Boxing
WHAT IS BOXING?
Boxing is a combat sport of prehistoric origin in which
two participants (generally) of similar weight fight each
other with their fists. There have been many informal
forms of boxing throughout the centuries, since getting
two people to fight with fists is in essence a fairly
primitive sport, but boxing is now generally conducted
in a regulated way, typically in a series of one to three-minute
intervals called rounds. Victory is achieved if the opponent
is knocked down and unable to get up before the referee
counts to ten (a Knockout, or KO) or if the opponent is
deemed too injured to continue (a Technical Knockout,
or TKO). If there is no stoppage of the fight before an
agreed number of rounds, a winner is determined either
by the referee's decision or by judges' scorecards.
HISTORY
The records of practising this sport go back to prehistoric
times. In China of the Zhou Dynasty (12th century B.C.),
this combat system included techniques such as strikes,
throws, joint manipulation, and pressure point attacks.
The ancient Greeks, and later the ancient Romans, had
a sport called 'pugilism' (a term now often used for
boxing) which resembled boxing. It contrasted with ancient
Greek wrestling in that it was based on the use of fists.
In ancient Rome, the athletic form of boxing was adopted
from the Greeks and remained popular throughout the
Roman world. The other form of boxing was gladiatorial.
This classical sport resurfaced in England during the
early 18th century in the form of bare-knuckle boxing,
sometimes referred to as prizefighting. 1867 the Marquess
of Queensberry rules, intended for use in both professional
and amateur boxing matches, were issued, and now this
code is generally accepted.  Boxing
Style Terminology
Keeping in mind that no two fighters' styles are identical
in boxing, some styles can be distinguished:
Out-fighter: A classic "boxer”
that seeks to maintain distance between himself and
his opponent, fighting with faster, longer range punches,
most notably the jab. Since they rely on weaker punches
such as the jab, boxers tend to win by points decisions
rather than by knockout, although some out-fighters
(such as Lennox Lewis) have notable knockout records.
Boxer Puncher: is an out-fighter who has heavy
fire power in his punches. They use the same hit-and-move
tactics of an out-fighter, but instead of winning by
decision, they tend to wear their opponents down before
scoring the knockout.
Brawler (Slugger) generally lacks finesse in
the ring, but often makes up for it by volume of sheer
punching power.
In-fighter (swarmer) stays close to
an opponent, throwing intense flurries and combinations
of hooks and uppercuts. A successful in-fighter often
needs a good "chin" because this usually involves
being hit with many jabs before they can maneuver inside
where they are more effective.
Bob-and-Weave Fighter: Many short in-fighters
utilize their stature to their advantage, employing
a bob-and-weave defence by bending at the waist to slip
underneath or to the sides of incoming punches. Unlike
blocking, causing an opponent to miss a punch disrupts
his balance, permits forward movement past the opponent's
extended arm and keeps the hands free to counter. Some
bob-and-weave fighters have been known for being notoriously
hard to hit, a well-known example being Mike Tyson early
in his career.
Iron Men: Iron Men was a term used
in the late 1920's and 1930's for a boxer who was known
to simply absorb blows and let his opponent tire himself
out.
/source: wikipedia/
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