History of Boxing Gloves
The history of boxing gloves started a few thousand years ago when our ancient ancestors took a 12-foot strip of ox hide and made the first boxing hand wraps. Then, over the centuries, ancient fighters swapped out ox hide for hardened leather. They also started sewing bits of metal into the wraps to increase their striking damage. After that, gladiators adapted ancient boxing hand wraps and created the Cestus, a brutal weapon built for lethal combat.
Ancient Boxing Gloves
The history and evolution of boxing gloves continued from the gladiator arena to the ancient Olympics. Fighters in the ancient Olympics competed in bare knuckle sparring and used leather hand wraps. Then, these hand wraps continued to evolve with the expansion of Greek culture. As the ancient games grew, the Olympic hand wraps also became more elaborate.
“Boxer at Rest”
Moreover, we get a rare glimpse of these ancient Olympic hand wraps through one of the most striking statues of ancient antiquity, “Boxer at Rest.” This statue depicts an Olympic champion after his victory. It shows the champion cut and bleeding. And it also shows the fighter has “cauliflower ears.” Additionally, the statue gives an immensely detailed depiction of the champion’s hand wraps and ancient boxing gloves.
The statue’s gloves used fur on the wrist so the Greek boxer could wipe sweat and blood from his face. Each glove’s thumb and fingertips were completely unwrapped so the fighter could form a proper fist. And, the statue’s gloves used a hardened leather ring to give the fighter something to grip, to add sting to his punches, and to protect his knuckles. Also, the statue shows that the fighter wrapped his wrists in leather chords, and these leather chords served the same function as modern-day hand wraps. (Plus, check out this recent discovery of ancient Roman boxing gloves from Archaeology Magazine).
History of Boxing Gloves in Europe
From Greece and Rome, the history of boxing gloves continued forward into Europe where boxing gained a powerful enemy, The Catholic Church. The Church regarded the sport as a pagan activity, and, in 392 AD, it banned the Olympics because of the festival’s implicit ties with the Greek pantheon. So, when the Olympics disappeared, boxing also disappeared from the historical record for centuries. But then, boxing returned to the public eye in the 1740s in London, England. At that time, bare knuckle boxing thrived in England and became embedded in English culture.
Jack Broughton’s “Muffler” Gloves
Eventually, one man, Jack Broughton, came to represent the entire sport of British boxing. Jack Broughton (arguably the first heavyweight champion in the history of boxing) became so synonymous with boxing that he created the governing rules of the sport. Broughton established a boxing school and ran an amphitheater where boxers fought under Broughton’s rules.
With a school full of young English noblemen who didn’t want to mark up their faces, Jack got an idea that altered the history of boxing gloves. Broughton took the concept of the Cestus, altered its design, and created a new type of boxing gloves called “Mufflers.” These gloves were only worn during sparring and training, and they were not used for boxing matches (because all matches were bare knuckle at this time). And because Jack Broughton created “Mufflers,” his school was the only place to use these gloves and train. And since Broughton was so famous, training in “Muffler” gloves became more and more popular and common as time went on.
John L. Sullivan Championship Gloves
Though “Muffler” gloves were used for training, it took over a century for them to transition from the gym to the ring. And it took one man, John L. Sullivan, to make that change. On July 8, 1889, Sullivan fought Jake Kilrain. Because of Sullivan, this match brought boxing gloves into the ring. The heavyweight championship match between Sullivan and Kilrain was a grueling, day-long affair. It was so grueling that Sullivan vomited after the 44th round, and the match didn’t end until the 75th round when Sullivan stood victorious over Kilrain. And Sullivan won this historic match by wearing his new variation of Broughton’s “Mufflers.”
Sullivan took Broughton’s “Mufflers,” stuffed them with horsehair, and sewed them shut. But he also changed how you wear the gloves. Fighters wore “Mufflers” like mittens. But John L. Sullivan wore his new version as proper lace up boxing gloves. And after Sullivan became the champion, he mandated that any future defense of his championship would be fought wearing these new boxing gloves. And just like that, gloves became non-negotiable in boxing. In fact, Sullivan set such a strong precedent that when he eventually lost his champion title to James J. Corbett, Corbett stuck to Sullivan’s stipulation. Corbett also mandated that all his future title defense matches would be fought with gloves on.
Boxing Gloves from Joe Louis to Muhammad Ali
After John L. Sullivan and James J. Corbett, boxing glove design became more and more standardized. And, by the 1930s, boxing gloves took the form we recognize today. For example, Joe Louis wore these boxing gloves in his first bout with Max Schmeling. And, unlike the Cestus and the “Muffler,” Joe Louis’ gloves look like what we recognize as boxing gloves today. However, Joe Louis’ gloves and today’s boxing gloves are different. Today’s gloves tack the thumb piece in place where older gloves, like Joe Louis’, didn’t do this.
This transition to tacked thumb pieces happened in the late 1960s/early 1970s. For example, Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves from his Liston fight in 1964 have an untacked thumb. But, the gloves Ali used in his Larry Holmes fight use a tacked-in thumb piece.
Today’s Boxing Gloves
But the biggest change in boxing gloves today is their padding. Even in Ali’s time, gloves were still padded with the same horsehair Jack Broughton used. However, today, horsehair has been swapped out with high-density foam. Today’s high-density foam doesn’t settle or loosen like the classic horsehair. And the foam doesn’t shift or move in the glove.
So, with today’s boxing gloves, you always have the optimal amount of padding between your knuckles and your opponent’s face. Along with improved padding, today’s boxing gloves use advanced, high-endurance materials for their external shell and come in a wide variety of dimensions and weights for fighters of all shapes and sizes.
Combat Corner Boxing Gloves
At Combat Corner, we honor the deep history of boxing gloves and simultaneously use advanced technology to elevate boxing gloves into the future. That’s why world champions rely on Combat Corner like ONE Welterweight Champion Christian Lee and UFC Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad. So step up and take your place in the legacy of boxing. Check out some of our most popular boxing gloves below.
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