combat sport and martial art
Boxing is a punching combat sport with a 5,000-year-old history and is popular all around the world.
| “ | Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. The hands can't hit what the eyes can't see. | ” |
—Muhammad Ali | ||
The history of boxing stretches back to Ancient Egypt in 3000 BC where bare-knuckle boxing was eagerly watched by the pharaohs and other royalty. In Greece, boxing was incorporated into the Ancient Olympics by the 7th century BC. During Roman times, centus gladiatorial duels were common, where the only weapon worn by the gladiators were gloves made from leather and filled with iron plates, blades or spikes.
At the turn of the 20th century, the sport branched into amateur boxing, which is a modern Olympic sport, and professional boxing. Originally, amateur boxers were not allowed to be paid for sports-related activities, in contrast to professional boxers who were paid to box, but since 1992, the distinction is based purely on fight rules rather than whether or not the boxer receives payment. The most successful professional boxers are some of the highest paid athletes in the world.