I was going to post this on /sp/, but that place is a shit hole and /his/ seems just as relevant to the topic.
What do we know about the history of boxing? Specifically the beginning of it as a sport on ancient Greece, the rules used during that time period, the equipment they used, any notable champions of the era.
The same question for boxing in the later Roman Republic and Empire (if it was even a sport there?) and other early civilizations up to its popularity in the Anglo world (including the early US) before the Marquess of Queensbury Rules.
And optional bonus questions:
>Who do you think changed the sport of boxing the most?
>Who do you think was the greatest boxer of all-time?
>Who is your favorite boxer of all-time?
>What does the sport need to do to regain popularity in the States and push ahead of MMA and the UFC?
The Wiki article on that statue seems to suggest that it was of a slave, who fought for the amusement of his masters
>>966732
>Who do you think changed the sport of boxing the most?
Daniel Mendoza for sure.
>Before Mendoza, boxers generally stood still and merely swapped punches. Mendoza's style consisted of more than simply battering opponents; his "scientific style" included much defensive movement. He developed an entirely new style of boxing, incorporating defensive strategies, such as what he called "side-stepping", moving around, ducking, blocking, and, all in all, avoiding punches. At the time, this was revolutionary, and Mendoza was able to overcome much heavier opponents as a result of this new style. Though he stood only 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) and weighed only 160 pounds (73 kg), Mendoza was England's sixteenth Heavyweight Champion from 1792 to 1795, and is the first middleweight to ever win the Heavyweight Championship of the World. In 1789 he opened his own boxing academy and published the book The Art of Boxing[3] on modern "scientific" style boxing which every subsequent boxer learned from.
Boxing went from "punch the other guy in the head until he gives up" to the very athletic and footwork oriented sport we know today. Mendoza (quite literally) wrote the book on bobbing and weaving. Muhammad Ali was famous for utilizing this sort of boxing in the modern era but he owes a lot to Mendoza.
>>966732
>who
The British, they really codified the rules and guidelines of pugilism.
>greatest
Pound for pound, probably sugar Ray Robinson. "Ali/Tyson was the GOAT" is a meme.
>my favorite
Max Baer
>how to keep ahead of MMA
The biggest thing mma has over boxing (I'm a huge fan of MMA admittedly) is that there are more "brutal" ways to win (knees to the face, body slams, no standing 8, certain submissions etc) and carnage is what sells. There is no shortage of talent in boxing today, just in my opinion there's simply too many meaningless belts and undeserving champs. It needs to keep being more exciting,
it's inevitable UFC becomes more popular. It simply appeals to a casual audience much more than boxing does.
>>966732
This Sumerian relief is probably the oldest documentation of "boxing". Boxing and Wrestling are likely the oldest fighting sports, since they're pretty simple and natural.
Boxers have probably wrapped their hands for a long time. Even your OP pic depicts something of a wrap. Thailand is famous for their "traditional muay thai" fights where boxers wrap their hands with hemp cord. Hands have a lot of small and weak bones, so people probably caught on pretty quick.
Do we actually know of any famous ancient Greek boxing champions? If I remember correctly, it was one of the original Olympic Games, so there must have been popular/fan favorites of the time.
On a related note, did the boxers and pankrationists stick to their own sports or was there some crossover with boxers in pankration or pankration fighters in boxing?
>>966898
>>966732
'´Pankration" as it was called by the ancient greeks can actually be called a hybrid martial art since it mainly combined boxing and wrestling.
The only thing strictly forbidden was biting or gouging out the opponents eyes. Though I've read somewhere that a fighter who carved open the abdominal wall of his opponent with his nails and wripped his guts out was disqualified.
http://www.pankration.info/what-is-pankration/
>>966945
That's metal af. I knew that pankration was mostly kind if like an ancient mixed martial art with punches, kicks, wrestling and all, but I'm curious if there were any boxers that also competed in pankration events successfully or wrestlers. Or the other way around.
Did they box in the nude? Did Rome adopt boxing as a sport after it overtook Greece as the dominant power?
>>966968
I don't know how much crossover there was but pankration did eventually become more popular than both boxing and wrestling. I assume that means more boxers were trying to enter the game than the other way around.
>>967213
Just like MMA and boxing today in the states
Why do the brits take credit for inventing boxing when its well established that the sport goes back to at least ancient Greece?
I also wonder if the successful athletes of ancient Greece were celebrities of sorts like they are today. Or in at least as much as some being household names.
http://www.britannica.com/sports/boxing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_boxing
http://www.historyoffighting.com/boxing-in-the-ancient-world.php
The articles should answer all of your main questions.
Both Iliad and Aeneid tell us of boxing bouts.
>According to the Iliad, Mycenaean warriors included boxing among their competitions honoring the fallen, though it is possible that the Homeric epics reflect later Greek culture. Boxing was among the contests held in memorial of Achilles' slain friend Patroclus, toward the end of the Trojan war. It was in commemoration of Patroclus that the Greeks later introduced boxing (pygme / pygmachia) to the Olympic Games in BCE 688. Participants trained on punching bags (called a korykos). Fighters wore leather straps (called himantes) over their hands (leaving the fingers free), wrists, and sometimes breast, to protect themselves from injury. There was no protection for the face or head.
>The scholar and historian Philostratus maintained that boxing was originally developed in Sparta. The early Spartans believed helmets were unnecessary and boxing prepared them for the inevitable blows to the head they would receive in battle. However, Spartans never participated in the competitive aspect of boxing, believing the means of defeat to be dishonorable.
>>966821
Oh, why Max Baer?
>>966732
>Who do you think changed the sport of boxing the most?
John Graham Chambers and others who devised the Marquess of Queenberry rules
>Who do you think was the greatest boxer of all-time?
Sam Langford and Henry Armstrong for thier multi weight championships during single belt era and era of many fighters
Who is your favorite boxer of all-time?
Joe Louis, his punching technique and use of footwork and ballance to bait punches for counters is sweet to watch
>What does the sport need to do to regain popularity in the States and push ahead of MMA and the UFC?
Less pay per view, use more of the millions they earn to promote gyms around the US
>>967589
The Brits take credit because queensbury rules are the modern codified rules of boxes. Before that, fisticuffs and "punch the other guy until he gives up" was much more lax in rules.
>>966732
you should try out /asp/, they are big on marital arts
>>967817
Very entertaining fighter and a good guy/playboy outside the ring.
Watch him fight max schmeling, ruthless KO.
>>968167
Oh right, will watch the fight
>>967850
>less pay per view
So much this. Buffalo wild wings plays every major UFC fight but they would have had to pay almost 5K per restaurant for the Pacquiao Mayweather fight.
>>969144
doesn't the ufc also put on a shit ton of PPV events? and every time they try to make a star to be the face of their company and bring in more viewers the inevitably lose to underdogs (Rousey, McGregor), fuck up irl and end up getting in legal trouble (Jones) or retire/begin to lose the edge due to injury (St.Pierre, Silva, Lesnar)
Boxing was also a sport in meso america.
Pic related mayan boxers using seashells as gloves
>>971261
>mayan boxer
Anon that is clearly a depiction of ancient astronauts aka Annunaki
>>971231
I think UFC has cheaper PPV for restaurants verses boxing.
>Who do you think changed the sport of boxing the most?
>>966816 Is on the right track. Boxing, like most things, goes through ups and downs of sophistication despite new developement.
The brawling style was more or less the norm. Gentle Jim Corbett revitalized the idea of Scientific Boxing, and made it to stay after knocking out Sullivan.
>Who do you think was the greatest boxer of all-time?
Sugar Ray Robinson, no question. I'd also suggest other anons look up names like Willie Pep, Bob Fitzsimmons, Jimmy Wilde, Harry Greb, Henry Armstrong, or Sam Langford.
As a bonus, since I love this shit:
Lightweight GOAT: Benny Leonard
Middleweight GOAT (besides Robinson): Marvin Hagler
Heavyweight GOAT: Ali or Joe Louis. dead even.
>Who is your favorite boxer of all-time?
An impossible question. Roberto Duran seems to encapsulate all of what I love about boxing.
Both meticulous tactician and ferocious brawler.
Grew up dirt poor, Meteoric rise to greatness, a fall from grace, and Redemption. He's the goods.
>>What does the sport need to do to regain popularity in the States and push ahead of MMA and the UFC?
Reinforce it's status with patriotism. All countries may root for their native sports teams, but nothing charges the world stage more than a fight. Hoping against hope that your land produced the toughest man (or woman) in the world.
