The history of boxing can be traced back to the third millennium B.C. depicted in a Sumerian relief carving. The earliest evidence for fist fighting with a kind of gloves can be found on Minoan Crete (c. 1500 BC). The fighters appear to have their hands bound with rough leather which would make brutal cuts on the opposition. The ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, called boxing pugilism (a term now often used for boxing). The Greeks were the first to give rules to the sport: while clinching was strictly forbidden, there were, unlike modern boxing, no weight classes. Fights were not separated into rounds and had no time limit, ending at a knockout, or at a fighter abandoning the fight, or sometimes at the death of one of the fighters. Although gloves were used in practice, in competition fighters wrapped their hands in strips of hardened leather which protected the fist and caused unpleasant injuries for the opponent.
Today, in modern boxing gloves are a standard in the arena. They are designed to protect the boxer from serious injuries while allowing the force of the punch to be exacted upon the opponent. The rules for modern boxing are more complex and designed for safety of the boxers. Each round has a time limit and the number of knock down in any given round has been establish to keep a boxer from being bludgeoned to death. There are weight classes for the boxers to meet. These weight classes were designed to provide a level ground for the boxer in the match. These rules and regulations for modern boxing grew out of the history of boxing. Humane concerns for the welfare of the boxer grew as the popularity of boxing increase.
Throughout the history of boxing the contestant has enjoyed the admiration of those who were entertained by the sport. Often times the victor was placed on a pedestal and considered a hero. This is evidenced today in admiration of Mohammad Ali. He is considered to be the greatest boxer in modern history of boxing. Boxing today is not as popular as in the past with the advent of free-style fighting and wrestling. However, in the history of boxing, today boxing is more accepted by the general public as a an authentic sport.
