The Roots of Modern Boxing Equipment: Tracing the Origins and Innovations Behind Today's Gear
Most people rarely consider the rich history of boxing equipment, viewing it merely as functional gear required for the sport. This oversight obscures the development of boxing to its current status as a regulated sport. This historical trajectory of boxing equipment, therefore, offers a window into the broader evolution of the sport and its changing place in cultural and social contexts. Let's take a closer look at this history.
Boxing Gloves
Jack Broughton, an English self-defence instructor, invented the modern boxing glove in 1743 to be used in his arena in London, Tottenham Court Road. The ‘muffler’, as it was then known, was then used only for sparring and it was not until 1818 that Broughton’s style of gloves were used in a competitive fight. Gloves then became mandatory when the Marquis of Queensbury Rules were drafted in 1865.
John L. Sullivan, the American heavyweight boxer, did the most to popularise the use of gloves in the first ever gloved heavyweight championship contest, when he fought James J. Corbett on 7 September 1892.
Originally made of brown leather, gloves were dyed red as standard only in the 1950s to ‘soften’ its image for TV audiences when boxing became televised.
Hand Wraps
When the Marquess of Queensberry Rules declared the mandatory use of gloves in 1867, boxers began to develop greater precautions around hand protection. Once the use of gauze and tape became standard practice for boxing matches in the 1920s, boxers began pre-wrapping their hands beneath the gloves with hand wraps for hand protection during training.
When boxing first appeared in the Olympics in 688 BC, Greek fighters wrapped their hands with oil-softened ox hide leather strips called himantes. These evolved into the cestus, a battle glove that was used in Roman gladiatorial events. While these may looks like hand wraps, they were more like weapons than sporting equipment.
Heavy Bag
The United States Office of Patents and Trademarks awarded Simon D. Kehoe a patent for the punching bag in 1872.
The heavy bag gained popularity in the 1920s and was originally made from old duffle bags or cloth sacks, filled with grains, sand or even horse hair.
Punch Pads / Focus Mitts
The earliest photo of punch pads in modern boxing are probably of Joe Louis and his son, taken around 1949.
However, punch pads did not become widespread until the 1960s when Bruce Lee was seen using them in his training. Punch pads eventually became a central part of coaching in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Speedbag
In the late 1870s an American boxer called Mike Donovan used a rugby ball that he had hung from the ceiling as a piece of training equipment. This was the first documented case of a modern day boxer using such equipment that most closely resembles the speedbag (or even the heavy bag).
The first case of a boxer using a punch bag attached to a swivel and platform would be Jack Johnson in the early 1900s.
Mouth Guard
Woolf Krause, a London dentist, was the first to invent the mouthguard or ‘gum shield’ in 1890. Using gutta-percha, a substance made from tree sap and often used in the dental industry, he created strips that could be placed between the upper and lower teeth to prevent direct bone-on-bone contact.
However, it was not until 1902 that another London dentist by the name of Jack Marles invented the moulded and reusable mouthguard.
The first boxer to popularize mouth guards was Ted "Kid" Lewis, an English professional boxer and a close friend of Marles, in his championship fight against Jack Britton in 1921.
Boxing Shoes
In the 1900s boxers would wear leather shoes with smooth soles and during fights would step into a box of resin to coat their soles for added grip on the canvas.
This would change in 1916 when young American boxer by the name of Jack Dempsey asked his local store to make him custom leather boxing shoes with rubber soles and ankle support.
This would influence the design of modern boxing shoes, which are built from a variety of fabrics and may be low cut or high cut for ankle support.
Head Guard
In 1917, Jack Dempsey asked Jacob Golomb, the owner of a local sporting goods manufacturer, to design him a protective head guard that would withstand more than fifteen rounds of intense boxing training.
Golomb, who only made swimwear at the time, was able to create a durable head guard for Dempsey that would pave the way for modern designs.
Groin Guard
James P. Taylor, an American shoe sole manufacturer, invented the first groin protector or “Taylor” in the 1920s.
However, it was not until 1930 when a bout between Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey ended with a disqualification due to a controversial ‘low blow’, giving Schmeling the win and the United States a German Heavyweight Champion, that “No Foul Rules” were introduced and Taylor’s groin protector was adopted across the boxing world.
References
AMPRO. 2021. The History Of Boxing Equipment. [online] Available at: <https://www.ampro.co.uk/blogs/on-the-ropes/the-history-of-boxing-equipment> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Bettmann, 1900. Joe Louis with Son. [image] Available at: <https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/little-joe-and-big-joe-chicago-illinois-little-joe-and-big-news-photo/517394648?adppopup=true> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Boxeo Mundial, 2011. INTERVIEW W/ EMANUEL STEWARD PT 1: I WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT REALLY DEVELOPED PAD WORK. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hp1dWBEqWMo> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Boxeo Mundial, 2011. INTERVIEW W/ EMANUEL STEWARD PT 2: I WAS THE FIRST PERSON THAT REALLY DEVELOPED PAD WORK. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqwwN8SZiX4> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
brucelee.com, 2018. Family time. Bruce, Linda and Brandon. Family time is so important. What types of activities do you do with your family?. [image] Available at: <https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DXEfzMuUQAANg_l?format=jpg&name=medium> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Freepatentsonline.com. 2022. Blow distributing athletic protector - Taylor, James P.. [online] Available at: <https://www.freepatentsonline.com/1830572.html> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Irish, O., 2002. Now and then: boxing gloves | Sport | The Observer. [online] Theguardian.com. Available at: <https://www.theguardian.com/observer/osm/story/0,,803152,00.html> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Patents.google.com. 2022. US124588A - Improvement in striking-bags - Google Patents. [online] Available at: <https://patents.google.com/patent/US124588A/en> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
Titleboxing.com. 2022. The Complete History of Boxing Equipment | TITLE Boxing Gear. [online] Available at: <https://www.titleboxing.com/history-of-boxing-equipment> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
TITLE Boxing, 2021. The History Behind Handwraps, Boxing Gloves, and the Speed Bag | TITLE Unboxed EP. 32 | TITLE Boxing. [video] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjV8UqELoNQ> [Accessed 26 July 2022].
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