Hi, I'm going to try amateur boxing. First let me say I have no delusions of going pro or anything like that, I just want to learn about boxing and train and spar and have some (5 to 20) official fights and that will probably be enough for me.

I'm 6 feet tall (male) and weigh 260 currently. I've been exercising at a local college gym a few times a week for 3 months now, purely to lose weight. Someone told me boxing training provides a great workout and will help me lose weight. I found a gym that will open a boxing section soon. So I figure that if I'm going to train in boxing, I might as well do it all.

I spoke to the manager, and he says that local boxing events have a class called sub-novice for people with 4 fights or less. Then from what I've read here (the internet), I guess I'd be a novice until 10 fights.

So I'm prepared to start boxing training in the next month or so, and when the manager thinks I'm ready, I'll move into sparring and then some amateur fights. I haven't had any kind of physical fight in years, so I think this will be a good learning experience for me.

Here's one question - when searching women's boxing, I saw several photos of teenage (17-18 yrs old) girls boxing, and they had no headgear on. Aren't you required to have headgear unless you're a pro? I'm 99.9% sure those girls weren't pro.

But when reading through some google boxing searches today, one thing scared me. It says that amateur boxers can only be between ages 17 and 34. I'm 34 now, but will turn 35 in 2 months.

So from what I read in the USA Boxing rulebook, I'd be restricted to fighting men only older than 35. I think that's unfair, I'll probably tell the manager I'm 32 or 33 so I can fight the people I'd be more likely to get in a fight with if I were walking down the street or something. Plus I'll have fewer competitors to match up against if I'm in the 35+ group. I look young so no one should question me saying I'm 32/33/34 if all they do is ask.

I've never had the slightest interest in boxing or any other physical sport my whole life, so this really sucks that I find myself being put into a Masters class that I don't want to be in. IF they find out I'll soon be 35, that is. How would they know? Would they want to see a drivers license, or will they just ask me my age? I'm in Pennsylvania if that matters.

Yes, I understand that younger boxers might smack my butt all over the ring hard if I end up against a good 20 year old, but so be it if it happens.

Thanks in advance for any useful replies. Please don't flame me, it won't help me learn anything.