Boxing

Boxing is a sport in which two people throw strikes using only their fists, and is thought to have started thousands of years ago.

In 1867 the rules boxers now fight under were formed, and have ever since been known as the Marquess of Queensberry rules. Now fighters wear gloves to protect both their hands and the person they are trying to hit. Boxing compeditors are divided into eight different weight classes, with the lightest being flyweight, and the heaviest called heavyweight.

Each fight - or bout - lasts a series of rounds. In professional boxing rounds last three minutes. In amateur boxing rounds normally last two minutes.During a fight, boxers score points depending on how well they make contact with their opponent. The boxer with the most points at the end of a fight wins.

A boxer can end a fight early if they either knock their opponent unconscious or the referee thinks it is too dangerous for one fighter to continue.