Bare-knuckled Fighting Was Now Something of the PastBy this date of 1867 old professional bare-knuckle Prize Ring was in terminal decline. It had always been against the law, but in the early part of the century it survived because it had widespread popular support and because there were many influential men who supported it. In 1867, however, the results of fights were increasingly suspect, and sometimes boxers even failed to turn up for fights. Less money came into the sport and bare-knuckle pugilism slowly died out. Conversely, the amateur side of the sport flourished, not only in schools, universities and in the armed forces, but also in the working-class areas of the expanding urban centres. With the gradual acceptance of Marques of Queensberry Rules, on both sides of the Atlantic two distinct branches of boxing emerged, professional and amateur, and each produced its own local, national and international governing bodies and its own variation of the rules. Repeated Holding Can Result In A Boxer Being PenalisedIn amateur boxing the version of the sport found at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games the primary emphasis is on landing scoring punches rather than concern with doing actual physical damage to one's opponent though it still occurs. Competitors wear protective headgear, and box for three rounds with a time factor of three-minutes each round. Each punch that lands on the head or torso is awarded a point. A boxing referee monitors the fight to ensure that competitors use only legal blows and a protection belt worn over the torso which represents the lower limit of punches any boxer repeatedly landing low blows is disqualified. Referees also ensure that the boxers don't use holding tactics to prevent his opponent from swinging if this occurs, the referee separates the opponents and orders them to continue boxing. Repeated holding can result in a boxer being penalised or, ultimately, disqualified. If a competitor is punched sufficiently hard to have trouble continuing the fight, and the opponent inflicted this condition with only legal blows, the match is over. The competitor still standing is declared the winner by knockout. In 1880 The Amateur Boxing Association (A.B.A.) Was FormedIn amateur boxing, referees will readily step in and award knockouts even if the competitor is only relatively lightly injured, this is to avoid one boxer being hurt or injured unlike in professional boxing. The Queensberry Amateur Championships continued from 1867 to 1885, and so, unlike their professional counterparts, amateur boxers did not deviate from using gloves once the Queensberry Rules had been published. In Britain however, the British Amateur Boxing Association (A.B.A.) was formed in 1880 when twelve clubs affiliated. It held its first championships within the following year of 1881. Four weight classes were contested, Featherweight (9 stone), Lightweight (10 stone), Middleweight (11 stone, 4 pounds) and Heavyweights no limit. By 1902, American boxers were contesting the titles in the A.B.A. Championships, which, therefore, took on, an international complexion. By the year of 1924, the A.B.A. had a total of 105 affiliated clubs. New Rules Did Not Support Super HeavyweightsTimes were changing and the latest change came when decision was made recently that has caused enraged remonstration from boxing associations across the world. The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) has discarded the super-heavyweight category as the maximum permissible weight that will now be fixed at 95 kilograms (roughly 15 stone). Previously the heavyweight division was fixed at 91kg for amateurs, with the super heavyweights being open to men of any size. But the new rule, which the secretary general Loring K. Baker says, must be obeyed. What Baker is saying; "any fighter unable to reduce his weight down to 15 stone will not be allowed to participate in any international competition whatsoever." The AIBA secretary general, Loring K. Baker's heavy handed stance, created a disreputable uneasiness amongst some the major contributory countries such as United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. These countries effectively fused with several other countries around the world to form a strong unified bond to foster a registered, broad-shouldered formal complaints against the changes within the AIBA new rules as regards to the super-heavyweight category. Jim Smart, chairman of the British Amateur Boxing Association, said; "the amended weight categories could have disastrous effect on the sport of boxing." |
