Primitive Fighting
Primitive men probably
started out making deep, loud noises to scare away predators then they might
have used a mixture of slapping and wrestling and then a mixture of punching
and wrestling when they met their enemies, but organized fist fighting did not become
really popular until the time of a Greek monarch called Thesus, about 900 BC.
The bloodthirsty Thesus made his gladiators sit on stone slabs facing each
other with their fists wrapped in leather thongs. The gladiators would punch
away at one another until one of them was dead.
Ancient Greek boxing
Ancient Greek boxing or
pygmachia (Greek: πυγμαχία pygmachia, "fist fighting") dates back to
at least the eighth century BCE (Homer's Iliad), and was practiced in a variety
of social contexts in different Greek city-states. Most extant sources about
ancient Greek boxing are fragmentary or legendary, making it difficult to
reconstruct the rules, customs and history surrounding this activity in great
detail. Still, it is clear that gloved boxing bouts were a significant part of
ancient Greek athletic culture throughout the early classical period.
Bare-Knuckle Boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing (also
known as bare-knuckle, prize fighting, or fisticuffs) is the original form of
boxing, closely related to ancient combat sports. It involves two individuals
fighting without boxing gloves or other padding on their hands.
The difference
between a street fight and a bare-knuckle boxing match is an accepted set of
rules, such as not striking a downed opponent.
Early History
After the end of the
Roman Empire, boxing was neglected as a sport for hundreds of years. It
surfaced again in England in the 17th century, when men tool to settling their
differences with their fists. Some if these ‘grudge fights’ attracted large
crowds and people began paying for the privilege of watching.
The sport became
popular with nobility as well as with the masses. In the 18th century,
criminals and contests were ‘fixed’, the results been arranged in advanced. The
sport regained its popularity when international matched between America and
British fighters attracted large crowds. Prize fighting was made illegal, but
the contest was still held.
These early fights
took place between pugilists fighting with bare fists. A round ended when a man
was knocked down. He had 39sec in which to recover and return to the mark in
the centre of the ring.
At first contests
took place indoors upon a raised stage, but the halls could not contain all the
people who wanted to watch. The bouts were transferred to the open air, with
rings pitched upon moors and plains.
The first
bare-knuckle champion of England was James Figg, who claimed the title in 1719
and held it until his retirement in 1730. Other noted champions were Jack
Broughton, Daniel Mendoza, Jem Belcher, Hen Pearce, John Gully, Tom Cribb, Tom
Spring, Jem Ward, James Burke, William "Bendigo" Thompson, Ben Caunt,
Tom Sayers, Tommy Ray Handley and Jem Mace.
The record for the
longest bare knuckle fight is listed as 6 hours and 15 minutes for a match
between James Kelly and Jonathan Smith, fought near Fiery Creek, Melbourne,
Victoria, Australia, on December 3, 1855, when Smith gave in after 17 rounds.
Skin-tight gloves to protect the hands were introduced, nut this did not make
the belts any shorter.
The bare-knuckle
fighter Jem Mace is listed as having the longest professional career of any
fighter in history. He fought for more than 35 years into his 60s, and recorded
his last exhibition bout in 1909 at the age of 79.
On 5 August 2011,
the first sanctioned bout in the United States since 1889 took place at Fort
McDowell Casino in Arizona between Rich Stewart of New Castle, Delaware and
Bobby Gunn, with Gunn emerging as the victor. The last sanctioned fight in 1889
was between John L. Sullivan and Jake Kilrain, with Sullivan emerging as the
victor.
Irish Stand Down
"Irish Stand
Down" is a term for a type of traditional bare knuckle fighting where the
aspect of manoeuvring around the ring is removed, leaving only the less nuanced
aspects of punching and "taking" punches. This form of combat was
popular in Irish American ghettos in the United States in the late 19th century
but was eclipsed in the Irish American community first by bare knuckle boxing
and then later by regulation boxing. The Irish Stand Down is also known as
strap fighting or toe to toe.
Modern Bare Knuckle Boxing
Professional Bouts are
now held, created and managed by the World Bare knuckle Boxing Association
which itself is not recognized as a sports organization anywhere outside of the
United States. It is also a fact that any tournaments are illegal and/or
unregulated in most countries today. However in the British Isles where the
sports is still very popular there are efforts for the sport to be brought out
of the underground and into the mainstream.
Gloves
Changes took place at the
end of 19th century when the Queensberry rules were generally adopted. No belt
could go longer than 20 rounds, and each round lasted 3 minutes. Gloves had to
weigh at least 170 grams. If boxer was knocked down he had 10 seconds in which
to regain his feet. A contest which lasted the full distance was decided on the
points scored. Boxers were also divided into weight divisions, from flyweight
(under 50.802kgs) to heavyweight (over 70.378kgs). Championships were
introduced at all weight. It was generally agreed that there were only six
basic blowers in boxing-the jab, left and jab right, the left hook and right
hook, and the left upper cut and the right upper cut.
