Going into a hand-to-hand battle just for sport is actually quite an ancient form of entertainment which dates back to when athletic exhibitions and competitions first came about. There are historical references that show that boxing history goes back in many cultures for thousands of years.

We know that Greek boxers wore gloves in competition, but these were not the padded boxing gloves that we see in boxing competitions today. In fact, the gloves of Greek boxers were more like simple wrappings that covered their hands and their arms up to their elbows. Other than these gloves, the boxers of ancient Greek times were otherwise completely naked during their competitions.

It was in England, in the earlier part of the 18th century, when the term "boxing" was first coined and put into use widely. Records from boxing history show that it was primarily used in order to make a clear delineation between street fights that had no type of regulations, and the kind of fights that were fought under a set of defined and agree upon fighting rules.

In these modern days of sports boxing, the term describes the sport that involves two contestants, or boxers, who are fully outfitted with padded gloves, protective head gear and mouth guards.

The boxers face-off for competition in a boxing ring and they fight through an established number of fighting rounds or until one of the boxers knocks-out the other one. They also are monitored by a referee who is on hand to be sure that the fighters operate under the recognized and accepted rules of boxing.

Throughout boxing history, men have made up the largest group of boxing participants and this is still the case today. However, more and more women are choosing to participate in boxing, both for the competitive aspects of it and also because it is a good physical workout with many health benefits as well.

Interestingly, many people are surprised to learn that women have been participating in the sport of boxing much longer than most people would ever suspect. There are actually historical references to fights between female participants dating back to the 18th century. Women's boxing was established and officially organized in the latter part of the 20th century. This gave the female version of the sport more of a recognized status at that time and it has grown slowly but steadily since.

All through the later years of the 19th century and through all the years of the 20th century, both amateur and professional boxing activities and organizations have operated pretty much in parallel in terms of popularity and interest. However, unlike the status the professional boxer has been enjoying in the last twenty or so years of the 20th century, amateur boxing seems to have lost a significant segment of its audience and its popularity has declined to a great degree.

Throughout boxing history, there has been a contingent of critics who say that it simply should not be considered a sport or entertainment venue because of the great risk of injury to the fighters. And, it cannot be denied that many boxers have suffered from some debilitating long term health problems, such as brain injuries and serious damage to the eyes, because of their participation in this controversial sport.

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