Bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing is a form of fist fighting that takes place without protective gloves or hand gear, historically popular in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Britain and the United States. Initially an illegal yet socially acceptable sport, it was organized as early as 1719 and gained prominence through venues like James Figg's theater in London, where various types of fights were showcased. Over time, fighters developed rules to structure the matches, with Jack Broughton being notable for formalizing rounds and introducing the concept of padded gloves for training, although public bouts remained glove-free.
While bare-knuckle boxing is often viewed as more brutal due to the lack of safety gear, some experts argue it may be safer than modern boxing with gloves. The absence of padding encourages fighters to adopt a more conservative striking approach, often focusing on body hits to avoid injuring their hands, which may reduce the likelihood of head trauma. Although the sport declined in popularity after the introduction of gloved boxing rules, a resurgence was seen in 2018 with the first legally sanctioned event in the U.S., suggesting renewed interest in this historical sport.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Bare-knuckle boxing
Bare-knuckle boxing refers to the practice of fist fighting without protective gear worn on the hands. It was commonly practiced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in both Britain and the United States. Wealthy individuals gambled on the fights, and lawmakers often turned a blind eye to the illegal gatherings. As boxing gloves became more commonplace, bare-knuckle boxing was phased out.
Despite its reputation, some experts believe that bare-knuckle boxing might be safer than boxing with gloves. Because boxing gloves allow fighters to strike without fear of hurting their hands, modern boxers tend to repeatedly strike their opponent’s head. In bare-knuckle boxing, boxers tend to aim for the body to preserve their hands. For the same reason, bare-knuckle boxers also tend to strike with less force.
Background
Bare-knuckle boxing existed long before the modern form of the sport known today. It was originally an illegal, although socially accepted, sport practiced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Fist-fighting for spectators has occurred throughout history, but bare-knuckle boxing began as an organized sport in 1719. A businessperson named James Figg opened a theater in London where spectators could watch all kinds of fights. Some fights were held with mock swords, some with clubs, and some with fists.
The theater quickly became popular. Fist fights were the most popular act, drawing the largest crowds. Figg’s theater made him a popular, celebrated character in London. After Figg’s death, several other boxers opened up theaters. The most popular boxer to open a theater was Jack Broughton.
Broughton was the first fighter to write a firm set of rules for bare-knuckle boxing. According to his rules, a bare-knuckle boxing match would be divided into rounds. Rounds had no time limit and were ended when one fighter hit the floor. A thirty-second break was instituted between rounds, during which the fighters were required to rise and return to the starting lines. If a fighter could not stand and return, the match was over.
Broughton was also the first fighter to introduce boxing gloves. At the time, the padded gloves were called mufflers. Gloves were used to stop fighters from breaking their hands during training and practice bouts. However, all public fights were conducted without gloves of any kind.
Bare-knuckle boxing developed in America around the same time as boxing in Britain. However, the American ring was significantly less organized than the British. Rules were less strictly enforced and were broken more often. Additionally, bare-knuckle boxing was more heavily criminalized in America. Matches were periodically raided by police.
In the 1860s, a new boxing rule set was tested in England. This set of rules involved the use of padded gloves to protect the boxers’ hands. The rule set quickly grew in popularity and was adopted in both Britain and the United States. These rules led to the growth of the modern sport of boxing.
Overview
During most of the time bare-knuckle boxing was practiced in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, boxers were not professional fighters. Fighting was treated as a hobby, not a career. Most boxers had blue-collar jobs and careers in addition to fighting. Some of the most successful fighters went on to run their own fighting theaters, while others were paid to train the next generation of fighters.
Bare-knuckle boxing is substantially different from modern boxing. Historically, little to no safety gear was utilized by the participants. Modern boxing uses gloves to protect the fragile bones in the boxers’ hands. Bare-knuckle boxers used little hand protection. This gave the sport a reputation for brutality.
The goals of modern boxing and bare-knuckle boxing are the same: strike an opponent until they cannot continue the fight. However, the two sports require extremely different techniques. Boxing gloves allow fighters to strike without fear of damaging their hands, encouraging them to land as many hard blows as possible. However, the lack of such protection in bare-knuckle boxing means the fighters must be much more conservative. Striking the hard parts of an opponent’s body, such as the cheeks and jaw, can cause a fighter to break the bones in their hand. For this reason, bare-knuckle boxing tends to be more conservative than modern boxing with gloves. Instead of aiming to knock the opponent out, bare-knuckle boxers aim to land many blows to the body, wearing their opponent out over time.
Because of the lack of safety equipment, bare-knuckle boxing is commonly considered less safe than boxing with gloves. However, research has called this into question. Modern boxing with gloves encourages boxers to strike for the head as often as possible, attempting to knock out their opponent and win the fight immediately. However, research into concussions and head trauma indicates that repeated blows to the head may cause permanent damage to the brain. Even if no symptoms are immediately apparent, the jarring motion associated with being repeatedly struck in the head may cause damage over time.
In bare-knuckle boxing, fighters are less likely to strike the head of their opponent. Such a move is considered dangerous and may cause injury to both the hitter and the defender. Fighters may also avoid striking as hard as they can to avoid the risk of injuring their hands. Many experts believe that bare-knuckle boxing rules might lead to less head trauma and injury than modern boxing with gloves.
Bare-knuckle boxing has not been received with great popularity in the United States since the nineteenth century. However, in 2018, the first legally sanctioned bare-knuckle boxing event was held in Cheyenne, Wyoming. It featured ten fights, mostly consisting of mixed martial arts fighters. It also included professional boxers and kickboxers. Around two thousand spectators attended the event, and more viewers watched via a pay-per-view telecast, leading experts to believe that bare-knuckle boxing may be making a comeback. Bare-knuckle boxing continued in the US into the 2020s, thanks in part to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), a boxing promotion company based in the US. In 2024, Mixed Martial Artist fighter Conor McGregor's company McGregor Sports and Entertainment became a part owner of BKFC. BKFC also expanded into European and Asian markets.
Bibliography
Barr, John. “Blood Sport: Bare-Knuckle Fighting Emerges from Shadows.” ESPN, 29 Feb. 2020, www.espn.com/boxing/story/‗/id/28791748/blood-sport-bare-knuckle-fighting-emerges-shadows. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Bonner, Stayton. “Inside the Bloody Return of Bare-Knuckle Boxing to America.” Esquire, 4 June 2018, www.esquire.com/sports/a21069377/bobby-gunn-legal-bare-knuckle-boxing-wyoming. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Fowlkes, Ben. “As One Promoter Tries to Resurrect Bare-Knuckle Boxing, Its History Has a Lot to Teach Us about the Fight Game.” MMA Junkie, 2 June 2018, mmajunkie.com/2018/06/bare-knuckling-boxing-history-promoter-resurrects. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Joyce, Tom. “Bare-Knuckle Boxing Is Safer than Using Gloves, So Why Is It Widely Illegal?” Washington Examiner, 6 June 2018, www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/bare-knuckle-boxing-is-safer-than-using-gloves-so-why-is-it-widely-illegal. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Peter, Josh. “Bare-Knuckle Boxing Legally Held in United States for First Time.” USA Today, 3 June 2018, www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2018/06/02/bare-knuckle-boxing-official-return/666535002. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.
Wong, Nick. “Why Bare-Knuckle Fighting May Be Safer than Boxing.” Complex, 13 Nov. 2015, www.complex.com/sports/2015/11/bare-knuckle-boxing. Accessed 7 Jan. 2025.