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The sport of boxing has existed since ancient times, with fights sometimes ending in death. In the modern world, with our greater medical knowledge, the risks of brain and other life-changing injuries have called into question whether boxing has a place in contemporary society. In fact, professional boxing has been banned in some European countries. There are also questions about whether it is appropriate to encourage spectators to watch two individuals attempting to punch each other into oblivion and about the effect this can have on those watching. The fact that, in recent years, we have seen the development of women's boxing both in the Olympics and at the professional level raises further questions. The particular emphasis of this paper is to note the number of committed Christians involved in boxing from grassroots to the elite level and to consider whether involvement in such a violent sport can be reconciled with the teaching of Jesus Christ. The main source of data is published biographies and autobiographies of Christian boxers and some interviews. There is very little published material at an academic level on the topic that we are considering. The conclusion is that despite the sincerity of the Christian boxers involved in the sport, it is difficult to justify boxing as a sport in relation to Christian teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to determine the effects of high-altitude living low-altitude training on the athletic performance and metabolic indexes of adolescent boxers by using a hypobaric cabin to simulate hypoxia in high-altitude environments. Male adolescent boxers (n = 16; control: n = 8, living and training at low altitude [LOLO]; experimental: n = 8, living at high altitude and training at low altitude [HILO]). The study period was 5 weeks (35 days) for both groups: baseline, week 1, week 2, week 3, week 4, and week 5 (post-training) representing the time point prior to, the first week, second week, third week, fourth week, and the week after training. Participants in the experimental group, slept in a high-altitude environment (2000m) simulated using an altitude-training hypobaric cabin. Blood indexes (erythrocyte count, hemoglobin, hematocrit, blood urea, creatine kinase), functional indexes (longitudinal jump, grip strength, eyes-closed one-foot standing, selective reaction time, 30-second sit-ups, 30-second push-ups, 30-second squats), and endurance indexes (lactate threshold, power) were assessed. In the HILO group, with respect to baseline, erythrocyte count, hemoglobin level, and hematocrit level increased (week 1); hemoglobin level remained high (week 2), decreased (week 3), and increased (week 4). Blood urea concentration increased to 6.11 ± 0.59 mmol/L in week 2 (P < 0.05); creatine kinase concentration increased to 310.75 ± 112. 21 U/L in week 3 (P < 0.01). Upper and lower limb strength increased in week 5, while the number of squats performed in 30 seconds (lower limb strength) decreased 6.87% in week 4 (P < 0.05), and the grip strength (upper limb strength) decreased 11.35% in week 4 (P < 0.05). The lactate threshold of the experimental group increased. Adolescent boxers who lived in high-altitude conditions and trained in low-altitude conditions for 4 weeks exhibited improved blood oxygen transport capacity, upper limb strength, and speed endurance, which indicate that exercise ability improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Sport & Exercise / Türk Spor ve Egzersiz Dergisi is the property of Turkish Journal of Sport & Exercise and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

When Muhammad Ali died in June 2016, media were filled with remembrances of the boxer. Some memories focused on what he meant to his home state of Kentucky, or how an individual had bonded with their father while watching Ali in the ring. Others focused on what Ali's status as a celebrity Black Muslim man meant to them. The boxer who called himself "the Greatest" joined the Nation of Islam after his first fight with Sonny Liston in 1964 and later became a Sufi Muslim. Islam, in its many forms, is viewed with suspicion in the United States and Ali was likely the most visible Muslim American during his lifetime. This research examines how writers remembered Ali in the week after his death and identifies three themes which seemed most prominent: Ali as the proud Black Muslim man, Ali as freedom fighter, and Ali as an embodiment of peace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the history of popular athleticism at local opera houses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with a focus on Smith's Opera House in Geneva, New York. The opera house hosted performances featuring equestrians and boxers, which were popular among local audiences. These athletic performances adhered to conventions of propriety and respectability, allowing audiences to experience a taste of transgression within a virtuous and respectable setting. The article also discusses the role of opera houses in small cities and towns, the influence of theatre managers on public tastes, and the inclusion of animal acts in performances. Overall, the text explores the intersection of athleticism, entertainment, and societal norms during this time period. [Extracted from the article]

The aim of this study was to identify the significance of specific eccentric and concentric training modalities post activation potentiation enhancement (PAPE) on punching impact power (IP) output in boxers and Thai boxers. Fifteen male and one female subject (24 ± 4years, 80.16 ± 11.32kg, 181.72 ± 8.28cm, 10 ± 3.3 years resistance training, 3±1.6years boxing or Muay Thai competitive training) were split into groups at random. The Subjects carried out six repetitions on the flywheel followed by a seven-minute rest period and six repetitions on the cable press with the same rest, before striking the PowerkubeTM . The level of statistical significance was set at p = 0.05. Significant differences were found between baseline IP and IP following the flywheel intervention (p=0.05) and IP following the cable intervention and power post-flywheel intervention (p=0.013). A Wilcoxon signed ranks test indicated that the flywheel intervention produced statistically significant higher percentage change values than the cable intervention: (Z=131, p=0.001). Paired samples T-tests determined the significant differences between power output at baseline and following the flywheel intervention: t(15) = -2.69, p=0.017 and power output following the cable and flywheel intervention: t(15) = -3.34, p=0.04 indicating that the flywheel intervention enabled the subjects to generate 19640W (±1410) IP with 15.44% (±5.67) compared to the cable press which produced 17475W (±1377) at only 0.92% (±2.91) more than baseline IP 17,423W (±1373). This study identified the flywheel modality that improves PAPE response to increase IP of both Muay Thai and boxers rear hand punch that could be introduced to the resistance training programme leading up to competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine interlimb maximal handgrip strength asymmetry and wrist circumference asymmetry in amateur boxing across three weight classes and two different stances. Materials and methods. The study sample comprised 12 (flyweight: 4; bantamweight: 4; featherweight: 4) amateur elite international boxers of India. Both limbs were tested for maximal handgrip strength and wrist circumference. For both tests, interlimb asymmetry was calculated using the interlimb asymmetry equation validated by Bishop et al. (2018). One-way ANOVA was used to compare asymmetries in three different weight classes, and an independent samples t-test was used to compare asymmetries in two different boxing stances. Results. The average wrist circumference asymmetry in different weight classes was 2.85±1.97 for flyweight, 1.29±0.75 for bantamweight, and 2.44±1.23 for featherweight, whereas the average maximal handgrip strength asymmetry was 4.91±3.75 for flyweight, 7.69±1.89 for bantamweight, and 5.80±2.89 for featherweight. Nonsignificant differences in interlimb asymmetry for wrist circumference and maximal handgrip strength in three different weight classes and two different stances were obtained (p > 0.05). Conclusions. The maximal handgrip strength asymmetry and wrist circumference asymmetry in elite international boxers were found to be less than 10 percent and observed non-significant differences in weight classes as well as stances indicate elite amateur international boxers to be less prone to interlimb asymmetry-related injuries and have favourable conditions for high performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the history and impact of "battle royales," which were brutal boxing matches among inexperienced fighters. It explores how these events reinforced racial stereotypes, emasculated Black participants, and perpetuated racial prejudice. It examines the origins of battle royales in the antebellum South and their evolution into a form of entertainment and recruitment for boxers.

This paper analyzes how a boxing coach co-constructs, or in some cases, co-experiences 'not-postponable' or 'time critical' (Mondada, 2014b : 270) moments with the boxer. It examines a coach's uses of some phonological features of self-repetition of lexical forms, e.g. nouns, or imperatives, in her instruction toward the boxer. The analysis shows how these phonological features relate to the specificities of the rapidly moving bodies of the boxer, the opponent, or the coach, across different types of training sessions. Thus, these features help the coach accomplish ' sensing the world' together (Mondada, 2019 : 47) and/or co-constructing it with the instructed boxer. • This paper examines a coach's uses of some phonological features of self-repetition of lexical forms in her instruction. • It shows how these phonological features relate to the specificities of the rapidly moving bodies of the participants. • These features help the coach accomplish ' sensing the world' together (Mondada 2019) or co-constructing it with the instructed boxer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the nineteenth century in North America, a small group of working-class women turned to sport to earn a living. Among them were circus performers, race walkers, wrestlers, boxers, shooters, swimmers, baseball players, and bicycle racers. Through their athleticism, these women contested and challenged the prevailing gender norms, and at the same time expanded notions about Victorian women's capabilities and appropriate work. This article focuses on one of these professional sports, namely high-wheel bicycle racing. Bicycle historians have mostly dismissed women's racing during the brief high-wheel era of the 1880s as little more than sensational entertainment, and have not fully understood its importance. I hope to change these perceptions by providing evidence that female high-wheel racers in the United States, who often began as pedestriennes (race walkers), were superb athletes competing in an exciting, well-attended, and profitable sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-report questionnaires like the profile of mood states (POMS) and recovery stress questionnaire for athletes (RESTQ) are widely utilised to monitor athletes perceived fatigue. Nevertheless, no study has simultaneously investigated the reliability and validity of these questionnaires within the context of acute monitoring. This study therefore examined the reliability and validity of each POMS and RESTQ scale for acutely monitoring athletes' perceived fatigue. The repeated measures parallel group design involved groups of seven novice and seven experienced amateur boxers undertaking familiarization and three experimental trials. All trials involved completing the POMS and RESTQ, with trial two further involving 3 x 2 min rounds of boxing to induce fatigue. Reliability was determined using test-retest coefficient of variation (typical error) between trials one and two. Validity was determined with 2 x 2 (group x trial) repeated measures analysis of variance between novice and experienced groups over trials two and three. For scales demonstrating significant group interaction effect, 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the mean difference between trials two and three were calculated. Reliability of POMS scales ranged from 2 to 11 arbitrary units (AU), with RESTQ scales ranging from 0.28 to 0.90 AU. No POMS scale detected a difference between boxers immediately prior to and 24 hours (h) post boxing. Only RESTQ injury significantly increased from immediately pre to 24 h post boxing (f = 8.68, p = 0.01), with novices significantly greater than experienced (1.04 ± 0.19 AU, p = 0.05, 95% CI [0.01, 2.07] AU). However, this 95% CI failed to exceed the 0.5 AU typical error, meaning no POMS or RESTQ scale demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for acutely monitoring amateur boxers perceived fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Education Technology & Scientific Researches is the property of Ayse Burcu Ulusoy and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study analyzes the development and improvement of physical qualities in modern sports and examines the optimal parameters in general and individual training of boxers. The paper describes a pedagogical experiment to explore the effectiveness of the author's methodology for the development and improvement of physical qualities considering boxers' personality traits. The experiment involved 30 boxers from the national team of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is among the strongest teams in the world (15 people in the experimental and 15 people in the control group). The experimental group demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in 7 out of 9 dimensions: pull-up on the bar (t = 2.927; P ≤ 0.01), bench press from the chest (t = 2.253; P ≤ 0. 05), weight push from the chest in front (t = 3.467; P ≤ 0.01), 100 m run (t = 3.100; P ≤ 0.01), jump from a place (t = 2.444; P ≤ 0.05), 1st 400 m run (t = 2.654; P ≤ 0.01) and 2nd 400 m run (t = 2.354; P ≤ 0.05). The experimental group significantly surpassed its background results and the control group's results in seven indicators of physical fitness out of nine. This fact suggests that the author's experimental technique effectively improves the physical qualities of highly skilled boxers. A two-way analysis of variance showed higher efficiency of improving physical qualities when using the author's methodology and the absence of differences between different weight categories. The study can be of practical use for sports coaches and psychologists who want to improve the physical qualities of athletes, following the methodology proposed by the author. In addition, the materials of this work can be useful in studying the management of performance and creating a favorable psychological climate for improving physical qualities of boxers, considering the characteristics of an athlete's personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professional boxing offers hope of vast wealth and global mobility for aspiring athletes in Accra, hopes bolstered by the understanding that Ghanaians are particularly suited to boxing's attrition. However, when boxers become active in the global industry, they encounter power relations which locate them as cheap, subordinate labour, and stymie their championship hopes. As boxers build lives through the sport, they reflect critically on the role their hopes of 'making it big' play in perpetuating industry inequalities, recognizing what I call the ideological function of hope. Despite this, they remain committed to hopes of dramatic success. Their simultaneous optimism and cynicism complicates contemporary accounts of hope as a strategy of resilience in contexts of profound uncertainty. Building on ethnographic research with Accra boxers, I theorize hoping as a paradoxical experience of critique and optimism in equal measure, to account for the contradictory ways people act when orienting themselves towards better futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Boxing and its predecessor, prizefighting, is a form of precarious labour and forms part of a broader field of work that young itinerant black men could participate in during the nineteenth century. Practised in an era of institutionalised racism, it was characterised by exploitative working arrangements and a high degree of precarity. These forces, encountered in North America, the British Empire and Europe, fundamentally shaped the careers of these fighters. This article traces the career of one such boxer, Josef 'Young Pluto' or 'Joe Pluto' Brown, a South African of mixed-race and the first to fight for an officially recognised World Boxing Champion Title. More significantly, though, his life serves as a means to cast a light on and help to inform a broader understanding of race, labour, sport, precarity and international migration in the nineteenth- and early twentieth century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess if wearing a mouth guard impacts maximal aerobic capacity in amateur boxers. Materials and Methods: A prospective crossover cohort (pilot) study was conducted to assess maximal aerobic capacity in amateur boxers using the 20 m multi stage fitness test (MSFT). Two primary outcomes measures were recorded: (1) the maximum oxygen uptake (peak VO2—mL/kg/min) and (2) distance run (meters—m). Thirteen amateur boxers completed the MSFT 7 days apart under control (no mouth guard—C) and intervention conditions (mouth guard—MG). Participants also submitted data on height, weight, type of mouth guard and Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) during the test. Statistics: Paired T‐test. Results: Mouth guard use was shown to reduce peak VO2 and distance run during the 20 m MSFT from 56.31 to 54.12 mL/kg/min and 2572 to 2380 m respectively (p < 0.05). Twelve out of 13 participants wore a Boil & Bite mouthguard and recorded lower peak VO2 scores (−4.38%) when wearing a mouth guard compared to control conditions, (Mean = −2.46 mL/kg/min, Range of decrease = 4.2–0.9 mL/kg/min; p < 0.05). Ten participants submitted data on RPE—One participant with a custom made mouthguard reported no change in RPE in mouthguard conditions, while nine participants reported an average (+30.5%) increase in mean RPE in Boil & Bite mouthguard conditions compared to control conditions. Conclusions: Boil & Bite mouth guard use was shown to significantly reduce aerobic performance in amateur boxers and increase the perceived rate of exertion during the 20 m MSFT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate and identify if there was any impact on rear hand punching performance in professional boxers when trained using specific integrated core exercise modalities. Boxers use ballistic movements for striking performance; utilising the ground to potentiate ballistic force through the lower limbs, transferring through statically contracted hips and trunk before its released dynamically through the upper extremity of the striking hand. The experimental group carried out a six-week program that aimed to improve core stabilisation by using isometric and slowly controlled isotonic strengthening exercises such as the plank, bird bog, banded holds, side twists and pullovers, against a control group which used traditional methods such as sit-up. 20 male professional boxers from a U.K. boxing gym were recruited (24.2 + 2.9 years; 176.7 + 6.2cm; 76.5 + 10kg), pre-and-post-intervention testing included rear hand punch strike power, measured using the PowerKubeTM. The experimental group significantly improved (p<0.001; g = 4.41) rear hand punch impact power (17781±1490 to 22014±1336 watts), compared with the control group (17326±1280 to 18152±1160 watts), demonstrating an extremely large effect size and a 24% improvement in power from pre-to posttest. A six-week training intervention using exercise modalities to strengthen and stabilise the core positively impacts punching power, supporting the value of the intervention as a suitable method for enhancing punching power when used with highly trained boxers. When aiming to improve punching power, it is advised that coaches who work with boxers should implement isometric and slowly controlled isotonic strengthening core exercises to improve the postural structure of the athlete, abstaining from forward trunk bending modalities such as the sit-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of SPORMETRE: The Journal of Physical Education & Sport Sciences / Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of SPORMETRE: The Journal of Physical Education & Sport Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Professional boxers train to reduce their body mass before a match to refine their body movements. To test the hypothesis that the well-defined movements of boxers are represented within the motor loop (cortico-striatal circuit), we first elucidated the brain structure and functional connectivity specific to boxers and then investigated plasticity in relation to boxing matches. We recruited 21 male boxers 1 month before a match (Time1) and compared them to 22 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched controls. Boxers were longitudinally followed up within 1 week prior to the match (Time2) and 1 month after the match (Time3). The BMIs of boxers significantly decreased at Time2 compared with those at Time1 and Time3. Compared to controls, boxers presented significantly higher gray matter volume in the left putamen, a critical region representing motor skill training. Boxers presented significantly higher functional connectivity than controls between the left primary motor cortex (M1) and left putamen, which is an essential region for establishing well-defined movements. Boxers also showed significantly higher structural connectivity in the same region within the motor loop from Time1 to Time2 than during other periods, which may represent the refined movements of their body induced by training for the match. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]