Bare-knuckle boxing

Bare-knuckle boxing is a type of combat sport where fighters punch without any padding on their hands. It began in 17th-century England and has rules that fighters follow.

For many years during the 18th and 19th centuries, the sport used rules called the London Prize Ring Rules. By the late 1800s, most professional boxing began using boxing gloves. The last big world heavyweight championship using bare-knuckle rules took place in 1889.

In recent years, bare-knuckle boxing has become popular again. Promoters in England, like Bare Knuckle Boxing in Coventry and Ultimate Bare Knuckle Boxing in Warrington, along with groups in the United States such as the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in Philadelphia and BYB Extreme in Miami, have helped bring the sport back to life.

Early history

Bare-knuckle boxing began in England in the 1600s. The first newspaper report of a match there was in 1681. Over time, champions like James Figg and Jack Broughton helped shape the sport. Many famous fighters came from this time, including Elizabeth Wilkinson, Daniel Mendoza, and Jem Belcher.

One long fight lasted 6 hours and 15 minutes in Australia in 1855. In the United States, bare-knuckle boxing became legal in Wyoming in 2018. Before that, rules helped make the sport safer and more organized.

Rules

Early rules were made to keep fighters safer. The Broughton Rules from 1743 said fighters had to stop when a person fell and wait 30 seconds before continuing. Hitting a person who was down was not allowed.

The London Prize Ring Rules from 1838 added more rules, like using a square ring and giving fighters time to rest between rounds. Certain actions like kicking or biting were banned to keep the sport fair.

Techniques

Early bare-knuckle boxing had no rules. There were no weight classes or limits on how long a round could last. There were also no referees, which made fights very confusing. One description of boxing from 1713 was written by Sir Thomas Parkyns, a landowner in Bunny, Nottinghamshire. His article described ways to fight that are not used today, like headbutting and eye-gouging. Fights could continue until one fighter could not go on, or until something stopped the fight, like the crowd getting out of hand.

Even with new rules to make boxing safer, some moves that are not allowed today were still used. Fighters could grab and throw each other, and they could kick. Famous moves like the uppercut and the left hook were created during this time.

Irish stand down

The Irish stand down is a type of traditional bare-knuckle fighting where fighters stay close together and trade punches without moving around much. This is different from regular bare-knuckle boxing, where fighters move around and keep their distance. The Irish stand down was common in Irish-American communities in the late 1800s but became less popular as boxing rules became more organized.

Modern bare-knuckle boxing

Bare-knuckle boxing became legal again in the UK in Kettering on 29 June 2015. Fighters must wear hand wraps to stay safe. Over time, new rules have been added to help protect fighters.

Fights usually have several rounds, and each round lasts a few minutes. Some groups, like the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), have special rules, such as only allowing punches and giving fighters a short time to get up if they fall. All fighters must wear protective gear, like a mouthpiece and a cup, to stay safe during the match.

List of English Heavyweight Bare-Knuckle Boxing Champions

Here is a list of champions from the early days of bare-knuckle boxing in England. These fighters were known for their strength and skill.

• James Figg 1719–1730
• Tom Pipes 1730–1734
• George Taylor (boxer) 1734–1736
• Jack Broughton 1736–1750
• Jack Slack (boxer) 1750–1760
• William Stevens (boxer) 1760–1761
• George Meggs 1761–1762
• Tom Juchau 1765–1766
• William Darts 1766–1769
• Tom Lyons (boxer) 1769
• Willam Darts 1769–1771
• Peter Corcoran 1771–1776
• Harry Sellers 1776–1779
• Duggan Fearns 1779
• Tom Johnson 1787–1791
• Benjamin Brain 1791–1794
• Daniel Mendoza 1794–1795
• John Jackson 1795–1796
• Thomas Owen 1796–1797
• Jack Bartholomew 1797–1800
• Jem Belcher 1800–1805
• Hen Pearce 1805–1807
• John Gully 1807–1808
• Tom Cribb 1808–1822
• Tom Spring 1823–1824
• Tom Cannon 1824–1825
• Jem Ward 1825–1827
• Peter Crawley (boxer) 1827
• Jem Ward 1827–1832
• James Burke (boxer) 1833–1839
• William Thompson (boxer) 1839–1840
• Ben Caunt 1840–1841
• Nick Ward (boxer) 1841
• Ben Caunt 1841–1845
• William Thompson (boxer) 1845–1850
• William Perry (boxer) 1850–1851
• Harry Broome 1851–1856
• Tom Paddock 1856–1858
• Tom Sayers 1858–1860
• Sam Hurst 1860–1861
• Jem Mace 1861–1862
• Tom King (boxer) 1862–1863
• Joe Wormald 1865
• Jem Mace 1866–1871

List of United States Heavyweight Bare-knuckle Boxing Champions

Here are the champions of United States Heavyweight bare-knuckle boxing:

• Tom Molineaux 1810–1815
• Tom Hyer 1841–1851
• John Morrissey 1853–1859
• John Camel Heenan 1860–1863
• Joe Coburn 1863–1865
• Jimmy Elliott 1865–1870
• Mike McCoole 1870
• Tom Allen (boxer) 1870
• Jem Mace 1870–1871
• Tom Allen (boxer) 1873–1876
• Joe Goss 1876–1880
• Paddy Ryan 1880–1882
• John L. Sullivan 1882–1889