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The Begining of The Glove
In 688BC Olympic fighters would wrap there hands in leather. Over time these fighters began to harden the leather and attach metal studs or spikes. The gloves with studs were called "Cestus" and the ones with spikes were called "Myrmex". These types of gloves were leathal and eventually boxing in the Byzantine Empire beacame illegal.
The History of Boxing Gloves -
The Inventor of The Glove
In the late 1700's Jack Broughton invented the leather boxing glove as we know it. The idea came to him because one gloves allowed sparring matches to be safer and two boxing gloves kept the bones in the fighter's hands protected. Sadly, no one used the them widely until 1866 when the Queensbury rules of boxing stated that they were mandatory at a competitive level.
Jack Broughton -
The Ties That Bind
The idea has been born, the padding perfected, but what else? That question was answered by Wallace Hume Carothers. He created Nylon, the synthetic thread that would hold the gloves of the greatest fighters togther. Nylon also helped maintain padding postion inside the glove.
The History of Nylon
Red Glove -
The Softest Punch
Until this time most gloves were padded with anything available, but with the invention of polyurethanes by Professor Dr. Otto Baker, boxing gloves could reach a new pinnacle of quality. This new material for padding allowed for more shock absorption, a molded fit, and an overall lighter weight glove.
Anatomy of The Glove
Polyurethanes -
The Icing On The Glove?
At this time velcro was created by George de Mestral, a swiss inventor. As his invention spread throughout the world it trickled down to boxing. With this improvement, the on and off process of removing gloves was drasticly decreased in time.
George De Mestral -
The Modern Glove
The modern glove is not the sole creation of one inventor, but the product of many over time. Now gloves come in many colors, quality, and weights ranging from 8oz to 20oz. Getting a pair of gloves can be a great way to learn a new sport.
The Guide To Gloves
The History of Boxing
