拳击用拳头进行攻击和防守的运动。在现代拳击运动中，拳击手们戴着有衬垫的手套，在一个用绳子隔开的叫做拳击台的广场上进行最多12场3分钟的比赛。在古希腊，格斗者在手上和前臂上使用皮革皮带，而在罗马角斗士使用镶有金属的皮革手套(cesti)，通常战斗到死。直到1839年伦敦拳击规则的实施，拳手在腰带以下的踢打、刨伤、撞击、咬伤和打击才从拳手的标准表演中消失。1867年，昆斯伯里规则要求戴手套，但裸拳拳击一直延续到19世纪80年代末。最后一位伟大的裸拳拳击手是约翰·l·沙利文。从沙利文开始，美国成为首屈一指的拳击场地，部分原因是移民提供了不断更新的拳击手队伍。拳击从1904年开始被列入奥运会比赛项目。今天，职业拳击有17个主要的重量级级别:草重量级，105磅(48公斤);初级蝇量级:108磅(49公斤);蝇量级，112磅(51公斤);初级低级别，115磅(52公斤); bantamweight, to 118 lbs (53.5 kg); junior featherweight, to 122 lbs (55 kg); featherweight, to 126 lbs (57 kg); junior lightweight, to 130 lbs (59 kg); lightweight, to 135 lbs (61 kg); junior welterweight, 140 lbs (63.5 kg); welterweight, to 147 lbs (67 kg); junior middleweight, 154 lbs (70 kg); middleweight, to 160 lbs (72.5 kg); super middleweight, 168 lbs (76 kg); light heavyweight, to 175 lbs (79 kg); cruiserweight, 190 lbs (86 kg); and heavyweight, over 190 lbs. A bout can be won either by knocking out or felling one’s opponent for a count of 10 (a KO) or by delivering the most solid blows and thus amassing the most points. The referee can also stop the fight when one boxer is being badly beaten (a technical knockout, or TKO) or he can disqualify a fighter for rules violations and award the fight to his opponent.
