Boxing Olympic
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 London 2012 Olympics Support Team GB Car Mini Boxing Gloves Memorabilia UK GIFT  US $3.15
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 28 YEAR OLD OLYMPIC BOXING COLLECTOR COIN US $3.50
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The History of Boxing
Not surprisingly, the brutal sport of boxing has roots in prehistoric periods. The earliest records of boxing are from archaeological evidence discovered in Africa that are said to be dated around 4000 B.C. Of course, the sport's popularity spread and cave paintings that depicted boxing were found around 1500 B.C. in places such as the Mediterranean.
Boxing then moved on to ancient Greece, where barbarians would sit face to face and punch each other until one of them was dead at times spikes and the like were used to quicken the process and most of the time the opponents were naked with the exception of wrappings to protect their arms. Fortunately, around 688 B.C., this form of boxing passed and boxers soon were practicing on punching bags and were allowed to wear leather straps and breastplates to protect their arms and chests.
Boxing then took on many forms, depending on the country in which it grew popular. For example, China merged boxing with wrestling during the Zhou Dynasty and utilized a combination of attacks, including throws and pressure point attacks. Ancient Buddhist history also mentions a form of boxing particularly, a boxing match between Buddha's cousin and half-brother.
In the Buddharata Sutra, a martial art form of boxing was written about and this particular form of boxing was known as Vajra Mushti. Boxing also took its place in ancient Rome, being more popular among prisoners attempting to win their freedom by winning a boxing match. Boxing did not last long in Rome, however, although it gained so much popularity that even free men and nobles fought in matches. In 500 A.D. Theodoric the Great prohibited boxing in any form.
Boxing took off in London, however, and early fighting around the year 1743 didn't have any weight limits or really, any rules of any kind. Many boxers fought with bare knuckles and this made for a very brutal sport thankfully, rules such as "no blows below the belt" were enforced and the sport began to morph into the martial art that we know today. Olympic boxing and women's boxing also gained in popularity, however, the two have not generally mixed well.
There will be no women's boxing in the Olympics during the year 2008 and not many expect it to be an official sport at the 2012 Olympics either. Boxing became most popular in the Western world with professional boxing also known as prizefighting. Many people like to watch this type of boxing on television and many movies were made about this type of boxing, including the spectacular Rocky series. Boxing still remains popular today, despite its extremely prehistoric and often barbaric origins.
About the Author
James Dunn owns and opperates Martial Arts Tutor
Visit Boxing Lessons for more information about Boxing or Aikido Lessons to learn about Aikido.
Muhammad Ali - the Greatest?
Many people know about Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali, but do you know about Olympic Games Legend Muhammad Ali? Read on for a boxing profile of this great Olympic Medalist.
Muhammad Ali has also been known as Cassius Clay in his lifetime, but he was actually born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.
Ali was a world heavyweight boxing champion that fought his way into the country and the world’s affection. Outspoken and unrelenting, Ali began his boxing career back in 1954. Ali, then known as Clay, won 6 Golden Gloves contents in Kentucky, 2 golden gloves titles that were national and 2 Amateur Athletic Union Crowns.
In 1960 he won a gold medal in the Rome Summer Olympics. He later threw that gold medal in the Ohio River when he found that racism in Louisville was rife. It was in 1960 that he became a professional boxer.
It wasn’t long before he became the heavyweight champion, picking up the title in 1964. He was the underdog in this content with the renowned Sonny Liston, however Clay taunted his way through 5 rounds, winning the title. It was in 1964 that Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali after becoming a Black Muslim.
Ali has been controversial for most of his life. It was in 1966/67 that Ali was stripped of his heavyweight championship, had his boxing license taken away from him because he bluntly refused to partake in the Vietnam War. Regardless of his controversy and his outspoken nature, Muhammad Ali was a talented and gifted boxer.
In 1970, Ali took up boxing again but had to go to Atlanta to fight. Georgia had no boxing commission and so Ali was able to Box despite his previous ban.
In 1971, Ali fights against Joe Frazier the heavyweight champ in Madison Square Garden. Ali loses to Frazier in the 15th round. It was in June this year that the Supreme Court reverses the decision of his ban due to his draft evasion, and Ali fights again.
Ali gets his heavyweight title back in 1974 after knocking out George Foreman in Zaire. He successfully used his famous rope strategy against him and let Foreman tire himself out while Ali conserved his energy and then attacked.
Ali met Frazier again in the ring in 1975 in the Philippines. The two champions fight until they are bloodied and battered. The battle between them is long and ferocious, eventually in the 15th round, Frazier cannot continue and Ali wins.
In 1978, Lai has an outstanding career record of 55 wins to two losses. He loses his winning belt to Spinks, but 7 months later, Ali wins back his belt from Spinks. Ali decides to retire from his lucrative boxing career in 1979 but comes back out of retirement in 1980.
In 1984, Ali was sadly diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and he begins his slow and long deterioration. In 1996, Ali carried the Olympic torch to the lighting of the cauldron in Atlanta in the Summer Olympics. Muhammad Ali was actually given another gold medal to replace the one he threw away 36 years prior.
Items related to Ali and the Olympics are now valuable as you can see here: Muhammad Ali Olympic Collectibles.
What are the requirements to qualify for the Olympic Trials for boxing?
It doesn't say anywhere on USABoxing.org, nor any other places that I've been looking around for.
In order to qualify for the olympic trails you have eight opportunity's. You have to either win the
1. National P.A.L.
2. National golden gloves
3. U.S.A. national boxing championships
4. western olympic trails
5. eastern olympic trails
6. Armed forces
7. U.S. championships
8. At large selection-ie. a boxer that though did not win any of the respective qualifications still either was rated well and is considered a top 8 rated boxer.
Note-the U.S. national boxing championships have their winner and runner up quilify.
2008 Olympic Boxing in Beijing - Ukraine vs France Men's Feather Gold
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