Boxing
Boxing dates back to at least 650BC, when it was a sport in the Ancient Olympics. But you won’t need to be an Olympian to get started (though you may become one, with its highly rated fitness regimes...).
Also known as English boxing or Western boxing, the modern evolution of boxing occurred in England in the 1800s, with rules being drawn up to govern the bare-fist contests of the time. Endorsed by the Marques of Queensbury, these rules came to be known as the ‘Queensbury Rules’ and form the basis of modern boxing.
Today’s boxers wear padded gloves, attacking and defending with their fists for up to 12 three-minute rounds in a ring. With 17 primary weight classes, from strawweight at 45kg right up to heavyweight at over 91kg, the sport really is open to fighters of all ages and sizes. And don’t worry; you’ll always be matched with someone of a similar weight and ability when you fight.
Boxing has been an Olympic sport since 1904.
