Boxing gloves

Boxing gloves are cushioned gloves that fighters wear on their hands during boxing matches and practices. Unlike the ancient cestus which were designed as a weapon, modern boxing gloves are designed to protect the fighter's hand during a bout, though competitions, sparring and other forms of training have their own specialized gloves. Modern boxing gloves reduce superficial facial injuries; however, as modern boxing gloves give their user the ability to throw stronger punches to head without damaging the hands, they also increase the risk of brain damage for participants.

The use of hand protection in fighting contests undertaken for sport has been known since Ancient Greece. However, the gloves were very different from those of modern boxing, as was the sport itself. In Ancient Greece, it was common practice to tie strips of rawhide round the hands for protection. In Roman times, this developed into the gladiatorial cestus, with metal added to the gloves to inflict greater damage. The brutality of the sport caused the boxing to be banned in 393 AD.

Boxing experienced a revival in Britain around the 17th century. Many bouts were fought with bare knuckles and with no standard rules until Jack Broughton introduced boxing rules known as Broughton's Law in the 18th century, where the gloves were used for practice purposes only. However, many boxers still chose to fight with bare knuckles until 1867 when gloves were mandated by the Marquess of Queensberry Rules.

Modern boxing gloves started showing up towards end of the 1990s. Over ten years of engineering and testing by some of the biggest boxing manufacturers and sport names have helped create safe, durable equipment. Modern boxing gloves include mesh palm, velcro, leather-based stitching, suspension cushioning and new padding for the boxer. The International Boxing Association (amateur) approves new designs of gloves according to rules around weight and the amount of leather, padding and support allowed.

Boxing gloves usually come with either lace-ups or velcro. In velcro gloves, the velcro acts as a second handwrap that adds more stability to the wrist. Lace-up gloves provide a more snug and secure fit, but unlike velcro gloves, require assistance from another person to lace, and are usually wrapped with tape before the match. Lace-up gloves can be converted to velcro gloves using a hook and loop converter.

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Wikipedia