The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to boxing:

Boxing (also known as "western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport and a martial art in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring.

What is boxing?

Boxing can be described as all of the following:

• Sport – form of competitive physical activity which,^[1] through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants^[2] or spectators.
  • Contact sport – involve a degree of player-to-player or player-to-object contact.
    • Combat sport – competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using specialized rules of engagement, typically with the aim of simulating real hand-to-hand combat in some way.
    • Collision sport – according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "in collision sports, athletes purposely hit or collide with each other or inanimate objects, including the ground, with great force."
  • Competitive sport – sport in which one or more participants or teams compete against one another. The one that is the most successful in achieving the objective of the game or sport event is the winner.
    • Combat sport – competitive contact sport where two combatants fight against each other using specialized rules of engagement, typically with the aim of simulating real hand-to-hand combat in some way.
    • Individual sport – sport in which participants compete as individuals.
  • Recreational sport – sport engaged in as a leisure time activity.
  • Spectator sport – sport that is characterized by the presence of spectators, or watchers, at its matches. Spectator sports are a form of entertainment.
  • Professional sport – sport in which the athletes receive payment for their performance.

Types of boxing

• Amateur boxing
• Bare-knuckle boxing

History of boxing

• History of boxing
• Ancient Greek boxing