What is the history of boxing?
Boxing has a long history that goes back to the 7th century BC. Boxing dates back to 3000 BC where it was first documented as a recreational sparring sport in ancient Egypt. The sport was then introduced into the ancient Greek Olympic Games, where boxers were thrown into a ring and told to fight until there was only one man left standing. Unfortunately, this often meant that only one competitor left the ring alive. These high-stakes, life-altering matches drew spectators from miles away.
Boxing came to a swift end in tandem with the fall of the Roman Empire. Fortunately, it later re-emerged in England, where amateur boxing became regulated in 1880. At that time, only five weight classes were allowed: Bantam, Feather, Light, Middle, and Heavy.
Since 1880, boxing has become popularized in countries across the world. Boxing teams are formed in high schools around the United States and many countries participate recreationally in the sport. Boxing matches serve as an experience for spectators, who can watch the games both in-person and on television. In addition to the competitive sport, boxing has recently become a fitness trend for adults looking for a full-body, intensive workout.
Boxing at the Olympic Games
In 1904, boxing was introduced to the Olympic Games but only the United States participated, thus gaining all of the medals. Since 1904, American boxers have continued to dominate the sport, taking 109 medals out of 842 up for grabs. The next closest competitors have been the Cubans and the Russians.
Olympic boxing rules and regulations have changed since 1904 to include protective helmets, electronic scoring to eliminate referee bias, and standardized point-scoring.
After being a competition solely for male-identified players, boxing expanded to include women’s events at the 2012 London Games. Now, there are 3 women’s events and women are encouraged to participate in and train for the Olympic sport.
What are the current Olympic boxing events?
Currently, Olympic Boxing includes 10 men’s events and 3 women’s events.
Men’s events
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Super Heavyweight
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Light Fly Weight
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Fly Weight
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Bantam Weight
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Light Weight
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Light Welter Weight
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Welter Weight
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Middle Weight
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Light Heavy Weight
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Heavy Weight
Women’s events
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Fly Weight
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Light Weight
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Middle Weight
