When people talk about particularly interesting and spectacular sports, one subject always comes up at some point: boxing. It is one of the oldest sports, and it has always been associated with strength, courage, and fearlessness. It’s a riot!
Here are some extremely hard-hitting facts about boxing that you’ve probably never heard of.
1. Although England is considered the birthplace of modern boxing, the earliest mentions of fights similar to boxing date back to the second and even third millennia BC. Images of proto-boxers can be found on ancient Egyptian bas-reliefs and even in Sumerian caves.
2. Back in ancient Greece, Apollo was known as the big boss of boxing and all sorts of fist-fighting.
3. The progenitor of modern boxing is Jack Broughton, who was the first to introduce the universally recognized boxing rules, which were adopted on August 16, 1743.
4. Did you know that a boxing match between a man and an actual freaking bear took place in 1949? Yup, it’s true! The bear was wearing boxing gloves and a muzzle, but it was all for naught. Even though the guy slapped the bear a little, the beast landed a killing blow and won the champion belt.
5. Only in 1904, despite its centuries-old history, did boxing join the list of Olympic disciplines. That year, John Sullivan became the first Olympic boxing champion.
