The Romans added iron or brass studs, creating the cestus, which could be a deadly weapon. Boxing in the Roman Empire was not so much a sport as a bloody amusement for spectators, like the gladiatorial contests, with slaves pitted against one another in a fight to the death. Boxing itself was banned by Rome about 30 B.C. The Romans had made one small contribution to the sport: They invented the ring, originally a simple marked circle.

Boxing resurfaced in England in the late 17th century. A London newspaper referred to a bout in 1681, and the Royal Theatre in London was the site of regularly scheduled matches in 1698.

The sport at that time was actually a mixture of wrestling and boxing. Although hitting with fists was emphasized, a boxer could grab and throw his opponent, then jump on him and hit him while he was down.

James Figg, who opened a boxing academy in London in 1719, introduced a measure of skill to the sport. Figg was an expert fencer as well as a boxer, and his academy was patterned after the fencing academies of the period. He taught parrying and counter-punching, just as fencing masters taught parries and ripostes to their students.

Figg won great publicity for his academy by challenging all comers to bouts of boxing or cudgeling, He never lost, and was generally considered champion of Great Britain until he retired in 1730.

One of Figg's pupils, Jack Broughton, became known as the "father of English boxing." Broughton, generally acknowledged as champion from 1729 to 1750, taught boxing and operated an arena in London. In 1743, he drew up the first formal rules for the sport. There was a 3-foot square in the center of the ring. When a fighter was knocked down, his handlers had 30 seconds to get him into position on one side of the square, facing his opponent. In effect, this marked the first division of a bout into rounds, since each knockdown ended fighting for at least 30 seconds. Although wrestling holds were permitted, a boxer was not allowed to grab his opponent below the waist.

Broughton also invented the first boxing gloves, known as "mufflers," to protect not only the hands but also the face from blows. However, they were used only in practice, not in actual fights. The rules devised by Broughton were used throughout England with only minor modifications until 1838, when the Pugilistic Society (founded in 1814) developed the London Prize Ring Rules. The new code called for a ring 24 feet square, enclosed by two ropes. A knockdown marked the end of a round. After a 30-second break, the fighters were given eight seconds to "come to scratch," unaided, in the center of the ring.

Boxing had been banned in most English cities and towns by the middle of the 19th century, so a number of English fighters came to America, seeking competition. As boxing gained popularity, it also attracted opposition. A number of states banned prize fighting and others enforced existing bans that had been ignored. For decades, major fights took place in semi-secrecy, often near state lines so that participants and spectators could escape across the border if law officers showed up.

America's first genuine championship fight took place May 30, 1880, at Collier Station, West Virginia, near the Pennsylvania and Ohio borders. Joe Goss, widely considered the English champion, faced challenger Paddy Ryan, a native of Ireland. They fought for nearly an hour and a half before Ryan knocked out Goss in the 87th round.

Ryan was challenged almost immediately by John L. Sullivan of Boston, but he managed to avoid Sullivan until February 7, 1882. Their fight was originally scheduled for New Orleans, but was moved at the last minute to Mississippi City, Mississippi, because Louisiana authorities threatened action.

Sullivan won on a 9th-round knockout that took less than 11 minutes. He spent the next five years making money off the championship without putting it at risk, touring the country and fighting exhibitions, for the most part.

Meanwhile, Jake Kilrain was being pushed as a contender by Richard Kyle Fox, publisher of the National Police Gazette. Early in 1887, Fox declared that Kilrain was the real champion and presented him with a diamond-studded championship belt. 

In 1889, Sullivan finally accepted Kilrain's challenge. For the first time, newspapers carried extensive pre-fight coverage, reporting on the fighters' training and speculating on where the bout would take place. The center of activity was New Orleans, but the governor of Louisiana had forbidden the fight.

On July 7, an estimated 3,000 spectators boarded special trains for the secret location, which turned out to be Richburg, Mississippi. The fight began at 10:30 the following morning, and it looked as if Sullivan was going to lose, especially after he threw up during the 44th round.

But the champion got his second wind after that, and Kilrain's manager finally threw in the towel after the 75th round. Sullivan's victory made him a true national hero.

Again, he focused on making as much money as possible outside of the ring. He spent all of 1890 touring in a stage production, Honest Hearts and Willing Hands, then went to Australia to fight a series of exhibitions.

When he returned to America late in 1891, he offered to fight any challenger. James Corbett accepted the offer. It would be the first heavyweight title fight in history during which the participants wore gloves.

Corbett came from a middle-class background, attended college and worked as a bank clerk. He learned how to box in the sparring clubs of the West Coast. Sullivan, and many others of that time, learned how to fight on the streets. The majority of Corbett's fights were gloved bouts under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules. He earned nicknames like Handsome Jim, Pompadour Jim and finally, Gentleman Jim.

Corbett clearly earned his shot at Sullivan. He defeated top heavyweights such as Kilrain, Joe Choynski and drew with Australian Peter Jackson in a rugged four-hour, 61-round fight.

The main event between Sullivan and Corbett took place on September 7, 1892. Tickets were scaled from $5 to $15 and the 10,000 fans who packed the arena accounted for the largest crowd to witness a fight at that time. Sullivan, a 4-1 favorite, weighed in at 212 pounds. Corbett scaled 187. The champion was 33 years old, the challenger had turned 26 only six days before the fight.

The match was hardly competitive. Corbett boxed beautifully, dancing around the ring, sidestepping Sullivan's irate rushes and peppering him with counters.

In the 21st round, with Sullivan tiring badly, Corbett unleashed a series of punches that staggered the champion. Sullivan, bleeding and battered, retreated to a corner and grabbed hold of the top rope. Too tired to hold his hands up, a right hand dropped Sullivan to his knees. Sullivan managed to rise, but a crushing left-right combination pitched Sullivan forward on his face and chest. Finally he was counted out.

After Sullivan gathered himself, he stood on the ring apron and announced to the crowd: "Gentlemen, gentlemen, I have nothing at all to say. All I have to say is that I came into the ring once too often -- and if I had to get licked I'm glad I was licked by an American. I remain your warm and personal friend, John L. Sullivan."

The fight was over and new a era of "scientific" boxing had begun.

   Click Here For More Shinbudo Information