Tag Archives: boxing terms

Popular Boxing Terms You Didn’t Know You Were Using

Posted on 09/24/2018

By Bryanna Fissori

Even those who are not boxing fans have undoubtedly and unknowingly used boxing terms in everyday conversation. The meanings may have changed slightly over time, but the relevance to boxing is still evident in most cases. Here are a few of the most popular boxing terms:

Below the Belt

Modern Use: A hurtful or unfair action or comment
Boxing Idiom: An illegal strike below the belt line of one’s boxing trunks

Saved By the Bell

Modern Use: Rescued from difficulty at the last possible moment
Boxing Idiom: The sound of the bell timer ending a round in which one party was in a dangerous situation

Throw in the Towel

Modern Use: To call it quits or put a stop to something
Boxing Idiom: Throwing a white towel into the ring was used as a signal from a coach or trainer to notify the referee to stop the fight.

Knockout

Modern Use: An attractive person, usually a women
Boxing Idiom: A punch that results in rendering an opponent unconscious.

Take the Gloves Off

Modern Use: The notion that something will be done in an uncompromising and brutal way.
Boxing Idiom: Removing gloves to inflict more damage

In Your Corner

Modern Use: The concept of having a support system that will stand behind you.
Boxing Idiom: The corner is where coaches and trainers are sitting during the fight in order to give instruction and support their fighter.

Against The Ropes

Modern Use: Refers to being in a bad situation with few or no options for relief.
Boxing Idiom: A boxer with their back against the ropes in the ring would typically be taking a lot of damage with few options to escape.

Roll With The Punches

Modern Use: To adapt to whatever situation arises
Boxing Idiom: When a punch is thrown a boxer may roll underneath it to avoid being hit. This is most often used when avoiding hooks to the head.

Throw Your Hat in the Ring

Modern Use: Request consideration to be a part of something.
Boxing Idiom: During boxing fights, before modern sanctioning or matchmaking, fighters would take fights on the spot. Because events were loud, throwing a hat in would be an easier way to get attention.

Keep Your Guard Up

Modern Use: Be cautious or aware of what is going on
Boxing Idiom: Keep your hands up to protect your face from punches.

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Conversational Sport Boxing Vocabulary

Posted on 07/10/2018

By Bryanna Fissori

So, you are absolutely loving your fitness boxing class and feel like you have gotten the hang of it. You know the difference between a jab, cross, hook and uppercut. You can throw them all in various combinations on command. So now you want to watch a boxing match with your friends who have been fans for over a decade. Here is some basic boxing vocabulary you should know in order to keep up. 

Boxing 101

Do not confuse boxing with a brawl or a street fight, or with other sports such as Mixed Martial Arts or kickboxing. Boxing has very specific rules participants must follow and the only weapons boxers are given are two gloved fists. Kicking and grappling of any sort are not allowed. If you yell, “Take him down!” in the middle of a boxing match, people will look at you like you are crazy. Your face will turn red and it will be very embarrassing. Don’t do that.

The Boxing Ring

Your gym may or may not have a boxing ring in it. A boxing ring is where the match takes place. Despite its name, a boxing ring is not round. It is a square. Flexible but sturdy ropes enclose the ring. This is the same enclosed space used for the sports of kickboxing and muay thai. MMA, unlike boxing, takes place in a cage. The ring itself is raised off of the ground and covered with a canvas material over about an inch of padding. There are no doors and participants step in between the ropes to enter and exit.

The People in the Ring

Once the bout (also called a match or a fight) begins, the only people inside the ring should be the two boxers and one referee. On a televised or high profile match, there will be a plethora of other people packed in the ring before and after. Those people usually consist of coaches, promoters, managers, announcer and media. Let’s break those down a little to expand your boxing vocabulary.

Weight Classes and Glove Sizes

Each boxer is categorized into a weight class depending on his or her size. This is usually the lowest weight a person can achieve while still being able to perform. The weight for each individual bout is decided at the time the match is made and is written in to the contracts. If a boxer does not step on the scale at the appropriate weight they are typically granted an hour to try and get to the weight. If that does not happen, they often are obligated to forfeit a portion of their pay (also called a purse).

Competitors typically “weigh-in” the day before the match and have approximately 24 hours to re-hydrate. It is not uncommon for an athlete to step on the scale dehydrated and to rehydrate to be 15 to 30 pounds heavier at the time of the match. It sounds crazy, but this is really how it works.

Glove sizes are also chosen according to the weights of the competitors. The gloves are used to protect fighters’ hands and minimize damage to faces. In general, fighters over 147 pounds use 10-ounce gloves and lighter fighters use 8-ounce gloves. This can vary for female fighters. Amateur fighters use larger gloves than professionals (they also typically use headgear).

Boxing No-No’s

There are quite a few things that boxers cannot do in the ring. This helps to prevent injury and keep the fight from becoming a street-brawl. Boxer’s cannot do the following:

• Strike below the belt
• Kick or knee
• Strike when an opponent is down on the canvas
• Grab the Ropes
• Strike with elbows, forearms or the inside of the hand (slap)
• Headbutt
• Wrestle, grapple or hold the opponent excessively
• Bite ears (Yes, this actually has been a problem)
• Poke the eye with a thumb (This has also been a problem)
• Strike intentionally with the back of the glove

If any of these things occur the referee has a few options. Depending on the severity of the offense the fight can be stopped and the offended athlete disqualified. If the offense is minor but has some effect on the fight, or has been repeated and the boxer warned, the referee may call for a point to be deducted off of that competitor’s scorecard.

The most common instructions you will hear from the referee to the boxers are: Stop, Break and Fight.

The Rounds:

The amount of maximum rounds a bout can go is pre-determined at the time the agreement (contract) is signed. This is assuming no one is knocked out prior to the end of the bout. The maximum any boxing match can last is 12 rounds. This is typical for the biggest or most highly promoted fight of the night. Each round often lasts three minutes during these high-level bouts. There is a minute rest in between each round during which each boxer returns to their corner of the ring where they are met by their coaches (also called corners) who usually give them water and advise. The number of and length of rounds are not the same for every bout.

Additional Boxing Vocabulary:

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