Ecology of life. Fitness and sports: Boxing is one of the sports that can be called classic. It can be done by a person with any level physical training and weight.

Boxing- one of the sports that can be called classic. It can be done by a person with any level of physical fitness and weight. In addition, age is also not an obstacle to training, and recently women's boxing has become more and more popular. The modern rhythm of life and the abundance of stressful situations do not give the opportunity to relax, because active physical activity contributes to internal balance.

Fundamentals of Philosophy

Many consider boxing to be just a legalized fight, but this is not true. This type of martial arts involves the use of their own techniques and techniques, which at a professional level looks, one might say, beautiful. The philosophy of boxing teaches to solve problems not with fists, but with the help of situation analysis and a well-thought-out strategy of action. Aggression is not cultivated here, but they are taught to respect a partner in the ring. The main task of the athlete is to win, not to cripple the opponent.

In fact, the philosophy of boxing teaches victory, first of all, over your shortcomings, the fight against negative emotions. It is cold calculation that makes a fighter a winner, while blind anger weakens and makes it impossible to reason.

Basics of training

Boxing is taught only by experienced trainers who have been in the ring themselves. As a rule, the entire cycle of classes can be divided into sports theory, basic combat techniques and the analytical part.

• The first block is general knowledge from the field of sports, including the rules for conducting fights in the ring, the obligations of the parties and the interpretation of the referee's signals.
• The second block is practical. Here the athlete learns to work out racks and strikes. At the beginning, classes are held alone with the trainer, and after the course of brief individual training start sparring with other boxers. Here it is important to learn how to apply the theory and have time to analyze your actions. All movements are learned gradually - each element is repeated several times at a different pace, in different situations, with a change of projectiles.

After any fight, the coach will talk about the mistakes made and teach you to analyze the overall picture of actions. This will allow you to plan tactics in advance, based on observations of the opponent.

Benefit for health

Any sport is good. Physical exercise normalize metabolism, blood circulation, improve well-being. Boxing allows you to provide a complex load on the weight of a muscle group due to the peculiarities of training. In the classroom, exercises are performed for strength, endurance, stretching. In the process, moisture is actively removed from the body, easily leaves excess weight. So, in addition to increasing resistance to diseases, you can improve the appearance.

Boxing is a great sport for any age, as it teaches not only how to interact with other people, but also how to find a way out of difficult life situations. Thanks to these activities, you will easily cope with stress without any aggression. published

Boxing is an Olympic contact type of martial arts, where blows are allowed with fists and only in special gloves. Boxing promotes versatility physical development athlete, as well as the education of moral and volitional qualities, fortitude.

It is not by chance that boxing has become so widespread these days. The world's leading fighters receive huge multimillion-dollar fees for their fights.

Boxing history

The history of boxing has a couple of thousand years. Various kinds of references to fisticuffs can be found in Egypt as images on frescoes. Also interesting details are contained in the Sumerian and Minoan reliefs. According to some data, the first finds are dated 4000 BC, others - 7000 BC. It's believed that combat sports boxing became in 688 BC. It was at this time that he was included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games, at the same time the rules of boxing were formulated.

The birthplace of boxing in the usual sense of the word is England in the 17th century. The first champion was named James Figg. An interesting fact about the fighter is that before boxing, James was a famous swordsman. Then he opened a boxing academy and began to teach those who wished the basics of hand-to-hand combat.

In 1867, a journalist named John Grahan Chambers created the first unique set of boxing rules. Here the following criteria were stipulated:

• ring size;
• the duration of the rounds;
• glove weight and more

These same rules subsequently formed the basis modern rules about boxing. The presented type of martial arts was included in the program of the Olympic Games in 1904.

boxing rules

A boxing match is divided into rounds. Each individual round lasts 3-5 minutes, depending on the level of the fight - professional or amateur. As a rule, athletes are given 1 minute between rounds to rest and recuperate.

When does a boxing match end?

• one of the participants is knocked down and does not rise within 10 seconds;
• after the 3rd knockdown;
• the boxer is injured and unable to defend himself - TKO

If the fighters defended the rounds without a knockout, then the winner is determined by the number of points. When the score is tied, the winner is the one who wins on points more rounds. Sometimes draw fights happen.
In addition, boxers are not allowed to strike with any part of the body other than the fist. It is also forbidden to hit below the waist with a fist, you can’t push, hold an opponent, spit, bite, etc.

We list the list of prohibited techniques in this type of martial arts:

1. Hit below the belt;
2. grasping ropes;
3. pushing an opponent;
4. the use of ropes for striking;
5. hand pressure on the opponent's face;
6. headbutt;
7. a blow to the back or to the back of the head;
8. capture with striking;
9. turning back to the enemy and much more

The course of the fight, as a rule, is under the control of the referee. He can impose a penalty for violation of the rules by deduction of points, warning or disqualification.

Boxing types

Boxing is a sport that is conditionally classified into 3 types:

1. amateur;
2. semi-professional;
3. professional

Amateurs, as a rule, spend three rounds of three minutes. One minute is a break between rounds. If we talk about professionals, then they fight 8-12 rounds. Note that until 1980, the fights lasted 15 rounds. But the death of boxer Duk Koo Kim was the basis for championship distance has been shortened.

How many rounds in boxing

The number of rounds in boxing also depends on the age of the fighters. Athletes in the age category 12-13 years old spend three rounds, which last for a minute and a half. For juniors, three rounds of 2 minutes are assigned, if we talk about adult athletes, then for them the optimal indicator is 3 rounds of 3 minutes each. In this case, between rounds there must be a break of one minute.

The boxing rules for beginners say that at the age of 12-13, beginners spend 3 rounds of one minute, beginners-boys - identically, adults - 3 rounds of 2 minutes. Regardless of age categories, a fighter who has been engaged in this type of martial arts for less than 3 months is not allowed to participate in tournaments.

Boxing as a sport: the essence of combat

Knockdown and knockout is the main aspiration of any boxer. During the fight, the athlete is recognized as having been knocked down when, after a hit from the opponent, he touches the floor with any part of the body. Of course, except for the feet. Note that a knockdown is considered to be hanging on or behind the ropes after a blow or if the boxer is on his feet, but nevertheless has difficulty continuing the fight.

When a fighter is knocked down, the referee counts to 10. Provided that after that the athlete cannot continue the fight, his opponent will be credited with a knockout victory. When the boxer is able to pull himself together after the blow received, the referee counts him up to 8. After that, the fight continues. A gong from a knockdown can save a boxer only in last round contractions. In other cases, the countdown will be made after the gong.

Sometimes, when both fighters get knocked down at the same time, the countdown continues as long as one of them is in this state. If the participants of the competition cannot gather their strength after 10 seconds, the winner is the one who scored the most points at the time of the stop.

Winning system

The boxing match itself begins after hitting the gong. Opponents strive to score as many points as possible by inflicting various combinations of blows on each other. At the same time, blows can only be applied to permitted parts of the body - the body at a level above the waist, the side, as well as the frontal parts of the head. It should be noted that even ultra-clear hits on the opponent's hands do not bring points to the attacking boxer. At the same time, the judges do not evaluate weak blows.

An important feature is that the scoring system introduced in boxing does not assign a single point to an athlete until at least three judges agree with this fact. If the fighters have entered into an exchange of blows, and no one has the physical ability to deliver a hard blow, the judges are waiting for the end this moment and give a point to the one who performed better. According to the rules of amateur boxing, at the end of the fight, the victory is awarded to the participant who was able to score the maximum number of points. If the indicator is the same for both boxers, the judges determine the worthy one according to the principle of superior technique and more confident fighting. However, if these factors are not indicative, the judges give preference to the one who defended better during the fight.

Refereeing in boxing

Competitions and fights are supervised referee team in the following composition:

• the chief referee, who controls the implementation of all rules and makes a decision related to the technical issues of the fight;
• side judges who evaluate the actions of the fighters and voice the decision on the final of the fight;
• informant judge;
• judge-timekeeper;
• supervisor.

Boxing(from the English box - box, box, ring) - a contact sport, martial arts in which athletes strike each other with fists in special gloves.

The referee controls the fight, which lasts from 3 to 12 rounds. Victory is awarded if the opponent is knocked down and cannot get up for ten seconds (knockout) or if he is injured that does not allow him to continue the fight (technical knockout). If after the set number of rounds the fight was not terminated, then the winner is determined by the judges' scores.

HISTORY OF BOXING

Boxing, as an independent kind of martial arts, took shape several millennia BC. In Egypt, images of fighters with bandaged hands dating back to the 40th century BC were found.

At least six thousand years old images of fisticuffs found on the territory of modern Ethiopia. Figurines and bas-reliefs with images of fist fighters were also found during excavations of the temples of ancient Mesopotamia. In 688 B.C. fisticuffs were first included in the program of the ancient Olympic Games.

The creation of the rules of fisticuffs is attributed to Hercules. Fights in Ancient Greece were held on a sandy square platform, the fence of which was formed by spectators. The hands of the fighters were wrapped in leather belts (in the 6th century BC, a sfairai came into use - a thick leather ring to protect the joints, worn on the arm over the belts).

The winner of the fight was the athlete who knocked out the opponent or forced him to surrender by raising his hand. Compliance with the rules was monitored by a specially appointed judge - gelladonic. If it was not possible to identify the winner in the allotted time, the referee appointed an exchange of blows without the right to defend. In 616 B.C. Youth boxing was also included in the program of the Olympic Games.

Only free-born Greeks were allowed to compete at the Olympics, who managed to provide the organizers with proof that for at least ten months before the competition they had specially prepared for them. The training of fighters was carried out in special schools - palestra. In training, the fighters used not only the semblance of gloves made of soft leather belts, but also protected their heads with a mask with headphones.

After the conquest of Greece by Rome, the tradition of fisticuffs continued, but the rules gradually changed in the direction of increasing entertainment and tightening.

The soft leather bandages were replaced with a kestus, a leather band with metal plaques, and then with a myrmex, a weighted spiked glove. In 30 B.C. fights between citizens of Rome and fist fight became the domain of gladiator slaves.

After the ban on the Olympic Games, the tradition of holding competitive fisticuffs was interrupted, although martial arts of this kind have always been popular among the common people. The revival of boxing as an independent sport took place in England. The very name "boxing" (boxing) also arose there.

Fights between English fighters were held without gloves and differed from the usual fight by the presence of certain rules, which at first were determined immediately before the fight by agreement between the participants themselves and their representatives. In 1734, British champion Jack Broughton developed the first generally accepted set of rules, which later formed the basis of the so-called Rules of the London Prize Ring. These rules did not limit the duration of the fight: it ended only if one of the fighters was on the ground and could not continue the fight after a thirty-second break, during which he was assisted by seconds. In addition to strikes, these rules allowed captures and throws. In 1853, a new version of the London Prize Ring Rules was adopted.

In 1865, the Welshman John Graham Chambers developed a new set of rules, the so-called "Rules of the Marquess of Queensberry" (this name was due to the fact that these rules were supported by John Douglas, IX Marquess of Queensberry). These rules were broadly consistent with those still held in boxing matches: a ban on throws and grabs was introduced, mandatory use of gloves was introduced, the duration of the round was determined at three minutes with a minute break between rounds, and the concepts of knockdown and knockout were introduced in their modern form. .

HISTORY OF BOXING IN ANCIENT RUSSIA

Since ancient times, this type of fisticuffs has been popular in Russia, when the fighters lined up and went into battle against each other in a dense wall. Cells and tenths stood out in each team. They built a "wall", distributed the places of the fighters in it, checked that there were no foreign objects in the mittens of the fighters.

For the "bookmark" punished severely by their own fighters. The number of fighters in each "wall" was exactly the same. The wall should be the same in age: men with men, boys with boys, boys with boys. In each "wall" there were 2-3 main, most powerful and dexterous fighters - "cutters", who rushed to where the "wall" began to weaken and surrender.

Sotsky and tenth monitored compliance with the rules of battle, the main of which are: do not beat a lying person, strike only with a fist in a mitten, do not use footboards and grips, etc.

The names of the sotskys and tenths were reported to the police. They were the main demand for the unrest on the battlefield. Usually wall-to-wall battles were built in three stages. First, the "walls" of the boys went into battle, they were replaced by beardless unmarried youths, after the youths the peasants entered the battle. The battle was considered over when one of the "walls", unable to withstand the onslaught and blows of the enemy, fled to the whistle and hooting of the audience.

SAM ON SAM

« Sam Na Sam"- this is a duel between two fisticuffs - one of the types of fisticuffs that existed in ancient Russia as a valiant fun, an indispensable part of the festive festivities. In addition, the self-to-self duel was also one of the methods of litigation of complaints, mutual claims of two persons offended by each other.

When, through objective analysis, it was not possible to establish either the right or the wrong, "pugilistic law" came into play. Both debaters converged on their own, and the winner was declared right, and the loser was guilty.

HISTORY OF BOXING IN RUSSIA

Immediately after the October Revolution, boxing was put on a single organizational and scientific basis. In 1918, compulsory military training was introduced, which, among other things, included boxing. Educational institutions were created that specialized in the training of teachers and produced many future boxing stars.

Nevertheless, among the leadership of the country there were many such figures who considered this sport a manifestation of the bourgeoisie, which led to its official ban already in the mid-20s. Supporters of boxing insisted on holding a general discussion on this issue, which resulted in its final legalization.

To do this, it was necessary to assemble a commission, which included representatives of the trade union and sports leadership and doctors, four fights were held with the participation of famous boxers, after which boxing was included in the system of sports and physical culture movement.

In 1926, they developed the rules for holding competitions and organized the USSR Championship. It was not so easy to determine the winners, because only one athlete took part in four weight categories. They were given the title of winners conditionally, and J. Braun, L. Vyazhlinsky, K. Gradopolov and A. Pavlov became other, deserved leaders.

The next championship was held only in 1933, but after that the competition began to be held regularly. Over the past seven years, our boxers, however, took part in various friendly team matches, including with foreign rivals, and often won.

In 1935, the government of the country decided to create public organizations for various types sports, as a result, the All-Union Boxing Section appeared, which, since 1959, was called the Boxing Federation of the USSR.

During the war years, championships were not held, only when its outcome became clear, in 1944 regular competitions for the title of USSR champion in boxing were held, in the same year the first youth championship was played.

In the post-war years, the number of boxing tournaments has been growing, now not only the championships of the country, but also of the republics and regions are held, as well as, since 1968, the USSR Cup.

In 1950, our state joined AIBA, and our athletes were able to participate in international tournaments, and already in 1952, at the Helsinki Olympics, our team won four bronze and two silver medals. AT next games Russian boxers showed more top scores and won three gold, one silver and two bronze medals, as well as taking first place in the team event. Our subsequent successes were no less impressive and at different times Olympic champions became such masters as V. Popenchenko, O. Griroriev, twice B. Lagutin, V. Lemeshev, D. Poznyak, V. Yanovsky and many others.

In 1953, our boxers began their victorious march at the European Championship and immediately won two first places, three second places and silver in the team event. In the period from 1953 to 1989, the USSR national team won 155 medals at the European Championships, namely 90 gold, 32 silver and 33 bronze. Another 36 awards were won at the World Championships. Since 1969, regular friendly boxing matches have been held between the teams of the USSR and the USA, as well as other countries.

The number of boxers in the country by 1990 reached 330 thousand people. The past decades served as an excellent start for the formation of various original schools, mainly St. Petersburg and Moscow, as well as Armenian, Kazakh, Ukrainian, Georgian and others.

Modern history Russian boxing started in 1992 when it was approved. It included regional organizations located in 82 constituent entities. In 2000, the total number of those involved was 210 thousand people. Since then, national championships and competitions for the Cup of Russia have been regularly held, in addition, there are also regional competitions.

Recently, domestic boxing is experiencing another rise, our athletes have won many European and world titles. Many boxers participate in professional tournaments.

BEST VIDEO PRO BOXING

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Boxing is amateur and professional. It does not mean at all that amateur boxing is done by factory workers and office clerks in their free time. Amateur boxers are the same athletes who perform according to slightly different rules than professionals. On the Olympic Games, by the way, just amateur boxers participate.

Swing is a side kick, the name comes from the English verb swing, that is, a kick that is delivered from the side and from a long distance. It also applies to traditional boxing, and is mainly used there.

Jab - the name comes from the English word jab, which means a sudden blow, poke, is one of the main blows used in modern boxing.

Hook - the name comes from the English hook, meaning a hook, since it is applied with a hand bent at the elbow, sometimes the Russian name can also be used.

In addition to these basic ones, there are also a lot of auxiliary techniques that can be characteristic of individual athletes, they make boxing even more striking and spectacular.

Dempsey's kick, which is also called the "sun", looks like a rotation of the body along the trajectory of the number 8, its meaning is the simultaneous protection from the opponent's blows and attacks. It was created by boxer Jack Dempsey.

BC

There is evidence that boxing existed around 1500 BC on the island of Crete. Modern research also suggests that this martial art was known in Africa much earlier, especially in the area now known as Ethiopia.
Hieroglyphic records dating back to 4000 BC show the spread of the sport throughout the Nile Valley and Egypt after the Egyptian conquest of Ethiopia. The spread of boxing followed the expansion of the Egyptian civilization across the Mediterranean and the Middle East. In 686 BC, boxing was improved enough to be included in the Olympic Games.
However, it was difficult to call that kind of martial arts boxing as we know it now. The fights were held in the open air.
The spectators represented the boundaries of the site on which the athletes fought.
The fight lasted until one of the participants was unable to continue the fight.
The first boxers fought primarily for glory, however, the winner received gold, livestock or other trophies.
To protect their hands and wrists, wrestlers braided their fists, and sometimes two-thirds of their forearms, with thin, soft strips of leather.
By the 4th century BC, strips were being made from harder leather. They not only served as protection for the hands, but also turned them into an offensive weapon.
Later in the Roman Empire, special copper or iron pads were worn on strips of leather to guide Gladiator fights, usually ending with the death of one of the wrestlers.

our era

With the development of Christianity and the fall of the Roman Empire, fisticuffs as entertainment ceased to exist and were forgotten for several centuries.
The first formal meeting was recorded in England in 1681. And since 1698, regular boxing competitions have been held at the Royal Theater in London. Gradually, London grew, and the provincial champions came here to get fame and money in duels. This was the impetus for the development of boxing in London. In these fights, cash rewards for each of the boxers were agreed, as well as a percentage of the bets made by the audience. In these fights, the fighters fought without gloves and, for the most part, without rules. There were no weight categories, which determined only one champion. Naturally, boxers are more light weight lost very often. And although the rounds were marked, it was common to fight until one of the opponents could not continue the fight. It was not forbidden to attack the enemy even after he fell to the ground. This continued until the middle of the 16th century.
Although boxing was outlawed, it gained a lot of popularity.
In 1719, the favorite of the public and the winner in many fights, James Figg was proclaimed the champion of England and held this title for 15 years.
One of James's students, Jack Brownton, attempts to turn the fistfight that existed at that time into a sporting event.
In 1743, Jack Brownton wrote the first code sports rules and these rules, naturally with minor modifications, were used until they were replaced by more improved ones in 1838 during the "London Prize Ring rules".
Brownton rejected the methods used by his predecessors (mainly drunken fight in a tavern), giving preference to wrestling only with hands. Also during the fight, boxers were forbidden to strike below the belt.
The rules of Brugton assumed the duration of the duel until one of the opponents was on the ground.
If within 30 seconds the defeated did not enter the ring and did not stand within a yard of his opponent, he was considered defeated. It was forbidden to strike an opponent after he was declared defeated.
Jack Brownton has been hailed as the "Father of Boxing". He opened a gym in which he trained his students. He also owns the invention of "mufflers" - the progenitors of modern boxing gloves, designed to protect the hands and face of boxers.
After Jack Slack defeated Brownton, the Championship fights became more frequent and regular.
Boxing lost its exclusivity and interest in this martial art began to decline, although boxers such as Daniel Mendoza and John "Gentleman" Jackson had extraordinary success.
Daniel Mendoza weighed 160 pounds (76 kg.) And had a powerful and quick blow left hand. Jackson, who defeated Mendoza, brought about a transformation in the financial classification of prizes that gave boxing an air of respectability.
In 1814, an attempt was made in London to control the conduct of boxing competitions. For this, the Boxing Society was founded. And in 1838, this society adopted the rules of the "London Prize Ring", which were used for fights, both in England and in America. These rules were first used in 1839 when James "Deaf" Zamnet lost the English title against William "Bendigo" Thompson.
The fight took place in a square ring of 24 feet (7.32 sq. m.), which was limited on four sides by two ropes. When one of the fighters fell to the floor of the ring, the round was considered over. At this time, for 30 seconds, the victim was provided with the necessary assistance in the corner of the ring. After the expiration of 30 seconds, the contestants had to take a place in the center of the ring against each other, and the next round began. If within eight additional seconds one of the opponents did not go to the center of the ring, he was declared defeated. Quarrels, swearing, kicks and head kicks, as well as blows below the belt were prohibited in the ring. All this was declared unacceptable during the fight.

Rulebook "Queensberry"

Although the London Prize Ring rules ennobled boxing, the frequent bickering and swearing inherent in old-fashioned pugilists from the lower classes humiliated spectators who identified themselves with the upper strata of English society and, by betting on players, financed holding competitions. It became obvious that it was necessary to revise the existing rules for boxing matches. In 1867 John Graham of the House of Amateur Sports Club proposed a new set of rules, which described the methodology and regulations for the fights. The name of these rules was given by the name of John Sholto Douglas, Marquis of Queensberry. The Queensberry rules differed from the pre-existing London Prize Ring rules in four main ways:
- competitors wore gloves with soft padding;
- the round consisted of three minutes of wrestling, interrupted by a minute break for rest;
- any wrestling other than punching was illegal;
- any of the boxers who sank to the floor of the ring had to get up within 10 seconds. If he could not do this, then he was considered defeated and the duel was declared over.
Also, these rules adopted a classification according to weight class athlete.
The new rules were at first scorned by the pros, who considered them too unmanly and basically continued to fight using the "London Prize Ring rules". But many young boxers chose to fight under the new Queensberry rules. The first person to win the English heavyweight title was James "Jem" Mace. This happened in 1861. James "Jem" Mace, who used padded gloves for the first time in a fight of this rank, did a great job of popularizing the Queensberry rules.
John L. Sullivan, a famous American boxer at that time, expressed dissatisfaction with the fact that the World Championship was held according to the rules of "Queensberry".
In 1889, near London, during the world heavyweight championship, Sullivan insisted that the fighters box without gloves, i.e. with bare hands.
In 1889, Sullivan defended the heavyweight title against Jake Carline, last time boxing without gloves.
Since this rule was outlawed in England, the fight took place in the USA.
After this fight, there were a lot of legal complications, as a result of which Sullivan was forced to defend his title against James J. Corbet, boxing with gloves and under the rules of "Queensberry".
Economic stimulus
At the beginning of the twentieth century, boxing became, perhaps, one of the shortest roads to fame and fortune. The center of development of professional boxing gradually moved to the United States. This was facilitated by the expanding American economy, as well as countless waves of emigrants coming from all over the world. Famine forced thousands of Irish people to seek refuge in the New World.
By 1915, the Irish had become the dominant nation in professional boxing, representing boxers such as Terry McGovern, Jack "Philadelphia" Obryne, Mike "Twin" Sullivan and his brother Jack, Pakia McFarland, Jimmy Clubby and Jack Brighton, among many others.
German, Scandinavian and Central European boxers also appeared. Prominent Jewish boxers Joe Chownsky, Abi Atill, "Battling" Lewinsky, Gary Lewis, who fought actively until 1915, were supported by a second wave of boxers such as Barney Ross, Benny Leonard, Syd Terris, Lew Tendley, Al Singer, Maxi Rosenblum and Max Bayer. It is impossible not to remember the American boxers of Italian origin - the world famous Tony Chanzoneri, Rocky Marciano, Johnny Dundee and Willie Pep.
Meanwhile, black Americans also began their ascent to the top of boxing. Africans came to America to achieve fame and success.

Those who made it to the top included Peter Jackson, Sam Langford, Joe Walcott, George Dixon and Joe Gans, who won world championship in lightweight in 1902, and Jack Johnson, who became the first black heavyweight champion in 1908. Due to racist sentiment, participation in the world championship of black boxers was very problematic.
Sullivan refused to defend his title in a duel against black Jackson, and Jack Dempsey, also known as "Manassa Mauler", did not want to enter the ring against black Harry Wills. Johnson was not recognized as a champion because of the black color of his skin and, unable to withstand persecution, he was forced to leave the United States. The persecution of black boxers continued until the Great Depression of 1929.
Black boxer Joe Louis, who won the world heavyweight title in 1937, became one of the most famous boxers. Henry Armstrong, "Sugar" Ray Robinson, Archie Moore, Ezzard Charles, "Jersey" Joe Volkot, Floyd Paterson, Sony Liston, Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier have also won World Championship titles in various weight divisions.
In the last quarter of the twentieth century, black athletes dominated boxing. These are "Sugar" Ray Leonard, "Marvelous" Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinsk and Mike Tyson.
Spain also added the names of their boxers to the Walk of Fame. It is enough to remember such famous athletes like Carlos Monzon, Pasqual Perez, Roberto Duran and Alexis Arguello.
Pancho Villa from the Philippines in 1923 became the first Asian boxer to win the World Lightweight Championship. At the end of the twentieth century, East Asia produced many boxers who successfully compete for the highest titles in professional boxing.

The development of amateur boxing

In 1867, Marquis John Sholto Douglas, who developed the Queensberry rules, began hosting the first amateur boxing competitions. In 1880 the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) was formed, and in 1881 the first regular amateur championships began.
In 1888, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was founded in the United States, and since that time national championships have been held annually according to this version.
In 1926, the Chicago Tribune began hosting an amateur competition called the Golden Gloves, which became a national championship and competed with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).
In 1978, a law was passed in the United States prohibiting the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) from controlling more than one olympic style sports. This led to the formation of the United States Amateur Boxing Federation (USA/ABF), which now controls American amateur boxing.
Amateur boxing has developed rapidly in all countries of the world. This led to the organization international tournaments which are held annually, every two years or, in the case of the Olympic Games, every four years. To international competitions amateur boxing at the highest level belong to the European Games (European Games), Commonwealth Games (Commonwealth Games), Pan American Games (Pan-American Games), All-African Championships (All-African Championships) and World Games Military personnel (World Military Games). All amateur competitions are controlled by the International Amateur Boxing Association (Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur - AIBA), founded in 1946 and headquartered in London.
There were no professional boxers in the former Soviet Union and other socialist and pro-communist countries. In 1950 Soviet Union joined International Association Amateur Boxing and performed at the Olympic Games in 1952, showing the high level of training of athletes in this sport, along with East Germany, Poland, Hungary and Cuba.
In Cuba professional boxing until now banned by the government of Fidel Castro, as a result of which Cuban boxers have become the dominant force in international amateur boxing. Cuban heavyweight Teofilio Stevenson won Olympic gold medals in 1972, 1976 and 1980.
Boxing in Africa began to develop in the 50s - 60s of the twentieth century, when most of the countries of this continent gained independence.

Managers and promoters of professional boxing

The most important and often the most influential figure in a professional boxer's career is his manager. The manager's task is to keep the boxers in shape, conclude contracts, oversee training and prepare for competitions.
The first managers appeared at the dawn of the century. During the time of fisticuffs, the best wrestlers had patrons who protected their financial interests. But when the sport began to fall out of favor among the lesser nobility, boxers were hired by professionals who not only took care of their money, but also chose suitable opponents - and this managerial function became their main task.
good manager carefully leads his protégé to the pinnacle of fame, and as a reward for good work receives some of the profits that invariably accompany the success of a boxer. Some managers who are prosperous and not only concerned with their personal well-being become almost as famous as their charges.
Promoters are the people who plan and organize fights, invite boxers to the ring and are perhaps the most significant figures behind the scenes. It is they who hold matches and often bet fortunes on victory or defeat.
The man who turned boxing into a big business was George "Tex" Rickard, the sport's first big promoter. After organizing a 1906 World Lightweight title fight between Joe Gans and Oscar "Battling" Nelson in the mining town of New Golfield, he realized how much money one could get for organizing professional boxing fights. Ricard, playing on the feelings of the public and skillfully using advertising to attract spectators to boxing tournaments, significantly increased the income received from ticket sales. He also came up with the idea of ​​broadcasting boxing matches on the radio, which further increased the audience of boxing fans. In each of the five world title fights involving Jack Dempsey, which Rickard organized from 1919 to 1926, he invested more than one million dollars. During the "Great Depression" years after the end of Dempsey's sports career, the dividends received by Rickard from organizing boxing matches were depleted. Then in 1935, promoter Mike Jacobs signed Joe Louis, starting a new era of boxing prosperity. profit for all sports career Louie topped $5,000,000.
English promoter Jack Solomons, who helped revive the ailing British boxing industry after World War II, persuaded many of America's leading boxers to cross the Atlantic when they would have preferred to stay at home. Many great English promoters have followed Solomon's path, including the likes of Harry Lieven, Mickey Duff, Mike Berrett and Berry Earn.
In recent times, promoters have often been suspected of being involved in dubious ventures and deals. The infamous American promoters Don King and Bob Arum came under scrutiny by the FBI.
King is one of the most controversial figures in modern boxing. There were enough difficulties in his career. He did a lot to popularize boxing and for his boxers, including Tyson and Chavez. His methods and style sometimes even made headlines, and many critics wondered if King's interests centered on sports at all.
The mysterious assassination attempt on English promoter Frank Warren in 1990 raised fears that professional boxing was nowhere near as clean as it could be.

Television and professional boxing

After the Second World War, television began to play an important role in professional boxing. Due to the relatively small amount of money spent on broadcasting professional boxing matches, since the mid-1950s they have become more regular than broadcasts of other sports competitions. This state of affairs continued until the early 1960s. After 1962, there was a decline in interest in television broadcasts of professional boxing matches. However, in 1976, when five American boxers at once won gold Olympic medals, and then moved to the rank of professionals, the interest of the TV audience began to rise again. The advent of cable television in the United States in the 1980s led to the emergence of a large number of professional clubs dedicated to training young boxers.
Television has greatly increased boxing's income. Multimillion-dollar fees in fights for the title of World Heavyweight Champion by the mid-60s had become familiar. Heavyweight Muhammad Ali has earned over $69,000,000 in his twenty-year career. It was impossible to limit the contracts concluded for heavyweight fights, as well as the income from the sweepstakes.
On April 6, 1987, middleweights Rey "Sugar" Leonard and Marvin Hagler split the $30,000,000 purse. In addition to television, the development of professional boxing in America, and to a lesser extent in Europe, was influenced by the fact that more and more fights took place in casinos. The biggest and most prestigious casinos in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and New Jersey used professional boxing matches to increase their income, but these tournaments nevertheless received national and international recognition.

Professional boxing organizations

In the world of professional boxing, there is no single organization that controls amateur and professional boxing.
In the United States, two organizations were founded in 1920:
- National Boxing Association - non-governmental organization;
- The New York State Athletic Commission is a government organization.
The division of control led to a situation where competing organizations sometimes awarded different boxers the same titles.
In Europe, the organization that led professional boxing was the International Boxing Union (International Boxing Union), which in 1948 was transformed into the European Boxing Union (European Boxing Union).
Several attempts were made to create one organization that controls professional boxing throughout the world, but they ended in complete failure.
In 1963, the World Boxing Council (WBC) was created.
In the early 1960s, the already existing National Boxing Association (NBA) changed its name to the World Boxing Association (WBA).
In 1983, the International Boxing Federation (IBF) was formed.
In 1988, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) began its work.
In 1991, another structure appeared - the International Boxing Organization (IBO), which adopted an independent computer rating as its rating.

During the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, the popularity of boxing caused the formation of weight class classifications. The basis for this was that a boxer of a heavier weight always had an advantage over an opponent of a lighter weight. The classification of weight categories was developed in the USA and England.
Eight weight categories have been identified, which are recognized worldwide:
- flyweight (fly weight) - no more than 112 pounds (50.8 kilograms);
- bantamweight (rooster weight) - 118 pounds (53.5 kg.);
- featherweight (feather weight) - 126 pounds (57.2 kg.);
- lightweight ( a light weight) - 135 pounds (61.2 kg.);
- welterweight (second half average weight) - 147 pounds (66.7 kg.);
- middleweight (middle weight) - 160 pounds (72.6 kg.);
- light-heavyweight (heavy weight) - 175 pounds (79.4 kg.);
- heavyweight (heavy weight) - more than 175 pounds (79.4 kg.).
In all world and national bouts the aforementioned weight categories must be strictly observed. If the boxer's weight exceeds the weight stipulated by the weight category in which he competes, he is given time to bring his weight in line with accepted standards. If he fails to do so, the match will not take place. If, after receiving the Champion title, it turns out that the weight of the boxer was more than determined by the weight category, then he loses the title and is subject to penalties.
Two additional weight classes, "junior-lightweight" - 130 pounds (59 kg.) and "junior-welterweight" - 140 pounds (63.5 kg.) were registered in the United States in the 20s (the term "junior" in boxing has nothing to do with age). These weight divisions were adopted for boxers who were unable to compete in the eight weight divisions above.
The great popularity of professional boxing has led to the fact that today there are 17 weight categories. The World Boxing Council (WBC) has introduced the following boxer weight classifications:
- cruiserweight (cruising weight) - 195 pounds (88.5 kg.);
- super middleweight (super middle weight) - 165 pounds (74.8 kg.);
- super welterweight (super second welterweight) - 154 pounds (69.9 kg.);
- super bantamweight - 122 pounds (55.3 kg.);
- super flyweight - 116 pounds (52.6 kg.);
- light-flyweight - 110 pounds (49.9 kg.);
- strawweight - 105 pounds (47.6 kg.).

Ring, rules, equipment

Since there is no single controlling organization in professional and amateur boxing, there are no uniform rules for conducting boxing fights, equipment and inventory used. The United States of America, as well as various states, have their own rules for conducting boxing matches.
Boxing fights are held in a square ring, the side of which can vary from 18 to 22 feet (from 5 m. 49 cm to 6 m. 71 cm). The ring is surrounded on all sides by three tight ropes.
The rules governing amateur boxing matches are the same all over the world. Amateur boxing matches last three rounds, interrupted by two one-minute breaks. The duration of one round is three minutes. Boxers, as protection, must have a special helmet on their heads. The judge in the ring (referee) usually controls compliance with the rules of the fight. Evaluation of amateur fights is carried out by three to five judges located near the ring, who decide which of the boxers won the fight. The rules of amateur boxing matches are strictly observed.
amateur rules significantly different from those that guide professional boxing. Professional boxing matches can last from four to twelve rounds. The duration of one round is three minutes, although some boxing matches held in England use two-minute rounds. Professional boxing matches lasted fifteen rounds, but by the end of the 80s of the twentieth century, the WBC, WBA, and IBF made a joint decision to limit boxing matches to twelve rounds.
Boxers perform in special gloves weighing from eight ounces (226.8 grams) to 10 ounces (283.3 grams).
The referee (judge) is located inside the ring and monitors compliance with the rules of the fight. Some rules allow the presence of two to four judges who are outside the ring. But in evaluating the actions of boxers, the decision is made only by three "ringside" (judges behind the ring), who, by giving points to each of the boxers, determine the victory of one of them. Boxers are evaluated for each of the rounds. For one of the boxers to win, it is necessary that at least two of the three judges behind the ring give preference to him. Such a victory is called a victory on points (in the lists of fights it is indicated for the winner - W, for the loser - L).
The match ends with a knockout if one of the boxers is knocked down and cannot get up to continue the fight within ten seconds, i.e. when the judge in the ring opened the score and counted to ten (in the lists of fights, this victory is indicated for the winner - KO, for the loser - LKO).
The fight can be stopped by the so-called technical knockout (in the lists of fights it is indicated for the winner - TKO, for the loser - LTKO). This happens when the judge in the ring stops the fight, due to the clear advantage of one of the boxers; as a result of the decision by the coach and seconds of one of the boxers to stop the fight (in this case, a white towel is thrown into the ring); if one of the boxers has received an injury that does not allow to fight or the injury may threaten the life and health of one of the boxers (such a decision can be made by a doctor who is a member of the referee commission).
Also, the fight can end in a draw, i.e. the judges in their assessments did not give preference to any of the boxers at the end of the number of rounds according to which the fight was held. In this case, the judges make a decision called "no contest", i.e. the fight did not take place (in the lists of fights it is designated NC). This decision also applies if two Boxers are disqualified, i.e. removed from the fight.
Also, victory can be awarded to one of the boxers if the other is disqualified. Disqualification may be caused by the fact that one of the boxers grossly violated the rules of the boxing match (headbutt, low blow, etc.), the boxer's sports equipment or weight category does not meet accepted standards. Disqualification is indicated for the winner - WDSQ, for the loser - LDSQ.

Boxer technique

In boxing, one of the most important aspects is the boxer's technique. An effective attack in boxing depends on the ability to deliver strong and accurate punches to the head or torso that penetrate the opponent's defenses.
Defensive tactics include:
- reflection or the ability to withstand one or more blows inflicted by the enemy;
- the ability, moving around the ring, to avoid blows inflicted by the enemy;
- active work with the body, which does not allow the opponent to inflict precise blow in the head or body.
Footwork is very important for offense and defense.
In boxing, there are two boxing stances - the right-hand "orthodox" and the left-hand "southpaw". In the first case, the left hand and left leg brought forward, in the second - the right arm and right leg are brought forward. There are also so-called "switch-hitting" - boxers who use both boxing stances throughout the fight.
In any of the positions, the attacking hand is advanced in front of the body, the other hand is near the chin and protects it. The chin itself is lowered to the chest, the shoulders are stooped. But, of course, each boxer has an individual stance.
There are four main punches in boxing:
- "jab - a sudden blow." Short kick, made from a right-sided or left-sided stance with an attacking hand directly from the shoulder. The blow can also be delivered with the other hand;
- "hook - hook". A short side blow with a hand bent at the elbow and the wrist twisted inward;
- "uppercut - blow from below". An upward blow directed from the bottom up;
- "cross - cross". Punches delivered across the boxer's body at shoulder level. Usually complemented by a main arm strike after the attack arm's strike.
All other strikes are modifications of the four basic strikes above.

In the past, when boxers fought without gloves, the fight was focused only on the power of the blow delivered. The opponents adhered to this style until one of them was unable to continue the fight. The boxer's hands did not have a definite set position, and the footwork was practically absent. With the advent of boxing gloves and the possibility of winning on points, boxing techniques, including not only handwork but also kicks, became more important.
James J. Corbett was the first modern heavyweight boxer to concentrate on boxing technique.
Heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey was very popular with the audience for his rather aggressive style of fighting and for his desire to finish the fight with a knockout.

Dempsey fought from a low stance, swinging like a pendulum and giving his opponent the opportunity to attack.
Champion Joe Louis perfected a style called "stalking," a style in which Louis patiently and relentlessly chased his opponent around the ring until he landed a knockout punch.
Heavyweight Mike Tyson, who brought the so-called "killer instinct" to professional boxing, won the WBA, WBC and IBF world titles in the late 80s of the twentieth century, used a similar fighting style.
Before the advent of Muhammad Ali, it was believed that heavyweights could not move quickly around the ring. However, Ali proved to be the fastest heavyweight of his time. He seemed to be dancing around his opponent with his arms down, able to quickly get into position for defense or attack. And although Muhamed did not have a devastating blow, he won many fights by knockout, conducting a series of numerous fast and strong blows.
The Klitschko brothers also brought their own style to the boxing technique. Using your physical data, namely high growth and a large length of arms, they keep the opponent at a distance, inflicting a series of blows with their left hand, using right hand to strike, usually knocking out an opponent. Although blows with the left hand repeatedly plunged their rivals to the floor of the ring.
The choice of style is strictly individual for each boxer, however, the two most important aspects modern boxing techniques remain - the quick movement of an athlete in the ring and combinations of punches.

Tom Molino: The Story of a Boxer

Columnist "SE" Alexander BELENKIY continues the historical cycle of boxers from the "era of bare fists". The hero of the current publication was Tom Molino.

TOM MOLINO, OR A TRUE AND EDUCATIONAL STORY ABOUT THAT HOW TWO HUNDRED BRITISH GENTLEMEN STAND UP FOR THE HONOR OF MOTHER ENGLAND AND SAVE HER AT THE PRICE OF THE OWN HONOR AND THE FINGER OF ONE UNHAPPY NEGRO

By 1810, when this story took place, such three-volume titles, after which one could no longer write the three-volume novel itself, since everything was said in them, had already gone out of fashion, but were still in use and heard. Lord Byron already lived and wrote, but before the appearance of the first chapters of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, which turned the entire literary and not only the literary life of their time, there were still two years left, and Samuel Richardson's novel Clarissa Harlow remained the most popular at that time. written in mid-eighteenth century and generally called "Clarissa, or the Story of a young lady, containing the most important issues of private life and showing, in particular, the disasters that can result from the wrong behavior of both parents and children in relation to marriage." Personally, I have never been able to joke so successfully, apparently because Richardson did not even think of joking. He wrote a very serious book, which, however, is now almost impossible to read. However, for its time, it was innovative, in particular, because it did not have the "happy ending" that the reading public demanded. They even tried to get Richardson to rewrite the end of the novel, where the heroine would remain alive, marry good man, gave birth to a bunch of children and never died. But Richardson flatly refused. Although he was one of the main representatives of the so-called "sentimentalism", he did not consider a happy ending to be inevitable either in literature or in life. And in the history of the American boxer Tom Molino, which will be discussed today, he was not there either. He was robbed and even trampled into the dirt in the truest sense of the word, but they could not steal one thing from him - his place in history. Over time, they even added the missing parts of his biography to him, and finished it beautifully.

No one really knew where he came from. It is clear that from America, but America is big. It seems to be from Virginia, but it is not small either, especially since there is a version that he was not from there at all, but from South Carolina. According to the legend that replaced history, Molino was a slave and, at the whim of the owner, fought in impromptu "rings" with other slaves and defeated everyone. Apparently, the owner put him up against other people's fighters, whom he also defeated. In one of these fights, Molino redeemed himself with his victory and also received $ 500, and his owner earned one hundred thousand of these same dollars on bets.

This is just one of the versions told by boxing historian Christopher Shelton. Others are generally similar and differ only in details and amounts. I would not be surprised if all this turned out to be the fruit of a collective fantasy, since I cannot believe in a slave owner who set such a slave free. Especially since when Molino materialized in England in 1810 or a little earlier, he was only 26 years old or so. Something doesn't add up here. Of course, as a former Soviet pioneer, Uncle Tom's Cabin seems to me closer to the truth than Gone with the Wind, despite the latter's great artistic merit, but I can still admit the existence of a decent slave owner true to his word. But I hardly believe that he could give this word so early: it was a sin not to use such a "gold mine" as this slave, at least before he turns thirty, but when he would begin to get tired, you can it would be to send him to freedom. And so - to give freedom in the prime of life ... No, although I am far from Stanislavsky, I do not believe it. Moreover, Molino looked just like an ordinary strong Negro: 174 cm tall and weighing a little over eighty, and the uninitiated were absolutely unaware of what colossal boxing talents were hiding behind this quite ordinary "sign". After he killed everyone in the district, you could go to the next county or state, put him up against the celebrity there and earn a lot of money.

It seems that Molino went to England from New York. So, maybe he just fled to the north, where there was no slavery, like many other blacks? Or maybe you have never been a slave? Maybe the whole story about the "star of the slave ring" is a fiction from beginning to end and appeared already to promote it in England? And there really was something to unwind.

Molino fought his first fight in England on July 24, 1810. It is curious that the famous boxing historian and contemporary of the events described Piers Egan, naming the date, does not name the opponent and only says that he was from Bristol and was six feet tall (183 cm) - a lot for that time. Other sources also give his name - Jack Burrows. Sometimes he is called Bristol Unknown (Bristol Unknown), adding to this the name Burrows. However, he certainly could not be a completely empty place, since his second and, perhaps, to some extent, the sponsor was the then champion of England, Tom Cribb. But everyone agrees on one thing: the battle lasted more than an hour, and Molino showed great superiority in it. His opponent, for the most part, showed miracles of stamina that allowed him to be beaten for so long.

Here we again return to the fact that then boxing was very different from the present. In many ways, it was much tougher, for example, it was possible to hold the enemy’s head under the armpit, and strike the other as much as you like. Nearly every technique of what is now known as Greco-Roman wrestling, but not wrestling on the ground. The round ended only with the fall of one of the boxers, but this fall was much more often the result of a push or throw than a blow, often the fall was mutual, which also meant the end of the round. As the boxers broke their hands, there were more and more wrestling techniques, and it was impossible to end the fight with submission techniques. All this partly explains why the beating could take so long.

What is completely incomprehensible, however, is how Molino even entered this fight. How did he get into the boxing "party"? Why was he released into the ring? Who really supported him initial stage? Egan says almost nothing about it. The boxing world was quite closed, and you couldn’t just come in from the street and challenge strong fighter. It is known that Molino was greatly helped by Bill Richmond, the first American Negro who achieved great fame in the English ring and over the years, except for the color of his skin, became more like an Englishman who received a good upbringing than most of the local natives and professional colleagues whose upbringing and manners often left much to be desired. But how did Molino find Richmond? Several million people already lived in London at that time, and it was clearly impossible to find one without some additional information. In general, this is one of the many questions related to Tom Molino, which we will probably never get an answer to.

However, there is one version that seems to answer all questions, but it belongs not to a contemporary of the events, but to the journalist W. Wilmott Dixon, who wrote under the pseudonym Thormanby at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. According to her, Molino's parents were indeed slaves from Virginia, but he himself received his freedom "legally", while no details about the fights in the "slave ring" are reported. For some time Molino was the servant of a certain Mr. Pinckney, who later became the American Ambassador to Great Britain. The rest is just a guess. From Pinckney, who knew England well, Molino could have learned about the popularity of boxing overseas, which explains why he came to London with such a clear and unequivocal intention to become a boxer. It is quite possible that the future ambassador even told him about Bill Richmond, who was a fairly well-known figure, and even gave him some coordinates.

The defeat of Burrows caused a terrible fury of Tom Cribb, who, apparently, put decent money on him, and he decided to kill two birds with one stone, since the great and powerful English language did not introduce him to the well-known proverb about two birds with one stone from the great and mighty Russian language. On the one hand, Cribb decided to settle accounts with the impudent black man and organized a fight for him with the very famous and respected boxer Tom Blake. On the other hand, he, apparently, wanted to return the money lost in the fight with Burrows. The second duel took place less than a month after the first - on August 21, 1810.

Still, people then, perhaps, were made in the same way as today, but the material for them was somehow different. Probably, sackcloth and some tannins were mixed into the food. Otherwise, it is simply impossible to understand how Molino, after an hour-long massacre, managed to recover and prepare for next fight, despite the fact that at the initial stage he definitely trained exclusively with girls in a brothel, and if he sparred with anyone, then only with them, and then he also drank, not sparing the insides. Nevertheless, he came out well prepared for the fight. Apparently, the "black Englishman" Richmond managed to right moment tear it off both the girls and the bottle, which was about as easy as tearing off a band-aid recklessly applied to a wound on a hairy limb.

In the first round, Blake managed to keep Molino at a distance, he parried his blows well and hit himself. However, everything changed in one moment when they came together closer, and Molino landed a blow, apparently from the right to the back of the neck. Then he repeated it again, and Blake fell. However, the audience considered this only a minor nuisance for the Englishman. Soon, however, they had to change their minds.

In the second round, Molino surprised the audience and Blake by chopping his left on the opponent’s arms to remove an obstacle on the way to Blake’s face, and with his right to strike, one of which brought the Briton to a horizontal position, which soon became familiar to him in this fight.

The third round, however, ended with the fact that both fell. Moreover, Blake managed to good hit in the jaw, after which, apparently, Molino squeezed him in the clinch, which ended in a fall, but even the fans no longer really believed in Blake. And for good reason. In the fourth round, Molino again began to “cut down” the Englishman’s defense and make his way to his face, which had survived a lot that day. Blake landed several body shots, but still ended up falling heavily to the ground.

In the fifth round, Blake charged forward like a wounded soldier ready to die in the attack. He did not die, but Molino grabbed him by the neck with his left hand, and with his right he delivered many heavy blows, after which Blake fell completely exhausted.

In the sixth round, Molino again cut down the opponent's defense and sent him to the ground with a right hand, after which the audience stopped betting on Blake. In the seventh, the Englishman went to the last and decisive battle, but pulled himself out and fell himself. He didn't have long to suffer. In the eighth round, Molino attacked him with extraordinary fury. Blake first retreated, then counterattacked and delivered a good blow to Molino on the cheek, but he responded with a right hand, which, according to Piers Egan, who described this fight in full detail, “hit his memory”. Blake fell, the seconds carried him to the corner, and when it became clear after 30 seconds that he was in no way ready to continue the fight, Molino was proclaimed the winner.

English champion Tom Cribb realized that he would have to return the lost money on his own, and began to prepare for the fight.

Alexander BELENKII