"For a minute out there, I got this feeling I ain't had in a long time [...] Fifth round, for a minute, we was boxin', you see that?" -Jay, The Royale

It’s hard to imagine a time when boxing—also known as pugilism, from the Latin words pugil (meaning "boxer" or "fist-fighter") and pugnus (meaning "fist")—wasn’t a sport. Fighting feels intrinsic to the human condition, as does creating competition for the sake of entertainment. From ancient times to the modern age, two fighters facing off with only their fists has been the recipe for drama, thrills, tragedies and triumphs. 

The Origins

Visual evidence of hand-to-hand combat for sport begins to appear in Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Sumerian stone reliefs in the fourth and third millennium BC. The sport spread widely through the ancient world; Homer’s Iliad contains mention of a “prize fight” and a form of boxing featured in the Ancient Olympic Games in 688 BC. Hand-to-hand combat remained a popular spectator sport throughout the age of the Roman Empire before swordfighting eclipsed it in prominence during the Middle Ages. 

The wearing of swords declined as the world moved toward the modern era and fistfighting for sport experienced a resurgence. In England, bare-knuckle boxing (also called prizefighting) elevated streetfighting into competitive sport in the 16^th century. Initially contested without rules, champion Jack Broughton introduced a set of guidelines in 1743, designed to make the contests less deadly. The Broughton Rules were then built upon by the Marquess of Queensberry rules in 1867 which standardized many aspects of the sport, introduced the concept of weight classes, and advocated for the wearing of boxing gloves. 

The English version of boxing spread to North America via immigration and became an immensely popular sport in the United States. American boxers would travel to England to fight for championship titles and soon the center of the sport moved across the Atlantic—with the last British heavyweight champion losing his title in 1899. And yet boxing was still illegal in most states and operated as part of an underground society. Fights would take place in fringe areas while law enforcement looked the other way. The lucrative nature of the matches would eventually prove too tempting with Nevada becoming the first state to legalize prizefighting in 1897. 

The Rules 

Boxing matches typically still operate under the agreements formalized in the Marquess of Queensberry rules from 1867. Matches take place within a boxing ring, typically a square of 16 to 24 feet per side. Four ropes surround the fighting area at heights of 18, 30, 42 and 54 inches, held up by 5’ posts at each of the corners. Fighters each have their own corner where they enter/exit the ring and retreat to during pauses in the match. Coaches and seconds have to remain outside the ropes in their fighter’s own corner. A referee operates inside the ring with the fighters, ensuring that rules are followed. Ringside judges award points based on blows and other aspects of the match. 

A match consists of a set number of three-minute rounds, with a minute of rest between each round. If the predetermined number of rounds is met, the match is said to have "gone the distance" and the winner is decided based on the points awarded by the ringside judges. However, a boxer can win a match earlier in the fight if they achieve a knock-out of their opponent. When a fighter is knocked down during a match (defined as a part of one fighter’s body other than their feet making contact with the floor of the ring due to the impact of the other fighter’s punch), they have 10 seconds to return to their feet and continue the fight—with the referee counting up aloud from 1 to 10. If 10 seconds elapses and the downed fighter hasn’t restarted the match, the other boxer is a winner by knockout (KO). A boxer can also lose by technical knock-out (TKO) if the referee rules they are unable to safely continue the match, even if they have regained their footing. 

Boxers are only allowed to strike their opponents with the knuckles of a closed fist within a boxing glove. Kicking, head-butting, or striking with other parts of the body are not allowed. Blows are also not allowed below the belt, to the back or to the back of the head. If any strikes of these nature occur in a match, a referee calls a foul and the judges dock points from a fighter’s score. 

The Royale 

The disreputable relative of boxing was the battle royal, a free-for-all match involving multiple fighters and no rules. The format spread to America as well where it became a frequent opening act for a boxing contest, particularly between 1870 to 1910. Audiences were mostly white and the fighters mostly Black men, or boys, who were exploited for entertainment. They were sent into the ring blindfolded and expected to fight until one man remained standing. In spite of the humiliating intentions behind the royale, Jack Johnson, and several other Black boxing champions, were able to start their careers by showcasing skill through the spectacle. By the 1910s the fights fell out of favor in the northern United States, but they continued to be staged in southern states until the 1950s. The narrator of Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man, participates in a battle royal to win a college scholarship. 

The Legacy 

Boxing returned to the Olympics in 1908 and as the 20^th century progressed, the sport’s popularity grew, boosted by radio and TV broadcasts of prime matches. Boxing champions became cultural celebrities, and names like Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson became as well known as Hollywood stars. These boxers made sport into spectacle. It’s only natural that artists would attempt to do the same. If you haven’t seen a boxing match, odds are you’ve seen a film or a play or a book about one. Clifford Odets (Golden Boy) and Howard Sackler (The Great White Hope) put boxing on stage; A.J. Liebling (The Sweet Science), Leonard Gardner (Fat City), Norman Mailer (The Fight) and Joyce Carol Oates (On Boxing) described it in words; and Kirk Douglas (Champion), Paul Newman (Somebody Up There Likes Me), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky), Robert De Niro (Raging Bull), Denzel Washington (The Hurricane), Will Smith (Ali), Hillary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Mark Wahlberg (The Fighter), and Michael B. Jordan (Creed) have all taken on the physical and emotional challenge of portraying contenders on screen.  

Boxing’s prominence in the 21^st century is nowhere near what it was 100 years ago, but The Royale’s status as a perennial favorite with theatres proves that there’s something in the spirit of this primal dueling that continues to resonate.