10 Terms That New Boxing Fans Should Learn

Boxing is a sport that is steeped in history, tradition and epic fanfare. From the legendary arenas of ancient Rome to the majestic lights and sounds of the MGM Grand Garden Arena, boxing has undergone a sensational evolution and enthralled audiences worldwide for generations. A captivating sport that combines skills, raw athleticism and strategy, boxing has not only produced some of the most fabled sportspersons, but has also showcased the most entertaining match-ups in combat sport history.

Boxing's universal appeal has garnered millions of fans, transcended borders and cultures and kept audiences engrossed in the thrill of the fight. A true global spectacle, every championship fight generates intense anticipation, yet its complexities can be daunting to a new fan who has just begun to grasp the sport. New fans of the sport are often left bewildered by the terminologies and strategies of boxing, especially when the intensity of the punching and jabbing demand undivided attention. However, the following terminologies will help new fans grasp the technicalities of the sport swiftly and make their boxing journey more enjoyable and insightful.

1 Weigh-In

The weigh-in is an official event that takes place before the fight where the two boxers must meet the specified or pre-agreed weight limit for their weight class. A weigh-in usually takes place a day or two (sometimes even hours) before the fight to ensure fairness and safety. Boxers may try to lose much of their weight in the days or hours before the fight through water loss, they must balance the act of maintaining strength with making weight. Fighters who do not meet the necessary weight limit will either be disqualified or face suspension.

2 Weight Class

In combat sports like boxing, weight classes (also known as weight divisions) are used to group boxers based on their body weight to ensure fair competition. In order to eliminate the handicap of smaller fighters going up against the heavier ones, the weight divisions were formed. Traditionally, there were 8 divisions (known as the "Original 8") in men's boxing. However, by 2015, major boxing organizations added and recognized a total of 17 weight classes. Fighters must make weight at the official weigh-in to compete in their designated class. Boxers may fight in different weight classes, but the trend is that they move up a class as they age since their muscle mass and bone density increase over time.

3 Jab

The jab is the first punch that a boxer learns. A jab is a punch thrown in with the lead hand in a quick and straight fashion to set up other punches, keep opponents at arm's length away or measure distance from the other boxer. It can be used as both an offensive and defensive tool which can be essential for disrupting the opponent's rhythm, ultimately dictating the pace of the fight.

A fighter, when jabbing, stands in a fight stance and extends the lead first straight ahead while turning the torso and throwing a jab as quickly as it was extended.

4 Hook

A hook is a powerful punch that is delivered in a semicircular motion targeting the opponent's body or head from the side. There are essentially two hooks - the lead hook which is thrown with the leading or front hand and the rear hook - which is thrown with the rear hand. Hooks are often used in combinations and can be devastating when they land flush. Hooks have the ability to be delivered as knockout punches and hence proper technique must be utilized to prevent leaving oneself vulnerable after throwing a hook. Some of the notable boxers who used hooks to deliver knockouts were Mike Tyson, Jack Dempsey, Ruben Olivares and Joe Frazier.

5 Uppercut

An uppercut is a punch thrown that travels upward usually targeting the opponent's chin or mid-rib. Being highly effective at close range, an uppercut can be delivered with either hand which lifts the opponent's chin allowing an opening for hooks. These are often used as surprise punches when in proximity to the opponent in order to exploit openings in their guard. Samuel Elias or "Dutch Sam" is credited with the invention of the uppercut, who often used it so many times, leaving his opponents baffled for ages. Lennox Lewis, Joe Louis, Sonny Liston and George Foreman are some of the boxers who are famous for their uppercuts.

6 Technical Knockout

A technical knockout (TKO) is a stoppage when the referee deems that either competitor is unable to continue to fight safely or defend themselves and the fight is brought to a close. The referee or the ringside doctor can stop the fight and declare the opponent the winner. The difference between a technical knockout (TKO) and a knockout (KO), is that in a KO, the referee counts to ten if a boxer has hit the canvas, in order to give him or her the chance to get back up and continue the fight. A TKO may also occur if the fighter's ringside team deems the boxer is no longer able to fight or sustained a serious injury and decides to withdraw him or her from the fight.

7 Unanimous Decision

There are 3 judges in a boxing match. If all three judges agree on the winner of a fight, the fight is concluded with a unanimous decision for that fighter. Each of the three judges keeps a round-by-round score of which boxer is winning and losing. To keep the score of the boxers, judges consider factors like effective punching, defense and ring control, ultimately deciding the winner of the bout based on the scores. Judges use the "ten-point must" system, where the winner of a round earns ten points, and the loser earns nine (or potentially less, depending on knockdowns, fouls, etc.). A potential unanimous decision can look as follows: 116-114, 114-112, 114-112.

8 Split Decision

In a split decision, two of the three judges score the fight in favor of one fighter while the third judge scores it for the other. A split decision often indicates that a fight was closely contested and could have gone either way. A split decision in boxing can often result in heated debates between fans and analysts.

9 Orthodox

The orthodox stance is the most common stance in boxing where a fighter places their left foot ahead of the right. Since it is a stance that favors the right hand (often the stronger hand), the orthodox stance is the favored stance among boxers across all weight classes. The right hand which is the powerful hand is placed at the rear allowing fighters to land punches effectively. Some of history's most famous boxers like Muhammed Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mike Tyson and Wladimir Klitschko adopted the orthodox stance in their bouts.

10 Southpaw

Contrary to the orthodox stance, the southpaw stance involved the fighter placing their right foot and hand ahead of the left and leaving their weaker (right) side faced towards the opponent. Southpaw fighters are called "lefties" and their lead hand becomes their primary jabbing hand. When starting out as an amateur boxer, left-handed boxers are often taught to fight with the southpaw stance for many reasons such as tricking the opponent. Some famous boxers who have adopted the southpaw stance are Manny Pacquiao, Marvin Hagler, Pernell Whitaker and Joe Calzaghe.

As you dive deeper into the world of boxing, you will constantly hear these terms (and more), helping you decipher the sport and its terminologies at a faster pace. Armed with this, a new fan would now be more equipped to understand the sport of boxing and keep an eye out for certain nuances of the same.