(Rischgitz/Getty Images).
If you haven’t caught Punch Drunk and Boxing Free Part 1, make sure to read it first.
The Boxing Ban
The total absence of boxing from the BC days until 1100 is not fully explained by the Boxing Ban of 393 AD, but it was a major reason.
In 393 AD, Theodosius I, the Roman Emperor from 379 to 395 AD, banned the Olympics in general and boxing specifically in the name of promoting Christianity. The Emperor considered the Greek tradition to be pagan.
Technically, he was right; the Greeks of that time period were polytheistic, and this was reflected in the traditions surrounding the Olympics. Polytheistic=pagan according to the definition, back then and now.
Boxing came back before the Olympics did, but it was still a very long period of time before people got back in the ring.
The 12th Century Brings Boxing Back
Fencing with the fists revived in Italy between 1100 and 1600. Fist fighting was recorded in cities and provinces all over Italy.
Around the same time, Russia perfected the art of specific types of bare knuckled boxing known as Kulachniy Boy. This unique type of fist fighting is memorialized in Russian folklore.
There were three primary variations of Kulachniy Boy: One-on-one, catch-and-drop, and team fights. The team could range from just a few participants to hundreds of people.
Boxing in England
The 1600s were a revolution of sorts for the sport. According to the slant of English-focused history, Events were recorded as early as 1681. The decrease of swords for an unclear reason in 17th-century England was the impetus for the rise of using fists as weapons again.
The term boxing wasn’t used to describe this sport until around the end of the 17th century and the beginning of the 18th.
This type of knuckle boxing or prizefighting looks quite a bit different from what we have today. For nearly 100 years, it was described as “pure,” a style we might call anarchy in a ring.
The only rule was that there were none. Round limits, weight divisions, and referees didn’t exist. The hands were bare at this point. This pure style of fighting meant that any moves would be allowed too.
The phalangeal pain from bare knuckles likely inspired boxers to use other body parts. Headbutting and hard throws abounded. Creative hand methods like eye-gouging and choking your opponent were also common.
Early Star of the Era
The first champion boxers originated during this period of time.
The competitions were also unique. Fencing and cudgeling were also on the roster on game days.
What is cudgeling, you might ask? People beat each other in the head with thick wooden sticks, also known as cudgels.
The first ever battle was in Britain, where a Duke organized a fight between his butler and his butcher. The man who wielded weapons for a living, the butcher, obviously secured the win. What weapon does the butler have? A candle stick?
James Figg was considered a champion in the early 1700s. It’s unclear how they determined that in a sport with zero rules, since it implies a sense of organization. Congrats to Mr. Figg! You wouldn’t want to be on the bad side of that boxer.
It would be nearly 100 years of boxing in England before we saw a smidgen of civility in this English bloodbath of a sport.
