fight with their fists. A boxing competition
is called a match, a fight, or a bout.
A boxer can win by knocking out the
other boxer. A boxer can also win by
scoring more points than his opponent.
A Boxing Ring and Equipment
A boxing match takes place on a square
platform called a ring. The ring is surrounded
by ropes. The ropes keep the
fighters from falling out of the ring.
Each fighter uses a corner of the ring as
a base. During pauses in the fight, the
boxers go to their corners.
A boxer wears padded gloves on each
hand. To protect the teeth, a boxer wears
a mouth guard. Amateur boxers wear
padded headgear.
Weight Classes
Professional boxers are grouped by
weight into more than 12 different
weight classes. The lightest group is the
strawweight or mini-flyweight class.
Fighters in this class weigh no more than
105 pounds (48 kilograms). The heavyweight
class has the heaviest fighters.
Heavyweights usually weigh 190 pounds
(86 kilograms) or more.
A Boxing Match
A boxing match is divided into threeminute
periods called rounds. The boxers
get one minute of rest between
rounds. A professional boxing match is
usually scheduled to last 12 rounds. An
amateur match usually has three scheduled
rounds. A person called the referee
stands inside the ring with the boxers.
The referee makes sure that the boxers
follow the rules.
A boxer can win a match by knockout
(KO) or technical knockout (TKO). A
knockout happens after one boxer hits
the other so hard that the second boxer
falls down. The referee declares a knockout
if the second boxer cannot stand up
within 10 seconds. The referee declares a
technical knockout when a weakened or
injured boxer is no longer able to defend
himself.
Sometimes neither boxer can win a
match by knockout or technical knockout.
Then the winner is decided by
points. Three judges score the match on
scorecards. The judges award points to
the boxers for the number of punches
that they land, or get through their
opponent’s defenses. Boxers also score
points for defensive skill. To win the
match by points, a boxer must have
more points on at least two of the three
scorecards.
Boxing is a sport that requires strength and
stamina.
118 Boxing BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA
History
Fist-fighting contests date back to
ancient times and probably much earlier.
In ancient Greece boxers wrapped their
hands and forearms in leather for protection.
In ancient Rome fighters called
gladiators wore leather hand coverings
that were studded with bits of metal or
metal spikes.
Boxing again became a popular sport in
England in the early 1700s. Boxers then
fought without gloves. An English
fighter named Jack Broughton put
together the first set of boxing rules in
1743. In 1838 a new set of rules banned
kicking, biting, head butting, and hitting
below the waist. The rules were
changed again in 1867. These rules
required boxers to wear gloves.
During the 1900s most of boxing’s
heavyweight champions were from the
United States. Jack Dempsey and Joe
Louis were famous U.S. heavyweight
champions in the first half of the 1900s.
Later champions included Rocky Marciano,
Muhammad Ali, and Joe Frazier.
In the 21st century boxing became
increasingly popular with women. They
now participate in both amateur and
professional matches.
#More to explore
Ali, Muhammad • Gladiator
Boy Scouts
#see Scouting.
Brachiosaurus
Brachiosaurus was one of the tallest of all
dinosaurs. The name Brachiosaurus
means “arm lizard” in Latin. Scientists
call it this because of its long front legs.
Brachiosaurus belongs to the group of
dinosaurs known as sauropods. The sauropods
were plant-eating dinosaurs with
long necks, massive bodies, and four
pillarlike legs.
When and Where
Brachiosaurus Lived
Brachiosaurus lived about 150 to 130
million years ago. Remains of Brachiosaurus
have been found in Europe,
Brachiosaurus
BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Brachiosaurus 119
Africa, and North America. Brachiosaurus
lived in areas with much plant life,
especially tall trees.
Physical Features
Brachiosaurus could reach more than 75
feet (23 meters) in length and weighed
up to 80 tons. It stood about 40 feet (12
meters) tall from its head to the ground.
The most striking features of Brachiosaurus
were its sloped back and long neck.
Its front legs were longer than its back
legs. It also had a relatively short tail. Its
dome-shaped head was small, and its
snout was somewhat flat. Brachiosaurus
had a few dozen pencil-like teeth.
Behavior
Brachiosaurus lived and traveled in
herds. Scientists believe that Brachiosaurus
could travel at speeds of about 12 to
19 miles per hour (19 to 31 kilometers
per hour). Its size and weight, as well as
sharp claws on its feet, protected it from
meat-eating dinosaurs. Its tremendous
height also allowed Brachiosaurus to
watch for enemies coming from miles
away.
Bradstreet, Anne
One of the first poets in England’s
American colonies was Anne Bradstreet.
Her poems reflect her religion, a strict
form of Christianity called Puritanism.
Anne Bradstreet was born Anne Dudley
in Northampton, England, in about
1612. At age 16 she married Simon
Bradstreet, the son of a Puritan minister.
