Professional boxing

Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory authority to guarantee the fighters' safety. Most high-profile bouts obtain the endorsement of a sanctioning body, which awards championship belts, establishes rules, and assigns its own judges and referees.
In contrast with amateur boxing, professional bouts are typically much longer and can last up to twelve rounds, though less significant fights can be as short as four rounds. Protective headgear is not permitted, and boxers are generally allowed to take substantial punishment before a fight is halted. Professional boxing has enjoyed a much higher profile than amateur boxing throughout the 20th century and beyond.

History

Early history

In 1891, the National Sporting Club, a private club in London, began to promote professional glove fights at its own premises, and created nine of its own rules to augment the Queensberry Rules. These rules specified more accurately, the role of the officials, and produced a system of scoring that enabled the referee to decide the result of a fight. The British Boxing Board of Control was first formed in 1919 with close links to the N.S.C., and was re-formed in 1929 after the N.S.C. closed.
In 1909, the first of twenty-two belts were presented by the fifth Earl of Lonsdale to the winner of a British title fight held at the N.S.C. In 1929, the BBBofC continued to award Lonsdale Belts to any British boxer who won three title fights in the same weight division. The "title fight" has always been the focal point in professional boxing. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, however, there were title fights at each weight. Promoters who could stage profitable title fights became influential in the sport, as did boxers' managers. The best promoters and managers have been instrumental in bringing boxing to new audiences and provoking media and public interest. The most famous of all three-way partnership was that of Jack Dempsey, his manager Jack Kearns, and the promoter Tex Rickard. Together they grossed US$8.4 million in only five fights between 1921 and 1927 and ushered in a "golden age" of popularity for professional boxing in the 1920s. They were also responsible for the first live radio broadcast of a title fight. In the United Kingdom, Jack Solomons' success as a fight promoter helped re-establish professional boxing after the Second World War and made the UK a popular place for title fights in the 1950s and 1960s.

Modern history

1900 to 1920

In the early twentieth century, most professional bouts took place in the United States and Britain, and champions were recognised by popular consensus as expressed in the newspapers of the day. Among the great champions of the era were the peerless heavyweight Jim Jeffries and Bob Fitzsimmons, who weighed more than 190 pounds but won world titles at middleweight, light heavyweight, and heavyweight. Other famous champions included light heavyweight Philadelphia Jack O'Brien and middleweight Tommy Ryan. After winning the Bantamweight title in 1892, Canada's George Dixon became the first-ever Black athlete to win a World Championship in any sport; he was also the first Canadian-born boxing champion. On May 12, 1902, lightweight Joe Gans became the first Black American to be a boxing champion. Despite the public's enthusiasm, this was an era of far-reaching regulation of the sport, often with the stated goal of outright prohibition. In 1900, the State of New York enacted the Lewis Law, which banned prizefights except for those held in private athletic clubs between members. Thus, when introducing the fighters, the announcer frequently added the phrase "Both members of this club," as George Wesley Bellows titled one of his paintings. The western region of the United States tended to be more tolerant of prizefights in this era, although the private club arrangement was standard practice here as well, the San Francisco Athletic Club being a prominent example.
On December 26, 1908, heavyweight Jack Johnson became the first Black heavyweight champion and a highly controversial figure in that racially charged era. Prizefights often had unlimited rounds and could easily become endurance tests, favouring patient tacticians like Johnson. At lighter weights, ten round fights were common, and lightweight Benny Leonard dominated his division from the late teens into the early twenties.
Championship-level prizefighters, in this period, were the premier sports celebrities, and any title bout generated intense public interest. Long before bars became popular venues in which to watch sporting events on television, enterprising saloon keepers were known to set up ticker machines and announce the progress of an important bout, blow by blow. Local kids often hung about outside the saloon doors, hoping for news of the fight. Harpo Marx, then fifteen, recounted vicariously experiencing the 1904 Jeffries-Munroe championship fight in this way.

1920 to present

Famous fights

Early years

Few athletes embodied the, from today's perspective, unusual world of 19th-century athletisism as much as Jack McAuliffe. He defeated Jack Hooper outdoors in freezing temperatures and later described it as a miracle that both men survived the fight. His title fight against the Canadian Harry Gilmore took place in a hardware store that had a boxing ring. However, the ring only had ropes on three sides; the fourth side was a brick wall. This proved dangerous for both title contenders: McAuliffe "only" broke his thumb, while Gilmore hit his head against the wall and suffered a concussion. At that time, Jack was recognized by most as the lightweight champion. Only a bricklayer from Birmingham named Jem Carney disagreed. He was the British national champion and feared on both sides of the Atlantic. This time, the duel was held in a dimly lit barn, lasted over five hours, and was stopped after 74 rounds. Ringside reporter A.D. Phillips reported on McAuliffe's technical superiority, while Carney possessed greater punching power. From the sixtieth round on, McAuliffe showed signs of severe fatigue and was nearly knocked out twice. Carney's supporters complained about the fight being stopped too early and an unfair decision that prevented a non-American from winning; McAuliffe's supporters, on the other hand, argued that the Englishman should have been disqualified for repeated kneeing.
James John Corbett is considered a pioneer of boxing training. He placed great importance on technique and, due to his innovative training methods, was called the father of modern boxing. In May 1891, he faced Peter "Black Prince" Jackson. The fight lasted 61 rounds; no winner. In the autumn of 1892, he fought John L. Sullivan for the title. By then, his self-developed training proved useful: he had internalized a very strong defense, which allowed him to evade Sullivan's punches. After what was, by the standards of the time, only 21 rounds, he knocked Sullivan to the ground.
The 1908 boxing match between Jack Johnson and Tommy Burns in Sydney, Australia, was an important event in both sports and boxing history. After 14 rounds of Johnson's one-sided fighting, police had to interrupt the fight to stop anymore injuries to Burns. In the first round, it only took Johnson 15 seconds to knock Burns down. Johnson's win declared him the first African American world heavyweight boxing champion, breaking down one of the most profound racial barriers of the early 1900s. Johnson's victory over Burns, who had refused to take on Black fighters until public pressure forced the match, was a direct challenge to white supremacy at a time when segregation and racist ideas were prevalent. The fight was not simply an athletic competition but a political act which was Johnson’s dominance in the ring and his strong rebellion outside of it shattered stereotypes of Black inferiority. His achievement inspired both pride in the Black community and resentment among many white viewers, setting off a wave of racial tensions and future “Great White Hope” campaigns to recapture the title. In the end, Johnson's win in 1908 was much more than a sports milestone. It was a courageous display of equality, strength, and resilience in the face of systemic bigotry.

1920 'to 1959
Chicago, late '20s. Gene Tunney was one of the first heavyweight champions who could move light-footed. Dempsey, by contrast, was an intense, energetic pressure fighter. His attitude, safety last, was loved by the audience; his aggression, legendary. "He looked as if he wanted to kill me. I never faced such eyes before," Tunney recalled. In front of over 100,000 spectators, Tunney managed to win many rounds, keeping Dempsey away with jabs and good footwork when necessary. However, in round seven, Dempsey slightly moved to the left to elude one jab and landed a right. That was enough to throw Tunney off rhythm and push him back toward the ropes. It was all Dempsey needed. Six quick punches later, he knocked Tunney down—but not out. Tunney got up after 14 seconds, as the referee had delayed the count until Dempsey moved toward a neutral corner. Tunney would go on to score a knockdown of his own and ultimately win the fight. The reign of Jack Dempsey, one of the most feared fighters ever, was over.
On June 19, 1936, the German boxer Max Schmeling faced the undefeated "Brown Bomber" Joe Louis, who was considered the greatest boxer in history up to that point and thought to be unbeatable. Hardly anyone gave Schmeling a chance to defeat Louis – not even Louis himself, who paid little attention to his opponent. However, Schmeling, who followed the example of former world champion Gene Tunney by studying films of his opponent's fights, had discovered a weakness in Louis' boxing style. After throwing a punch with his left hand, Louis would drop it too low, leaving the left side of his face – especially his temple – unprotected. As a result, Louis had to endure brutal punches from Schmeling's right hand during the fight and was ultimately knocked out in the 12th round.
When the year 1942 ended, Sugar Ray Robinson accumulated 125 victories, 40 as a professional. One of his opponents was the "Raging Bull". The second bout was in Detroit – his former hometown. LaMotta focused on body shots: From time to time a whistle sounded that nobody else ascribed importance to. Just one of the noises during a sporting event. But it was a calculated signal that rang every time to tell LaMotta that he was aiming too much at the head. The strategy proved successful: In front of 18,930 people, he landed a couple of hard blows to the stomach and the rips. In the eighth round, he hit him out of the ring. According to the renowned Ring Magazine, BoxRec, and Muhammad Ali, Ray Robinson is the greatest fighter of all time. The image of the best hanging on the ropes with a face distorted in pain circulated around the world.
1960 to 1979
February 25, 1964: Cassius Clay was offered the chance to fight for the title against Sonny Liston. The maverick was declared the winner in the seventh round. Liston wasn't able to hit the light-footed Clay and permanently received shots. A year later, May 25, the rematch took place. Clay, who had by then changed his name to Muhammad Ali, knocked Liston down in the first round and won. Many suspected fraud because they didn't see a clear punch. All the same, slow motion revealed that Ali landed a fast, sharp hit. This lightning-fast strike was called "Phantom punch". However, it is not believable that any boxer would have been knocked out by such a blow, especially not a world-class athlete like Liston.
Because Muhammad Ali refused to serve in the military, the boxing organizations stripped him of his titles; it wasn't until the 70s that he was allowed to box again. After two more or less easy fights he faced off with "Smokin' Joe" Frazier. This Fight of the Century brought together two undefeated boxers. It went down in history as one of the most spectacular title fights. In round 15, Frazier landed a mighty left hook and sent Ali down to the canvas. This knock down contributed to his win on points. Before the fight, Ali was using PR-methods in which he offended Frazier personally, that caused both competitors to become personal enemies.
1980 to 1999
Four athletes helped define a golden age of welter- and middleweight boxing: Roberto Durán from Panama, Wilfred Benitez from Puerto Rico, Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvelous Marvin Hagler from the United States. In June 1980 Duran met Leonard. A direct confrontation with Duràn was considered too risky, after all, there was a reason they called him Manos de Pierna. Everyone expected Leonard to keep his distance. To everyone's surprise, the opposite happened: Again and again he voluntarily chose to fight from close range. In the end, Durán got the title and Leonard earned praise for his courage.
A young, ambitious boxer with a unique style worked his way up the ranks and earned a title shot: Mike Tyson. Nicknamed "Kid Dynamite", he was just 20 years old and had an impressive record of 27 victories with no defeats. All his fights had ended by knockout or technical knockout, most of them within the early rounds. The same pattern followed in his title fight against Trevor Berbick. By the second round, Berbick already appeared exhausted. After another devastating punch, Berbick went down and the fight was over. This knockout became famous because Berbick attempted to stand up but kept falling repeatedly — a blow to the ear had severely disrupted his balance. Mike Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Shortly afterward, he unified the WBC, WBA, and IBF titles, becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion.
The undisputed champion defended his titles for three years. No one could stop him—not even Michael Spinks. The man from Missouri lasted only 91 seconds, despite being undefeated. Tyson, like many others, came to believe in his own invincibility. Personal problems and this overconfidence contributed to his sensational loss to Buster Douglas. February 11, 1990, became a nightmare for Tyson. He was the worse boxer that night, although he managed to knock Douglas down at the end of the eighth round. However, Douglas beat the count at nine and was saved by the bell. In the tenth round, Tyson was caught by a hard uppercut, followed by a series of combinations. Tyson went down, confused, fumbling for his mouthpiece. Many believed Tyson could have ruled the heavyweight division until the new millennium if he had stayed focused. Nobody expected him to lose—he was the overwhelming favorite.
In March 1990, two extraordinary athletes faced each other in the ring: Julio César Chávez from Mexico and Meldrick Taylor from the United States. Chávez had an incredible record of 68 professional victories, while Taylor, despite his youth, was already an Olympic gold medalist and IBF champion. Taylor was determined to reach the very top. Spectators witnessed a thrilling contest where Taylor displayed dazzling hand speed. However, many of his punches missed their mark, as Chávez combined solid defense with smart evasive movement and responded with heavier, more punishing shots. It was a fierce, back-and-forth duel, where both fighters stood their ground and respected each other's abilities. In the dramatic final moments, the fight was decided in the last ten seconds — by knockout.
2000 to 2019
Naseem Hamed had successfully defended his championship title ten times before stepping into the ring against Marco Antonio Barrera. Hamed was already famous for his unorthodox style: he often kept his hands low, relying on anticipation and almost serpentine flexibility. In addition to this nonchalant stance, he was gifted with immense punching power. Barrera, widely known for his thrilling and brutal battles with Érik Morales, was expected to use his relentless style against "The Prince". Many anticipated a non-stop clash, with Barrera refusing to back down. However, in April 2001, Barrera surprised everyone with a considered, disciplined approach, delivering a lesson in boxing technique. Despite the high level of skill on display, the fight had its rough edges: Hamed was penalized for holding Barrera's neck and wrestling him to the ground, while in the final round Barrera returned the favor, locking Hamed's arm behind his back like a policeman.
Ricky Hatton fought Manny Pacquiao in the year 2009. He was already one of the best Englishmen that laced on gloves. The Philippine was in his prime in speed, punching volume and agility. Hatton chose an offensive strategy against the pound for pound best boxer in the world. It turned out to be a disastrous choice. In round one he went down two times. In the second he suffered a horrible knock out.
After 2020'

In August 2022, Naoya Inoue had a title unification against reigning WBO bantamweight champion Paul Butler. Butler fought very cautious against the first number one pound for pound Japanese boxer. Inoue occasionally held his arms out in a T position, gently urging Butler to come forward and stop retreating behind a tight, defensive guard. Later, he even dropped his hands completely and leaned in, sticking his head out - a bold gesture that was equal parts provocation and invitation. On this evening, the young man from Kanagawa Prefecture proved he was more than just a knockout artist, showcasing beautiful defensive skill as he slipped some punches by leaning his head subtly backward. Still, he knocked Butler out, becoming the first undisputed bantamweight champion since Enrique Pinder in 1972. He also made history as the first boxer to defeat all four major sanctioning body champions by knockout, and set a new record for most wins in unified bantamweight title bouts with seven, surpassing the legendary Rubén Olivares.