From Ancient Greece to NYC's Trendiest Gyms: How Boxing Became the Most Badass Sport in History
3rd Millennium B.C.: The First Depiction of Boxing
We assume people have been punching each other for basically forever, but the earliest known depiction of boxing comes from a Sumerian relief in Iraq. (Check out the two dudes on the left.) Be careful everyone.
2,000 B.C.: Early Evidence of Boxing in Sardinia
Behold the Giants of Mont’e Prama, ancient stone sculptures dating back to 2,000 B.C. that were found in Sardinia in the 1970s. Many of the 44 statues (like this guy) supposedly depict boxers.
688 B.C.: Boxing Makes Its Olympic Debut
Before hurling, table tennis and trampoline, boxing became an Olympic sport in the 23rd Olympiad. There were no rounds and boxers fought until one of them acknowledged defeat or couldn't continue. Good clean fun?
400 C.E.: Boxing Thrives in Ancient Rome
Speaking of family-friendly things (kidding): The Roman form of boxing was often a fight until death, and it was eventually banned by Emperor Theodoric the Great for being inhumane. Which, agreed.
16th Century: Bare-Knuckle Prizefighting in England
After making a comeback in the 16th century, the sport inched closer toward civility with the first boxing rules—the Broughton's rules—being introduced in 1743 to protect fighters.
1899: California Allows Exhibitions
After being outlawed in the late 19th century (don't worry, matches still took place in secret), boxing began to creep back into the mainstream when California started allowing athletic clubs to stage exhibitions.
1946: The First Televised Match
On June 19 in NYC, Joe Louis bested Billy Conn for the heavyweight championship. The first title match to be televised, it was approximately a million times less extravagant than the Mayweather-McGregor matchup.
1975: The Thrilla in Manila
Widely considered one of the best fights in history, this was the final match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. Ali claimed the world heavyweight boxing title, so there's a reason they call him The Greatest.
1999: Laila Ali Makes Her Pro Boxing Debut
Not to be outdone by her old man, Ali’s daughter, Laila, made her professional boxing debut 25 years later at age 21. True to Ali form, she KO’d her opponent in 31 seconds. Girl power times infinity.
2004: Million Dollar Baby
In this compulsively watchable sports drama, Hilary Swank plays Maggie Fitzgerald, an underdog amateur boxer who’s coached by a down-on-his-luck trainer (Clint Eastwood). She also won an Oscar for the role, so yeah.
2010s: Boxing as Group Fitness
For those of us who aren't pros (or actresses), boxing classes like the ones at Rumble and Church Street Boxing Gym are a killer opportunity to punch a stationary weighted bag for an hour after long, stressful days. Sign us up.