用双拳进攻和防守的运动。在现代拳击中，运动员戴着有衬垫的拳套，在一个用绳子围着的方形台上进行比赛，每场比赛最多十二回合，每一回合三分钟。古希腊斗士用皮带保护双手和前臂，而罗马角斗士则使用镶有金属的皮制手套，而且通常要战斗到死为止。一直到1839年才有伦敦职业拳击行会修订比赛规则，明确规定：踢、撞、抓、咬以及击打腰带以下部位的动作，均视为犯规。1867年昆斯伯里规则要求赛者一定要戴拳套，不过，徒手拳击一直延续到1880年代末期。最後一位伟大的徒手拳王是沙利文（John L. Sullivan）。从沙利文开始，美国变成主要的拳击赛场地，部分是因大批移民不断地提供新的拳击生力军。1904年起，拳击被列入奥运会的比赛项目。现今职业拳击按体重主要分为十七个等级：麦杆量级，48公斤（105磅）以下；轻蝇量级，49公斤（108磅）以下；蝇量级，51公斤（112磅）以下；轻羽量级，不超过52公斤（115磅）；羽量级，不超过53.5公斤（118磅）；超羽量级或次轻乙级，不超过55公斤（122磅）；轻乙级，不超过57公斤（126磅）；超轻乙级或次轻量级，不超过59公斤（130磅）；轻量级，不超过61公斤（135磅）；超轻量级或次轻中量级，不超过63.5公斤（140磅）；轻中量级，不超过67公斤（147磅）；超轻中量级或次中量级，不超过70公斤（154磅）；中量级，不超过72.5公斤（160磅）；重丙级，不超过76公斤（168磅）；重乙级，不超过79公斤（175磅）；次重量级，88公斤（195磅）；重量级，86公斤（195磅）以上。将对手击倒，或击倒在地，裁判员数到十时尚未完全立起（一次击倒，称KO），或击出重拳而积累最多分数的一方赢得一个回合。当一个拳击手受到重击（一次技术性击倒，称TKO）时，裁判员也可以停止比赛；裁判员也可以因为拳击手犯规而取消他的比赛资格，并奖励他的对手取胜。
boxing
Sport involving attack and defense with the fists. In the modern sport, boxers wear padded gloves and fight bouts of up to 12 three-minute rounds in a roped-off square known as the ring. In ancient Greece fighters used leather thongs on their hands and forearms, while in Rome gladiators used metal-studded leather hand covering (cesti) and usually fought to the death. Not until implementation of the London Prize Ring rules in 1839 were kicking, gouging, butting, biting, and blows below the belt eliminated from the boxer's standard repertoire. In 1867 the Queensberry rules called for the wearing of gloves, though bare-knuckle boxing continued into the late 1880s. The last of the great bare-knuckle fighters was John L. Sullivan. From Sullivan on, the U.S. became the premier boxing venue, partly because immigrants supplied a constantly renewed pool of boxers. Boxing has been included among the Olympic Games since 1904. Today there are 17 primary weight classes in professional boxing: strawweight, to 105 lbs (48 kg); junior flyweight, to 108 lbs (49 kg); flyweight, to 112 lbs (51 kg); junior bantamweight, to 115 lbs (52 kg); bantamweight, to 118 lbs (53.5 kg); junior featherweight, to 122 lbs (55 kg); featherweight, to 126 lbs (57 kg); junior lightweight, to 130 lbs (59 kg); lightweight, to 135 lbs (61 kg); junior welterweight, 140 lbs (63.5 kg); welterweight, to 147 lbs (67 kg); junior middleweight, 154 lbs (70 kg); middleweight, to 160 lbs (72.5 kg); super middleweight, 168 lbs (76 kg); light heavyweight, to 175 lbs (79 kg); cruiserweight, 195 lbs (88 kg); and heavyweight, over 195 lbs. A bout can be won either by knocking out or felling one's opponent for a count of 10 (a KO) or by delivering the most solid blows and thus amassing the most points. The referee can also stop the fight when one boxer is being badly beaten (a technical knockout, or TKO) or he can disqualify a fighter for rules violations and award the fight to his opponent.
