DID YOU KNOW ? NATIONAL BOXING DAY - DECEMBER 26

In ancient Greece a boxing match began with two boxers standing face to face,
their noses touching. Greek boxers wore leather thongs embedded with metal
studs strapped on their wrists. At one time metal spikes were added, too.

In the early days of boxing, when a boxer was getting beaten and wanted to
end the bout, he would take his sponge and toss it in the middle of the ring.
That's the origin of the expression "to throw in the sponge."

Before the Marquis of Queensberry rules for boxing were drawn up in 1867, all
prize fights in England and the United States were fought with bare knuckles.
Even as late as 1882, the great John L. Sullivan, then boxing champion of
the world, rarely fought wearing gloves.