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More than 5000 entries on the history, culture and life of Britain (published in 1993 by Macmillan, now out of print)
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boxing
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Fighting with fists, which had been a part of athletics in ancient Greece and of gladiatorial entertainments in Rome, did not reappear as an organized sport until the early 18C in England, where prizefighters competed for a purse of money while others gambled on the result. These were prolonged and violent contests with bare fists and few rules. By 1719 the concept of a champion of England was already in existence, for in that year the title was claimed by James Figg (1695–1734). Jack Broughton (1704–89) was champion from 1734 to 1750 and was the first to introduce an effective set of rules. Even so, it was not until the London Prize Rules of 1839 that kicking and biting and blows below the waist were declared to be fouls. The *Queensberry Rules, which govern modern boxing, gradually came into use during the late 19C.
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