according to its rules, such as western and French boxing, Chinese boxing, Thai boxing, kickboxing, and the ancient pygmachia.

The oldest evidence of a sort of boxing may be found in Sumerian carvings from the 3rd and 2nd millennia BC, despite the fact that people have engaged in hand-to-hand fighting since the start of humanity. Early evidence of boxing regulations dates back to Ancient Greece, when the sport was officially recognised as an Olympic sport in 688 BC. It was in the mid-19th century, with the adoption of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in 1867, that the sport of boxing emerged from prizefights held mostly in Great Britain between the 16th and 18th centuries.

Amateur boxing is an Olympic and Commonwealth Events sport, as well as a regular fixture in most international competitions — it even has its own World Championships — and is a staple in most international games. Over the course of one to three minutes, known as rounds, a referee supervises the action of the fight.

When a referee determines that an opponent is unable to continue, when an opponent is disqualified, or when an opponent resigns, a winner might be determined before the rounds are completed. When the fight enters the final round and both fighters are still standing, the scorecards of the judges are used to decide the winner. The result of a professional fight is termed a draw if both competitors get equal scores from the judges in the fight. For technical reasons, judges award the bout to one competitor in Olympic boxing since a winner must be announced after every round.