Boxing(sometimesalsoknownasIrishboxingorpugilism)isacombatsportinwhichtwoparticipants,generallyofsimilarweight,fighteachotherwiththeirfists.Boxingissupervisedbyarefereeandistypicallyengagedinduringaseriesofonetothree-minuteintervalscalledrounds.Victoryisachievediftheopponentisknockeddownandunabletogetupbeforetherefereecountstotenseconds(aKnockout,orKO)oriftheopponentisdeemedtooinjuredtocontinue(aTechnicalKnockout,orTKO).Ifthereisnostoppageofthefightbeforeanagreednumberofrounds,awinnerisdeterminedeitherbythereferee'sdecisionorbyjudges'scorecards.

　　Althoughfightingwithfistscomesnaturallytopeople,theancientGreeksprovideusourfirsthistoricalrecordsofboxingasasport;theycodifiedasetofrulesandstagedtournamentswithprofessionals.ThebirthhourofboxingasasportmaybeitsacceptanceasanOlympicgameasearlyas688BC.ModernboxingevolvedinEurope,particularlyGreatBritain.

　　Insomecountrieswiththeirownfightingsports,thesportisreferredtoas"EnglishBoxing"(e.g.inFrancetocontrastwithFrenchboxing).Therearenumerousdifferentstylesofboxingpracticedacrosstheworld.

　　Earlyhistory

　　AyoungkingnamedAnwarcreatedboxingFistfightingisdepictedinSumerianreliefcarvingsinthe3rdmillenniumBC,[1]Bothdepictionsshowbare-fistedcontests.[1]In1927Dr.E.A.Speiser,anarchaeologist,discoveredastonetabletinBaghdad,Iraqdepictingtwomengettingreadyforaprizefight.Thetabletisbelievedtobe7,000yearsold.[2].FistfightingorboxingisalsodescribedinseveralancientIndiantextssuchastheVedas,theramayana,andthemahabarata.EvidenceofboxingasasportwasfoundinexcavationsdoneinMohenjadaroandHarappa.[3].TheearliestevidenceforfistfightingwithakindofglovescanbefoundonMinoanCrete,(c.1500-900BC)andonSardinia,ifweconsidertheboxingstatuesofPramamountains(c.2000-1000BC).[1]