One of the oldest and still regarded as one of the best sports involving fighting is boxing. Boxing has been around for quite a long time. Ever wondered why the arena where boxing matches are fought is called a ring? That’s because it used to be round, the area where boxers fought. Ever chanced upon a bare-knuckle fight in a street? See how the people gather around and naturally form a circle, enclosing the two combatants. The practice goes way back, to the time when boxing matches were more violent, boxers were like gladiators inside a round arena. No referee, no cameras, no fixed number of rounds, no rules. All they had was their fists. The winner was the last man standing.
There are still bare-knuckle boxing matches fought today, but they usually occur underground, in exclusive fight clubs, concealed to the general public. Modern boxing matches have more civilized rules and have very strict guidelines. Boxing matches can be amateur or professional. Amateur boxing matches are fought against aspiring young boxers in small gyms, but there are also matches which pit boxers from different schools, colleges and universities. Some famous boxers like Oscar de la Hoya introduced themselves to the world through amateur boxing matches, most notably during Summer Olympic Games. Some of the best amateur boxers would eventually move on into the realm of professional boxing, where the best boxing matches there are.