Boxing in Australia

Boxing is an individual sport in which two people are placed in a square ring who fight with fists wearing padded gloves. It is one of Australia’s oldest individual sports.

Outline

The first Australian boxing contest recorded in history took place in Sydney on 8 January 1814 involving John Parton and Charles Sefton who were two convicts who bareknuckle boxed. After 56 rounds and 90 minutes of tough fighting, John was declared the winner. Boxing has always been criticised in the press for it may been very popular but is also very brutal.

Fights were organised in unusual places frequently trying to hide from police or law enforcement of any kind. Issac Read was an english man who defeated the George Hough in 1847 hidden in bushland at Sydney’s Middle Head. The contest lasted 98 minutes and was attended by thousands. Native-born and immigrants also got into contests as rivalry’s would form and antagonising would spark between the two groups. With everyone desperate for entertainment boxing took place on goldfields because of the minimum facilities.

There were a variety of contests including ‘gloved’ or ‘bareknuckle’ exhibitions. In 1855 in Fiery Creek Victoria, a 6 hour and 15 minute long fight sparked between Jonathon Smith who was defeated by James Kelly.

Other sports were constantly expanding and prospering throughout 1850 and the 1860s but boxing was left handicapped and banned by any prying eyes of the law. Boxing was legalised until 1924 when all six states decided for it to become a proper sport.

Description

Regardless of the participants experience, gender or age boxing is encouraged throughout Australia.

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Besides from entertainment and fitness boxing gives you discipline, patience, humility, gives you confidence and even helps manage adrenaline. It’s influenced in Australia through previous champs with their characteristics/ sportsmanship and even through safety benefits.

First Boxing Fight

Boxing has become one of the most watched sporting events on earth. The first boxing fight recorded had no written rules to regulate anything in the sporting event which was held in Britain. The first set of rules wasn’t introduced until 1743 which was more than 60 year later which only complied because former champion Jack Broughton made for the safety and to protect fighters in the ring. Deaths occurred before the rules were provided. One of the rules included a 30 second count when a fighter was knocked down and if he couldn’t continue the opponent would be crowned champion. The mouth guard wasn’t invented until 1902 but wasn’t used until 1913 in a boxing ring.

Weight Classification

Opponents are chosen determined on their weight classification. When in training for an upcoming fight, the boxer’s aim is to get down to the fighting weight for the official weight — that generally takes place the day before the fight. Whilst there were only eight weight classifications originally, in modern day boxing, there are now 17 professional major weight classes. In boxing events throughout the early 19th century, there were no weight classes to distinguish which fighters were suitable to fight each other. The first weight classes were introduced in 1910 and were: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. There were originally eight, however, there are now technically 17 weight classes within boxing. Some of these have been changed over time, with the most recent weight class introduction in 2007 — the light minimumweight (102lb).

Nutrition

Nutrition is just as important as training when boxers are preparing for an upcoming fight. A diet is a crucial part of staying in shape and keeping up with the demands of training. A diet comprising of the three main macronutrients, carbohydrates, lean protein and good fats, puts you in the best position for optimum workout performance and helps you reach your target weight. Pure protein is key, as is plenty of liquids. Most boxers aim to stay within 3-5% of their target weigh-in weight whilst training to avoid the need of a crash diet, which could affect their performance.

According to TalkBoxing, a boxer’s diet should contain 45-55% carbohydrates, 30-40% protein and 15% of fats. Boxers require carbohydrates because the sport is an anaerobic activity which requires the maintenance of high energy levels for 12 intensive, three-minute rounds. Carbohydrates slowly release energy, replacing used up glycogen stores. Meanwhile, protein is needed in a boxer’s diet to help maximise recovery and contribute to muscle growth, whilst certain fats are required for the upkeep of internal bodily functions. These are generally called ‘good fats’ or ‘essential fats’ — think omega-3 and omega-6.

Some boxers choose to take additional protein powder supplements as workout aids, to try and boost their workout performance and reach new goals.