Seems like a boxer’s greatest necessity for victory is his weight. In the past, that is. Boxers in the olden times tended to win more depending on how heavy they were. The ultimate champion in fistfights for money was usually the heaviest man, as they were apt to give the more powerful blows towards opponents of smaller statures. By the 19^th century, however, the notion “the biggest is the greatest” began to be eroded by the introduction of other match classifications namely the lightweight, middleweight and welterweight divisions. Throughout time, the definitions of these classifications were gradually changed and specified, resulting to the official professional boxing divisions we know today.

I could still remember when I was a kid; my dad bought my brother and me two pairs of boxing gloves and a small punching bag. Every night my brother and I would box and somehow hurt each other when the fighting gets fierce. Then I wonder if there are boxing gloves that are so large that it can cushion my hands at the same time not hurt the opponent too much. I learned that there are really different kinds of boxing gloves. There is the fight, sports, punching, boxing bag, leather, and the training boxing gloves. Professionals use the leather boxing glove.

These kinds of boxing differ in a variety of ways. In an amateur match, the fighters are concerned more with the points that they will be able to score with their punches, rather than the act of inflicting any serious physical damage to their opponent. In professional boxing, however, one of the most sought after wins is the knockout one, wherein one’s opponent is not able to stand up due to the force of the other boxer’s punches. Serious injuries occur more frequently during professional boxing, as opposed to amateur boxing where boxers can go away sustaining only light injuries.

A boxing fight would not be that sensational or appealing to audience if there were no any boxing entrance and ending song. We usually hear the song, The Eye of The Tiger before the start of a boxing match. As I researched about this song, I found out that this was requested by Sylvester Stallone for his film Rocky III. In fact, this song performed by Survivor (American rock group) topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 6 weeks during its released (1982).

Nowadays, there are different songs during boxing matches. Personally, I prefer Eye of The Tiger. For me it uplifts the boxing spirit inside the boxing ring and even among the audience. And for the ending song, I prefer We Are the Champions by Queen. Everytime I hear this song I feel that I am the winner! I think these songs were able served their purpose.

One might wonder how the judges score a boxing match. Is it by the number of punches landed out of the punches thrown? The scoring system which is widely used today is the 10-point scoring system. In this system if a boxer won a round, the judge will grant that boxer 10-points for that round and 9 or 8 points for the other boxer depending whether a boxer was knocked out or received a standing count. Points are deducted for penalties such as low blows and other violations. At the end of the match, the scores of the three judges are totalled.

The boxing ring that we see during fights is not just a stage with 4 posts and rope around it. The boxing ring has different parts namely:

Platform – stage-like where the frames can be made up of wood or metal
Corner posts – used to attach the ropes and for platform support
Canvas or Vinyl – material that covers the platform
Foam Padding – material used for the corner posts
Rope – can be 3 or 4 ropes to be attached on the posts
Rope cover – made of nylon or vinyl; prevents rope burn
Rope clamp cover
Rope retainer ring – metal loops
Turnbuckles and covers – made of forged or galvanized steel
Corner cushions – for safety reasons
Rope Spacers
Ring Skirt

When these parts are constructed and assembled, you can have your own boxing ring. Visit this site for more information: http://boxinggyms.com/tips/ring.htm

Muhammad Ali recently celebrated his 66th birthday. This name made history in boxing. Since 1981, Muhammad Ali fights inside the boxing ring. Browsing through his records, he lost in his first 2 fights but after that, he was able to gain 56 wins (37 knockouts and 19 decisions). Indeed, Muhammad Ali is a very great boxer of all time. His famous fighting style, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” was his key to victories.

In 1984, Ali permanently retired because of Parkinson’s Disease. Despite what happened to him, he did not regret anything instead he became braver just like what real boxers are. Though he is not anymore gaining medals and belts from boxing, he is still receiving different awards and acknowledgment with the past achievements he gained. Indeed, he is a true victor that anyone can imitate.

There are 3 Judges in a boxing match with a score card where they keep score every round. The referee also has a scorecard, but it is only utilized when there is no clear winner from the judges. A boxer wins if he/she has most of the judges’ decision. A unanimous decision is when a fighter gets all the decision while a 2 out 3 decision is called a split decision. However if one judge scores it a draw and the other two judges scores it a win for a fighter, the referee’s score card is used. If there is still no winner, the match will be a draw.

 (From www.ehow.com)

Ø       Demonstrate super flexibility at the waist. Mayweather is an extremely difficult opponent to hit even when pushed into a corner or against the ropes, as he uses his exceptional torso agility to slip punches and weave from side to side.

Ø       Counterattack with your left hook. After dodging his opponents with his backwards waist bends and head jukes, Mayweather comes back in hard with his left hook. This is how he won his bouts against both Robert Apodaca and Ricky Hatton

Ø       Defend using the shoulder roll technique, taught to Mayweather by his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. A more traditional boxing move, the shoulder roll is achieved by holding the left hand near your midsection, the right hand slightly higher than normal, and raising the right shoulder to guard your cheek and chin.

Ø       Stay pretty by guarding your face from cuts or bruises. That’s how Mayweather earned his nickname “Pretty Boy” Floyd and his reputation as a fearsome defender.

Ø       Execute quick foot movements. Mayweather is one of the most elusive boxers of all time, which makes him exciting to watch. He achieves this partly by staying constantly on the move, shuffling from side to side and in and out of jab range. 

**Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_2251369_fight-like-floyd-mayweather.html?ref=fuel&utm_source=yahoo&utm_medium=ssp&utm_campaign=yssp_art

Aside from the two important parties inside the ring, there is a man who is unnoticed but plays a very important role inside the ring. It is the boxing referee who imposes the rules to the boxers. He mediates between the boxers.

The referee�s role isn�t simple. His calls are critical because the victory of one party may lie on his judgment. Most of the time referees are the persons who receive foul words or complain from the audience.

I learned that referees earn $10,000-$1M. Quite a large amount right? But the fulfillment being the mediator inside the ring especially during championships is priceless.

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