Why the “Ring” Is Called a Ring – World Boxing Association

A few weeks ago, when we tackled the subject of the rules governing boxing today, we touched on their birth more than a century and a half ago — regulations that, aside from minor tweaks, have stood the test of time. Along the way, we made a passing reference to the four-sided, rope-bound stage where fighters ply their trade: the squared circle.

This time, let’s dive deeper into the so-called “ring,” especially in regard to its name — a label it’s carried for centuries, long after the birth of a sport that is perhaps the oldest form of organized combat known to man. Boxing predates the pyramids, the printing press, and just about every institution we hold dear, with roots stretching back to mankind’s earliest days on this blue planet now home to some eight billion souls.

The obvious question is: Why do we call it a “ring” at all? The word itself comes from the Old English hring, meaning hoop, circle, or loop. That seems odd, given that the boxing ring we know today is a square — a four-sided structure, not a circle.

Historians of the sport tell us that the earliest version of boxing took root in the ancient kingdom of Abyssinia — present-day Ethiopia — roughly 6,000 to 7,000 years B.C. In those brutal contests, two men would sit facing each other, often naked or half-naked, and fight barehanded until one of them died. Centuries later, crude gloves or leather hand coverings with sharp spikes in the knuckles were introduced. The matches still had no time limits and ended only when one fighter could no longer continue — or when he was beaten to death.

By around 700 B.C., this primitive form of boxing had found its way into the ancient Olympic Games, quickly becoming one of the most crowd-pleasing events — a tradition that, in spirit, continues today. Whether between men or, in more recent times, women, the sight of two combatants squaring off still stirs fans as much as — if not more than — soccer, baseball, or basketball.

So why the name “ring”? The answer lies in the sport’s gradual evolution. At one point, fighters began squaring off on their feet, inside an actual circle drawn on the ground — a ring in the literal sense. Leaving that circle meant automatic defeat, so the name stuck.

Boxing later fell into obscurity in Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire in 476 A.D., largely due to the rise of Christianity and the Church’s influence. It wasn’t until the early 18th century that the sport resurfaced in England.

In 1743, former fighter Jack Broughton, who also taught the art of pugilism, drafted the first set of formal rules. Among them: fighters would compete inside two concentric circles, and stepping out of the smaller one meant instant disqualification. Nearly a century later, in 1838, the London Pugilistic Society introduced the first square ring, laid out on the ground.

A curious aside: the earliest recorded prizefight where the winner received cash took place in the early 1700s between a duke’s baker and butcher — the baker won.

By 1865, the so-called Marquess of Queensberry Rules — actually penned by London Amateur Athletic Club founder, trainer, and journalist John Graham Chambers — brought a major overhaul to the sport: three-minute rounds with one-minute rests, gloves instead of bare fists, and timed knockdowns. John L. Sullivan was the last heavyweight champion to fight bare-knuckle, while James J. Corbett became the first to win a world title wearing gloves.

It’s believed that Chambers also came up with the idea of raising the ring about three feet (91 centimeters) off the floor, giving spectators and judges a better view. That “ring” — still called by its original name despite being square — was originally 24 feet (7.3 meters) per side. Today, regulations call for 16 ropes total (four per side) and dimensions between 16 and 23 feet (4.9 to 6.9 meters), at a height between three and four feet (0.9 to 1.22 meters) above the ground.

Chambers’ 12 rules, often lumped together as the Queensberry Code, remain in place today — most notably, three-minute rounds with one-minute rests, and the 10-second count for a knockdown. A fighter is declared the loser if he cannot rise unassisted or continue after the count, whether from a clean knockdown or a barrage that leaves him defenseless.

There’s much more to tell about this story. But for now, that’s the tale of why the squared circle is still called a “ring.”