Boxing is a sport in which two fighters 1 with their fists. The boxers wear gloves and fight in a square called a ring. A good bout between two fighters is a fast, 2 display of strength and skill. The boxers throw powerful punches as each tries to beat his 3 . At the same time the boxer must 4 his head and body against the other"s punches by dodging or blocking the blows. Good boxers must be strong, quick, skillful, and in excellent physical condition. They also should have the courage and determination to fight 5 pain and exhaustion.
Boxers fight as s or professionals. Most s compete as members of an 6 or a team, and some boxers in tournaments. s may not accept money for boxing, while professionals fight for money and are often called prizefighters.
Boxing began thousands of years ago, and for much of its history was an extremely brutal sport. Modern boxing enjoyed great popularity in the United States from the 1920s to the 1940s. However, spectators" interest in the sport of boxing then began to 7 . Today, only the top professional championship bouts and competitions in boxing during the Olympic 3s regularly draw 8 attention from the public. Boxing has been criticized as a erous sport because of the possibility of injury. However, rules 9 reduce the chances of injury to boxers. Fighters must wear protection equipment and a doctor must be present at fights. Beginning in the 1980s, most professional fights were reduced from 15 to 12 rounds due to 10 in later rounds.