| Boxing became an official Olympic sport
in 1908. Records of boxing as a sport date back over 5,000 year to
ancient Mesopotamia.
Another word used for boxing is "pugilism." Boxing
first appeared as an Olympic event in the 7th century B.C. Originally, the sport
of boxing in ancient Greece was not so much about hitting one's opponent as much
as it was about avoiding being hit until the other boxer became exhausted in attack!
However, it was still a tough fight, as boxers only wore leather
straps on their hands for protection. With the coming of Christianity
in Europe, Boxing disappeared for the most part until the late 1600's when it
resurfaced in England, and gained in popularity in the 1700's when the sole champion
of the sport was James Figg, who held the heavyweight title from 1719-1730. Figg
trained various boxers, and one of them Jack Broughton, became the next champion
and drew up his own set of rules for the sport, which forbidden moves such as
hitting below the belt. Bare-knuckle boxing officially ended around
1866. The Marquess of Queensberry established the Queensberry Rules of Boxing:
use of boxing gloves, number of 3-minute rounds was limited, and some of the grappling,
or wrestling that had previously been a part of the sport were eliminated. | 
