BOXING

Boxing is sometimes referred to as pugilism or Western boxing. It is a combat sport in which 2 participants of the same weight, engage in fighting using their appropriately dressed fists. This is done in a square enclosure, called a ring, that has standard measures of 7.3 meters square (24 feet), surrounded by reasonably spaced ropes.

The sport is supervised by designated referees, one referee per game. He or she is typically engaged in the whole game and finally makes the call on who has won. A round in the boxing ring usually takes 1 to 3 minutes, after which a break of 1 minute is allowed.

Victory is usually achieved when one of the boxers gets knocked down and falls, and is not able to stand up within a period of 10 seconds. After the referee counts to 10 seconds and the fallen participant is not up, a knockout or KO is called and if the participant seems too injured to continue, a technical knockout or TKO is called. If the fight is not stopped by a KO or TKO and the agreed rounds are completed, the winner is usually determined by the scorecards of the judges or by a decision from the referee.

The general rules of the fight are followed universally and the number of rounds is usually pre-agreed on. However, a maximum of 25 rounds is usually observed. Up to 3 judges are usually available and sit by the ringside. They keep scores and give points to the opponents as per the number of punches that hit the opponent, the defense style of the fighter and the know downs. After a round, each of the fighters returns to their designated corners and receive their coaches advice, some muscle rubbings and a drink of water.

Generally, a fighter is not allowed to punch below the belt, spit, push, and trip or wrestle his opponent. Fighters are also prohibited to use their legs to kick head-butt or strike the opponent with any other part of the arm apart from the fists and rabbit-punching (hitting the back of the head or neck, the back or the kidney). When the fighter is tired during the round, he or she is not allowed to lean on the ropes for support, lean on the opponent or ducking the head below the opponent’s belt.

When fighters become overly tired, they tend to form a clinch. The clinch is a move used for defense where a fighter holds the opponent’s arms behind the opponent in order to create some pause and the clincher can rest a while within the round. This is prohibited and if it happens, both boxers have to take a whole step back before they can resume the fight.

Any violation of the rules of boxing results in the referee calling a foul and he or she may issue a warning, reduce points of the fighter committing the foul or disqualify the offender. A foul done intentionally, and which causes injury to the opponent automatically results in a disqualification.