Boxing glove

Boxing gloves are special cushioned gloves that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices. They protect both the fighter's hands and their opponent's head. Unlike old "fist-load weapons" like the ancient cestus, modern boxing gloves are made to keep everyone safer.

These gloves are used in real matches and also when boxers practice together, called sparring, and in other kinds of boxing training. Each type of practice might need a special kind of glove to keep everyone safe while they learn and improve their skills.

History

Ancient Middle-Eastern and Egyptian pictures from around 2000 BC show fighters wearing bands to support their wrists. Early pictures of gloves in boxing come from Minoan Crete around 1500 BC. Fighting with hand protection has been known since Ancient Greece.

In Roman times, gloves called the cestus had metal added to hurt opponents more. The oldest surviving boxing gloves are from around AD 120 and were found at the Roman fort of Vindolanda.

Boxing became popular again in Britain in the 17th century. At first, fighters used bare knuckles and had few rules. Later, Jack Broughton made rules in the 18th century that allowed gloves only for practice. Gloves became required in fights in 1867 with the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.

Modern boxing gloves began in the late 1890s. Over many years, designers have improved them to be safe and strong. Today’s gloves have special padding and materials approved by the International Boxing Association.

Features

Boxing gloves can have either lace-ups or velcro. Velcro gloves help keep the wrist stable. Lace-up gloves fit more snugly but need help to tie and are often wrapped with tape before a match.

These gloves use different types of padding, like horsehair or foam, to protect hands during boxing. In amateur matches, gloves are usually red or blue to help judges see punches clearly. Gloves are worn over hand wraps, which are long cotton bands that help keep the hand safe.

Types of gloves

Boxing gloves come in different types for different uses. Some are for training and practice, and others are for real matches. All types help protect both the fighter's hands and their opponent.

Type	Images	Description	Available size
Bag gloves		A cushioned glove to protect the athlete's hands against heavy strikes on punching bags; these are the gloves not recommended by trainers for any boxing training, especially for non-sparrers.	8 oz (230 g) 10 oz (280 g) 12 oz (340 g) 14 oz (400 g) 16 oz (450 g)
Bag mitts		Mitts are used to add slight protection to the athlete's hands while striking punching bags while simultaneously strengthening the athlete's hands and allowing for the practice of proper, closed-fist punching technique.	2 oz (57 g)
Sparring gloves		Gloves designed to protect both athletes during practice bouts. Usually gloves 2 to 4 oz (57 to 110 g) heavier than competition gloves are selected to spar, to avoid unnecessary injuries. However, in some unique cases of exceptionally strong punching power, gloves of around 20 oz (570 g) could be utilized. Sonny Liston had 22-ounce (620 g) custom-made Everlast gloves, though they barely saved his sparring partners from being knocked out daily. Mike Tyson, while being an amateur, had 18-ounce (510 g) sparring gloves, which also barely protected his sparring partners from his heavy punches.	4 oz (110 g) 6 oz (170 g) 10 oz (280 g) 12 oz (340 g) 14 oz (400 g) 16 oz (450 g) 18 oz (510 g) 20 oz (570 g)
Competition gloves		Gloves designed to protect both athletes during competitions, built according to official regulations. Generally less padded than other glove types. Have white-painted scoring area at the knuckles.	8 oz (230 g) 10 oz (280 g) 12 oz (340 g)
Lace Up gloves		Gloves typically used by professionals in training and competition	8 oz (230 g) 10 oz (280 g) 12 oz (340 g) 14 oz (400 g) 16 oz (450 g)

Safety

Boxing gloves are used to keep fighters safer. In the past, fighters did not wear gloves and could hurt their hands easily. Today’s gloves help stop cuts but they do not stop brain injuries. Because gloves let fighters punch harder, head injuries might happen more often. Gloves can help protect the eyes, but serious eye problems can still happen.

Old records about fights without gloves are not complete, and the rules and medical care were different. Fights could go on for hours until a fighter could not continue. Some fighters sadly died after being hurt too much to keep fighting. The rules later changed so fighters had to be able to move on their own to keep fighting.

Weighted training gloves

Weighted training gloves are special gloves that help boxers practice. They have extra weight, usually between 2 and 6 and a half pounds. These gloves can help a boxer's punches become stronger and faster. Boxers switch between using weighted gloves and regular gloves to keep their normal punching style. Sometimes, light dumbbells are also used for practice.

Illegal modification of boxing gloves

In 1983, a boxer named Luis Resto won a surprise match against Billy Collins Jr. at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Later, it was found that Resto’s trainer had taken padding out of the gloves. This made the gloves unsafe. The trainer was punished for this unfair action.

Influence of boxing gloves in other fight sports

Open-fingered and open palm MMA gloves or grappling gloves are used in mixed martial arts bouts. These gloves are different from boxing gloves. They give some padding to the wearer but leave the fingers and palm open, like the gloves shown in Bruce Lee's 1973 movie Enter the Dragon. This allows for special wrestling and grappling moves such as clinch fighting, which are not allowed in modern boxing.