Introduction

Boxing ranks among the Olympic Games' most illustrious sports.

When it first arrived in the Ancient Olympic Games, the tools of the trade were long strips of leather wrapped around boxers' fists. The fight continued until one man or the other went down or conceded. The Romans followed with a gladiator dimension. They used gloves studded with spikes or weighted with lead, and fights often ended in death, like other entertainment of the day.

When the modern Games resumed in 1896, the Athens organising committee omitted boxing, deciding it was too dangerous. The sport reappeared in 1904 in St. Louis, thanks to its popularity in the United States, then disappeared again in 1912 at Stockholm because Sweden's national law banned it.

Only in 1920 did boxing return to the Olympic Games to stay. Hence, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay at the time) and Teofilo Stevenson (a three-time gold medallist) could join names like Theagenes of Thassos and Cleitomachus of Thebes among the legends.

American baseball became a full medal sport in Barcelona in 1992.

Understanding Boxing

The ring

Just as in ancient Greece, boxers compete within a specific field of play, the 'ring'. The ring is an elevated square construction measuring 6.10x6.10m at a height of 1.22m, which is enclosed by four rows of ropes and covered by a special flooring. Two corners, one blue and one red, correspond to the 'position' taken by each of the contestants, who wear equivalent clothing with their corner.

The athlete's equipment and clothing

The colour of the boxing corner corresponding to the athlete is followed in his clothing and boxing gloves, which must confirm with the regulations of and be recognised by the International Federation. The gloves must be made of leather, weigh about 284 grams and have a clear white stripe, which helps in distinguishing the blows. The protective bandages placed on the wrists, followed by the placement of the gloves, is a procedure which is officially supervised at all organised matches (as was the case in ancient Greece, where the leather straps covering the fists were examined by the referees), so as to avoid injuries due to unsuitable glove material or the illegal use of other objects inside them.

The head guards, which are a compulsory part of clothing and equipment, have been the object of research in order to provide additional protection to the athlete from headblows. Indeed, the gradual reduction in serious injuries, due to the improvement in sporting equipment and modifications of the relevant regulations, prove the importance attributed by the International Federation above all to the safety of the athlete. The use of the head guard constitutes one of the most evident differences compared to professional boxing.  

Rules

The athletes are called upon by the referee to the centre of the ring, where they give hands, and then return to their respective corners until the bell is rung to signal the commencement of the bout.

A bout can be won through a knockout, outclass, disqualification or retirement due to injury, and when the score difference noted by the computer is more than 15 points. In the case of a knockout, the athlete who achieves it must withdraw to the neutral corner, while the referee starts counting up to ten. More specifically, the referee counts to eight for the knockdown, and to ten for the knockout. If the athlete fails to continue, then the opponent is proclaimed winner of the bout. Similarly, if a boxer, in the opinion of the referee is being outclassed or is receiving excessive punishment, the bout shall be stopped and his opponent declared the winner.

The athlete who does not comply with the regulations and the instructions of the referee can be subjected to a caution. Three cautions for the same foul lead to a warning. Three warnings lead to disqualification. Fouls may include:

In Boxing there are 11 weight categories for men: