Fascinating Facts About Boxing

Boxing is not for the faint hearted.  It’s a brutish battle between two gloved opponents intent on smashing the other into bloody submission.  Although today’s boxing bouts are intense, there are rules governing exactly how much harm can be done in the name of the sport.
 
In the early days of boxing it was a free-for-all.  Biting, gouging, head butting and low blows were all part of a day’s work.  Gloves were transformed into weapons of war and instead of sedately watching from the sides, spectators would frequently join the melee.
 
If you are a fan of the fine art of pugilism, check out our fascinating boxing facts.  We’ve cherry picked a slugfest of interesting snippets that relate to the bob and weave sport and the fighters who’ve made an impression in the ring.

Fight to the Death Gladiatorial Entertainment

In Ancient Rome boxing was part of the gladiatorial schedule.  Fighters would wrap thick leather bands around their fists in what would become the precursor to boxing gloves.  As bouts were literally fought to the death, crafty combatants would wrap lumps of metal and sew spikes of steel into their fancy fist wraps.  As you can imagine there was more than enough guts and gore to satisfy the blood-thirsty spectators in the Colosseum.
 

Anything Goes Bare-Knuckle Boxing

 
Page through history to 17^th century England and bare-knuckle boxing was big.  In fact, in 1698 bare-knuckle boxing contests were held in the Royal Theatre in London.  These early Anglophile bouts consisted of boxing, wrestling and – wait for it – fencing with sharpened swords.  Fighters were allowed to do whatever they wanted in the ring.  Blows below the belt, the notorious ‘Liverpool Kiss’ and a swift stab to the ribs were behind most of the early KOs.
   

Punch-Drunk Punters

 
Serious money was wagered on the outcome of bare-knuckle fights, so much so, punters would often weigh in with a stamp or punch of their own.  They’d pick their moment and wallop one or other of the fighters square in the kidneys as they were teetering against the ropes.  If that didn’t decide the fight, they’d crush their fingers with their hobnail boots every time they fell - partially senseless - to the canvas!


 

Vicious Bouts and Brutal Injuries

 
In one particularly brutal battle between Englishman Tom Sayers and his American opponent John Heenan, the ropes had to be cut to stop Sayers from being choked to death.  Both fighters were so badly hurt, they had to carried out of the ring.  When Heenan got a sneak peek of the injuries to his face he recruited the services of a portrait artist to record his image for posterity.
 

Daniel’s Defensive Strategy

 
It was a century later before a defensive strategy was introduced into the ring.  An Englishman called Daniel Mendoza was the first fighter to develop a style of boxing that included ducking, bobbing, blocking and side-stepping. 
 
Owing to his new-found ability to dance around and avoid punches Mendoza could easily beat his heavier opponents.  Standing at 5 feet and 7 inches and weighing just 73 kg Mendoza was the first and only medium weight to claim England’s heavyweight crown.  As an interesting aside, the legendary British actor Peter Sellers was Mendoza’s great-great-grandson!


 

The Origin of the Word ‘Stakes’

 
We can thank prizefighting for the origin of the word ‘stakes’… as in high stakes or betting stakes.  In the first iteration of professional boxing, prize money was deposited into a bag.  The bag was then hung from one of the wooden stakes the ropes were fastened to, to demarcate the ring!

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