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About This Quiz
Boxing is known as "the sweet science," but it's also a harsh sport whose practitioners sometimes suffer adverse consequences, like brain damage, later in life. So why do they do it? For the challenge of proving themselves in the ring and more than that, for the glory.ÂÂ
The names of some boxers have become legendary. Like Muhammad Ali, formerly Cassius Clay, considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time. Or Manny Pacquaio, the sensation from the Philippines. Not all of our most beloved boxers are real, even: consider Rocky Balboa, "the Italian Stallion," the main character of a run of movies from 1976 to 2015.ÂÂ
Despite its toll on physical and mental health, boxing is a big part of Western culture, and probably always will be. Just witness the common expressions that boxing has given us, from "go the distance," "down for the count," and "in (one's) corner."ÂÂ
How much do you know about boxing? Do you know who fought in the "Rumble in the Jungle"? When would a referee call for a standing eight count? For whom are the formal rules of boxing named? We'll test you on all this and more. See if you can go the distance with our quiz!
How long is a round in boxing (usually)?
three minutes
Rounds are usually three minutes, with a minute's rest in between. Boxing gyms often have a timer you can set for two- or three-minute rounds, the shorter time being easier for fighters still getting into shape.
ten minutes
twelve minutes
thirty minutes
What is the name of a person who advises a boxer during the fight?
cut man
corner man
The "corner" is where the fighter retreats to between rounds; literally, it's the corner of the ring. Therefore, this is also the nickname of the coach or fellow fighter who helps and advises him.
mediator
pastor
What does "TKO" stand for?
technical knockout
A "technical knockout" happens a fighter isn't literally sent to the mat, but cannot continue fighting due to injuries or altered mental state.
tentative knockout
total knockout
two kicks only
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When knocked down, how long does a fighter have to get back up?
a count of three
a count of ten
If a boxer cannot rise by the end of a referee's ten-count, his or her opponent has won the fight by a knockout. This comes directly from the Marquess of Queensberry rules.
sixty seconds
This is up to the referee.
How many knockdowns in one round result in a TKO?
two
three
Three knockdowns are a common reason for a TKO being called. A fighter who is knocked down that many times in under three minutes clearly isn't in any shape to keep fighting.
five
six
Why does a boxing match have judges?
because not all fights end in a knockout or TKO
Fights that don't end decisively, in knockouts or TKOs, need judges to decide the winner. The judges count the blows successfully landed by each fighter and use that as the basis of declaring a winner. Some ringside reporters perform this function informally, telling viewers at home who they saw as winning the bout.
to judge the artistic merit of a fighter's style
to second-guess the referee's decisions
to make sure cornermen don't interfere
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When the judges are not unanimous on the winner of a fight, what is the result called?
a draw
a technical victory
a minority report
a split decision
When the third judge scores the fight in favor of a different fighter, that's a split decision. When two judges find one fighter to be a winner, but the third considers the fight a draw, that's called a majority decision. Both are wins for the fighter with two judges on his side.
When a fighter is standing, the referee might use a "standing _______ count."
three
five
eight
A standing eight count is used to determine if a fighter who is still on his or her feet is alert enough to continue. Not all boxing associations still have a standing eight count in their rules.
twelve
Which of these fighters was legendary at the turn of the 20th century?
Max Baer
Joe Louis
John L. Sullivan
Sullivan was known as the "Boston Strongboy." Although his lengthy boxing career did include fighting with gloves and fighting under Queensberry rules, he's best known for the more colorful, less legal parts of his career -- his bare-knuckles bouts and the tours where he'd challenge anyone in a crowd to fight him.
Marvin Hagler
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Why did early boxers lean back and hold their arms up high while fighting?
They were afraid of being hit.
It was a way of inviting the opponent to attack first.
They thought it looked impressive.
Without gloves, they needed to use their forearms to absorb blows.
In the bare-knuckles era, fighters used their forearms to intercept blows, leading to the fighting stance that now looks comic to us. The introduction of 10- or 12-ounce gloves allowed boxers to lean forward more aggressively, trusting the gloves to block blows from the opponent.
What did men throw into a ring to show they were willing to fight?
their belts
their hats
Though it would be a good origin story for why boxers compete for belts, the correct answer is a hat. Nowadays, someone who wants to run for office or be considered for a promotion at work is "throwing their hat in the ring."
a pocket watch
a wristwatch
The rules that still largely dominate boxing are called the _____________ rules.
Council of Trent
International Olympic Commission
Marquess of Queensberry
The rules weren't written by the Marquess of Queensberry, but published under his "patronage." They were created in 1867 to legitimize the then-free-for-all sport.
Sullivan
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A boxer is not supposed to hit where?
the back of the head
below the belt
The lower body is not a target in boxing. Both the expressions "hitting below the belt" and "low blow" come from boxing, and mean unfair or ungentlemanly behavior.
right on the nose
right on the mouth
What does a corner man throw into the ring to stop a fight?
the fight card
a daisy
his hat
a towel
Before a towel, a sponge used to be used -- both were handy at ringside for cleaning fighters up between rounds. The towel seems to have been adopted out of convenience, not chosen for any particular symbolism.
Which of these is NOT a weight class in boxing?
cruiserweight
light heavyweight
flyweight
gnatweight
There are several funny-sounding weight classes in the various governing bodies of boxing -- including, and we're not making this up --"atomweight." But "gnatweight" isn't one of them.
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In the WBA and WBC, which weight class comes just before heavyweight?
light heavyweight
cruiserweight
The cruiserweight class is relatively new, in use since 1980. Evander Holyfield fought as both a cruiserweight and a heavyweight.
welterweight
middleweight
What is the upper limit of the "heavyweight" weight division?
220 lbs
260 lbs
"too heavy to fight effectively"
There is no upper limit.
In most of the sport's governing bodies, heavyweight does not have an upper weight limit. It's for any fighter over 200 lbs, the weight limit for the class below.
If there is no upper weight limit for heavyweights, what is the main reason they participate in a weigh-in?
for their own research purposes
so the information can be recorded for posterity
It's the most important pre-fight publicity event.
The weigh-in is where a fighter is photographed by the media, stares down his opponent, and trash-talks about how he's going to hit the other guy so hard half his houseplants will die. (We wish we coined that phrase, but it was the late great crime novelist, James Crumley).
Heavyweights don't do weigh-ins.
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Which fighter was the subject of the documentary "Unforgivable Blackness"?
Jack Johnson
Ken Burns made "Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson" about Johnson, the son of former slaves who became the first African-American heavyweight champion of the world.
Joe Louis
Michael Spinks
Mike Tyson
Who fought German boxer Max Schmeling in the WWII years?
Joe Louis
Joe Louis was African-American and Schmeling was seen (unfairly) as the Nazi Party's fighter. For this reason, their two fights were sensationalized. However, Schmeling had no love for Hitler, and he and Louis were even friends in their retired years.
Gene Tunney
Jake LaMotta
Rocky Marciano
Which two fighters met in the "Rumble in the Jungle" in 1974?
Muhammad Ali and George Foreman
Foreman and Ali met in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ali won the match, and never gave Foreman a rematch -- which is, in its way, a compliment.
Michael Spinks and Joe Frazier
Joe Frazier and George Foreman
Gene Tunney and Max Baer
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What was Muhammad Ali's name at birth?
Cassius Clay
Ali won the gold medal in boxing, in 1960, under the name Cassius Clay. He changed it when he converted to Islam later in life.
Joseph Johnson
Michael Attick
Michael King
What year was women's boxing first an Olympic sport?
1971
1987
1993
2012
In 2012, British boxer Nicola Adams won gold in London, and repeated the feat in Rio in 2016. She has since turned professional.
A championship won by defeating the existing champion is called a _____________.
lineal championship
Not all fighters can win a "lineal championship," which means taking the belt away from the last fighter to hold it. If a champion retires, or otherwise cannot fight again, a new championship bout must be fought between two contenders.
morganatic championship
monarchic championship
succession
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A boxer who is in trouble is on the _____.
bubble
edge
go
ropes
The image is of a boxer who has been backed up onto the ropes by the blows of an opponent. The exception would be Muhammad Ali, or someone using his techniques. He liked to lean back on the ropes while in a defensive position.
Which of these expressions did NOT come from boxing?
pound-for-pound
down for the count
according to Hoyle
"Pound-for-pound" refers to fighters needing to be in the same weight class to be fairly compared to each other. "Down for the count" refers to the ten-count a referee gives a boxer that has been knocked down, and a "glass jaw" means you don't take a punch very well. But "according to Hoyle" refers to the rules of card games, not of boxing.
glass jaw
Which of these is a venerated boxing magazine?
Heavyweight
Pugilism World
The Ring
The Ring goes back to 1922. It used to boast that it was "safe for a man to take home ... it is clean." which tells you something about the moral state of the boxing world at that time.
KO Magazine
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Which of these fighters is nicknamed "the Golden Boy"?
Oscar de la Hoya
De La Hoya's nickname reflects, in part, that he comes from a family of boxers -- but was clearly surpassing his elders at an early age. He may also be the only fighter to be embroiled in a controversy over cross-dressing, when photographs supposedly showing him dressed as a woman appeared online. (They appeared to be done with photo-editing software).
Marvin Hagler
Mchael Spinks
Mike Tyson
If you're absorbing the energy of blows, you are "_________ with the punches."
bobbing
weaving
riding
rolling
A boxer could do worse than to have a good understanding of physics. While crowds might appreciate a fighter who stands firm, leading with his chin, it's wiser to let your body absorb the energy of a blow, "rolling" with it.
Which of these novelists took pride in his boxing skills?
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Ernest Hemingway
Though his writing was obviously excellent, part of the Hemingway mystique came from the way he lived the things he wrote about -- like hunting, fishing and boxing.
Victor Hugo
James Joyce
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Which of these fighters is now an ordained minister?
Michael Spinks
George Foreman
Foreman, who unlike many pro fighters projects amiability, is both a minister and an inventor. He created the George Foreman Grill and sold the naming rights to it for $138 million.
Lennox Lewis
Mike Tyson
Which of these fighters is also a professional basketball player?
Holly Holm
Lennox Lewis
Manny Pacquiao
Many fighters experiment with acting, rapping or inspirational speaking after their boxing careers. You've got to hand it to Pacquaio -- his leap to basketball, in his native Philippines -- was an original move.
Mike Tyson
What former boxer knocked out Ronda Rousey in an MMA fight in Melbourne?
Laila Ali
Holly Holm
Holly Holm stunned the world by beating the undefeated Rousey in 2015. Despite her boxing background, Holm won the fight via a high kick.
Christy Martin
Claressa Shields
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Which of these fighters is portrayed in the film "Raging Bull"?
Roberto Duran
Jake LaMotta
Robert DeNiro played LaMotta. He trained with the boxer himself, who obviously was agreeable to his life story being told on screen.
Joe Louis
Max Schmeling
You Got:
/35
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