All Boxing Events

Whether it’s heavyweight, bantamweight, or featherweight, watching a boxing match is sure to get your blood pumping with pummeling blows, swift footwork, and knockout excitement. Nothing tops the intensity of ringside seats, so it’s no surprise that tickets to boxing title matches sell out quickly. Don’t miss the main events of 2018 by getting your tickets to see Gennady Golovkin vs Canelo Alvarez, Adrien Broner vs Jessie Vargas, and Jorge Linares vs Vasyl Lomachenko.

Boxing in Ancient Times

Arguably the oldest human sport, the earliest known depiction of boxing appears in Sumerian relief carvings that date back to the Bronze Age around 5,000 years ago. In Ancient Greece, boxing became part of the 23rd World Games in 688 BC. Fighters wound leather thongs around their hands for protection, but the sport had no rounds and few rules. Boxing’s popularity surged in Ancient Rome, however, bouts became savage when Romans started using metal studs in their hand wraps and fighters fought to the death. Pugilism was abolished during the Roman gladiator period in AD 393 due to its excessive brutality.

Creation of Boxing Rules

Prizefighting resurfaced in England during the early 16^th century, and the London Protestant Mercury, published the first documented account of a bare-knuckle fight in 1681. James Figg won the first English bare-knuckle championship in 1719. Champion Jack Broughton introduced the first boxing rules in 1743 to protect fighters and reduce deaths in the ring. The Marquess of Queensberry further developed the sport by retooling the rules to require gloves and introducing timed rounds and different weight classes.

Amateur Boxing

Still a popular sport around the world, amateur boxing returned to the Olympic Games in 1904 and women’s boxing debuted at the 2012 Olympics in London. Unlike professional boxing, amateur boxing involves a judged scoring system based on clean blows landed, and fighters wear protective headgear. Professional boxing differs in style, and unless it ends in a knockout, typically lasts longer than amateur bouts.

Boxing in the USA

The golden age of US boxing began in the 1920s when New York legislation permitted public prizefighting and saw the rise of fighters like Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney, and Joe Louis. Boxing ticket sales surged in the 1960s and 1970s when the legendary Muhammad Ali dominated the ring and became a cultural icon. One of the greatest sporting events of the 20^th century, “The Rumble in the Jungle” pitted undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman against former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in Kinshasa, Zaire. Just before the end of the 8^th round, Ali knocked out Foreman for the win. Other big names in American boxing include Oscar de la Hoya, Sugar Ray Robinson, Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Rocky Marciano who inspired the Rocky film franchise. With professional boxing venues spread across the United States, you can catch major rumbles in places like Madison Square Garden in New York and the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Tickets to key prizefights sell out quickly, so get yours today and see boxing history in the making.

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