The History of Boxing

Boxing's origins can be traced all the way back to 688 B.C. in Greece, where it was an event in the Ancient Olympic Games. However, the sport didn't catch on in the United States until the late 1800s. Since that time, however, Americans have dominated the sport, capturing 47 of the 191 gold medals available.

A decade and a half after being recognized in the U.S., boxing first appeared in the Modern Olympics at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, Mo.

In recent years, the sport has reached out to females, who now compete in sanctioned amateur competition but do not yet compete in the Olympics.

Among the now-famous professional boxers who started their careers in the amateur ranks are American gold-medal winners Muhammad Ali, Oscar De La Hoya, George Foreman, Leon and Michael Spinks, Floyd Patterson and Ray Leonard.

Click here to visit the Olympic Boxing Site

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