How Much Do Professional Boxing Gloves Weigh?
When you are watching boxing, it seems that there are so many types and sizes of the gloves that professionals wear during fights. Have you ever wondered how much do professional boxing gloves weigh?
Believe it or not, the answer is pretty simple. Professional boxing gloves can weigh 8 or 10 ounces and those are the only allowed sizes. Of course, keep in mind that this rule is only for fights, while the other sizes can also be used for training. The story is a bit different in mixed martial arts. The MMA Gear Addict reviews suggest that the weight of the gloves that these boxers wear is set at 4 ounces.
Keep reading and find out all key facts and interesting information about boxing gloves.
How Much Do Professional Boxing Gloves Weigh?
The rules for competitions are pretty clear. Each boxer is required to equip a pair of gloves that are in accordance with their category and, therefore, their weight. When it comes to professional boxing, the first weight category is called minim weight or mini-flyweight and its limit is set to 105 pounds. These boxers, as well as those participating in categories up to welterweight, all wear 8-ounce gloves. The welterweight division involves fighters that weigh up to 147 pounds. So, in other words, all boxers up to this weight limit must use 8-ounce gloves in official matches and competitions.
It seems only natural that they should use lighter gloves than their heavier counterparts. After all, they weigh less and they tend to rely on speed more. They are also quicker and they want to be able to strike quickly and not be burdened by the weight of the gloves.
Are you wondering how much do professional boxing gloves weigh if they are worn by heavy boxers? If they are participating in the super-welterweight division or higher, fighters in official competitions are required to wear gloves that weigh 10 ounces.
I am sure that you have seen a fighter wearing gloves that look too big for him. At the same time, you’ve undoubtedly noticed boxers whose hand coverings look extremely tiny. The fact is that neither of them had a lot of room to choose as the rules are pretty strict. It all comes down to using 8-ounce gloves if you are in a welterweight division or under or 10-ounce gloves if you are in super-welterweight or higher.
Why You Should Use Heavier Gloves in Training
You cannot cheat in professional matches, but you have the freedom of choosing the gloves you will use in training. In fact, many trainers agree on one thing – you should use heavier gloves in training than the ones that you use in competitions. That is why many professionals resort to using 12-ounces and 14-ounces gloves and those who want an even bigger challenge canna also go with 16oz or 17oz hand coverings.
The benefits of using heavy gloves are twofold. First of all, it will help you develop your punching muscles. It is the same in the gym – if you are working out using heavier dumbbells, it will have more effect on your muscle mass. The other advantage is that this method will increase your speed. You will get used to dealing with heavier gloves and, once you return to lighter counterparts, you will feel that your moves are quick as a lightning. The reason is that you will get used to using more power to punch with your glove and that will secure improved speed.
Why Do Boxers Need Gloves?
There is only one answer to this – safety. Did you know that boxing is a more dangerous sport than MMA? According to statistics, seven times more fighters died from the injuries they received while boxing than in the MMA ring. While hand wraps may not entirely eliminate the threat of injury or worse consequences, it can certainly decrease the risks. Here is how:
It protects your knuckles:
It protects your wrists:
similar to knuckles, your wrist also receive a portion of the impact of any punch you strike. We all know how wrist injuries can be tricky, which is why it is important to keep everything on the safe side. Hand wraps will protect you from the momentum and give your wrists the required stability when nailing a punch.
It protects your opponent:
When Did Boxing Gloves First Appear?
The Olympic Games started in ancient Greece several millenniums ago. It is believed that boxers from that era figured out that they should do something to protect their knuckles during fights. That is why they used leather straps as hand wraps so that they could reduce the damage when nailing a punch.
Romans took things the wrong way because they added metal to the gloves. Their goal was to deal as much damage as possible, but that caused boxing to be damaged in the fourth century AD. It was in Great Britain when boxing was resurrected in the 17th century. During the first several decades most of the boxers fought bare-knuckled. After a while, you could notice some of them wearing hand wraps in training. Gloves became a mandatory part of fighter’s equipment in 1867 in the rulebook created by the Marquess of Queensberry. Today, respective boxing authorities are the ones that decide how much do professional boxing gloves weigh for various divisions and competitions.
