History

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.