BOXING, as now practised and popularly defined, is a contest of skill, endurance and pluck between two contestants striking at each other with the closed hand, or fist, covered with a soft leather glove stuffed with horsehair. Contests of this nature in various forms are probably coeval with man. The sport was much in vogue among the Greek and Roman athletes, but in place of the modern tendency to deprive it of its more brutal characteristics, as by the use of gloves, the ancients made the punishment as severe as possible by arming the fists of the combatants with strips of rawhide (the cestus), which were often knotted and loaded with lead or iron. In the first half of the 18th century rules were formulated to gov ern such contests in England, and from that time onward the practice of fighting with the fists for prizes or for championships has been reduced well-nigh to a Methods of striking, ring tactics, etc., have developed until mere brute force has had to give way before intelligence; in other words, the head has de-. feated the hands.
In 1719 one Figg, an English pugilist, who attained such celebrity as to have his portrait painted by Hogarth, brought about some sys tem in the conduct of the prize-ring. His work was continued by Broughton, himself for many years champion of England and a great up holder of the sport. Regular contests were held, with prizes of money and an emblem. of championship, usually a belt, which was held on the condition of meeting all corners, on pen alty of surrendering it if declining the trial or beaten by the adversary. The use of a belt as such emblem is of very ancient origin, dating back at least to the time of the siege of Troy. Homer, in describing the games at the funeral of Patroclus, mentions a belt in this connec tion. There is an unbroken record of cham pionships from the time of Figg down. But since 1860, when the British champion, Tom Sayers, fought the American John C. Heenan, fighting with bare knuckles, which had hitherto been the custom, was suppressed, and in its place the use of gloves was adopted. The laws were, however, frequently evaded by the use of skin-tight gloves. At the present time gloves weighing four ounces are used for champion ship matches.
With the use of gloves came also the adop tion of new rules, named, from their fram er's title, the Marquis of Queensbury's rules. Under these wrestling and hugging (which had previously been permitted) were prohibited; the time of each round was limited to three min utes, with intervals of one minute between each round; and the former space of 30 seconds within which a man knocked off his feet might recover himself and be brought back to the fighting line was reduced to 10 seconds.
Under the new conditions boxing has taken a leading rank as a sport and exercise. In the former aspect legislation has been found neces sary to restrict its tendency to degenerate into brutality and to lend , its aid to gambling and other vices, As an exercise, however, it holds a high place. It is considered the best system of gymnastics for bringing all the limbs under perfect command; rendering every part of the body pliant, flexible and firm; acquiring a per fect power of keeping the true centre of grav ity in every position, and of extending the body and limbs to the extreme length and recover ing again without pause or difficulty; and de veloping the power of breathing and the "stay ing° qualities. The practice of boxing also gives to those proficient in it a remarkable power of calmly looking danger in the eye, and preserving both the temper and the courage under trying circumstances unruffled. It is alleged by the defenders of this sport that it encourages individual and therefore national courage; that it leads to a general sense and sentiment of fair play and honor, and that it discourages and renders infamous the use of the knife and other deadly weapons.
Amateur boxers are divided into seven classes considered according to weight —105 pounds, 115, 125, 135, 145 and 158 pounds, all over the latter weight being classed as "heavy° weights. Among the lighter weights the classes are sometimes termed *bantam° weights, "feather,' "light* and *middle weights. The term "catch weights° implies no restriction as •to weight.
The laws governing the practice of the sport vary in different States of the Union and in Great Britain and cannot be accorded space here. For the rules and history of boxing con sult Doran, B. J., 'Science of Self-Defense> (Toronto 1893) • Earl 'Handbook of Boxing> (1893) ; Egan, P., (Boxiana, or Sketches of Ancient and Modern Pugilism> (4 vols., Lon don 1818-24) ; Lynch, 'The Complete Amateur Boxer> (London 1913) • Mitchell, C., 'Boxing' (Badminton Library 1889) ; Spalding's Athletic Library, 'Boxing> (New York, published an nually).