Boxing is a combat sport practiced worldwide by amateur and professional athletes. So, who was the first boxer ever? The first recognized public fight occurred in 1743 in London, England, where Jack Broughton won a four-round bout against William Brayley. Broughton's victory is widely regarded as the first recorded bout of boxing ever by most historians and sporting officials. The characteristics of boxing have evolved over U.S. and Canadian participation rules, governing the rounds of a match that can be won by either fighter with a knockout or decision within these rounds regardless of number of rounds fought or scorecards rendered; only one round per match has to go the distance for an official bout to be called "a decision.
The late 18th century saw the codification of the ring as it is understood today, with boxing rules first appearing in 1743. Broughton's London Boxing Rules from 1744 were compiled as a standardized set, and were standardized throughout the British Empire by three boxing academies: Broughton's own Wandsworth School of Arts, the Royal Naval School at Portsmouth, and the London Prize Ring Club. The rules continue to be used today in amateur boxing events in most major world cities and countries. The U.S. adopted similar rules, thus boxing is universally regarded internationally as a discipline administered by the laws of one modern nation-state that has been codified with universal sanctioning procedures.
In 1889, the Marquess of Queensberry rules were first used in the United Kingdom. They have been used ever since. Queensberry rules mandate that fighters be male and that two eight-counts must elapse before a decision is made. The duel in which James J. Corbett won to become the first World Heavyweight Champion was fought under the Marquess' rule set. Corbett's victory made him the only man to be both a British and American heavyweight champion.
Boxing is a competitive sport in which two people, one attempting to inflict punishment on the other while avoiding being pricked, are penned in an enclosed area and physically confronted. Both boxers fight under controlled conditions; they are not allowed to use their hands or fists in the process. Boxing is controlled by a referee who enforces the rules of boxing management that govern ring and bout conduct. The referee may halt the bout if one boxer does not defend himself or deliberately leaves himself at risk of being seriously injured with no effective defense.
The referee is also charged with stopping the fight if he thinks a boxer is too injured to continue being punched. The referee may stop the bout because it is no longer safe for either fighter to continue. Referees will stop the contest if it has been at least four rounds and one of the boxers has shown dominance in the contest. Once a boxer has been knocked down, his opponent must cease fighting for one minute before continuing or else their opponent may be declared the winner by knockout (KO). To help protect the fighters, there are three ringside physicians who watch especially for signs that a fighter is in danger and may enter the ring to assess such damages as swelling and cuts.
In conclusion, people would watch the fights and wager their money on which boxer would win. In earlier bouts, it was considered a brutal sport but over time it has evolved into a sport that is seen as the best of all sports because it uses your fists, along with your speed, strength, skills and agility to dominate your opponent. It also requires mental skills to outwit and out maneuver your opponent in order to take home the trophy/gold medal.
Written by: Jared_Wax