bare-knuckle boxing
Fists without padding
Bare-knuckle boxing is fighting without padded gloves—fists wrapped at most in cloth or tape.
The sport predates modern boxing and its Marquess of Queensberry rules.
Bare-knuckle boxing often describes any rough, unregulated contest: bare-knuckle politics, bare-knuckle negotiation.
The hyphenated form works as adjective or noun; without the hyphen, it's usually a noun phrase.
- fisticuffsHand-to-hand combat
- prizefightingProfessional boxing for stakes
- prize fightProfessional boxing match
- jabQuick, straight blow
- Queensberry rulesFormal boxing regulations
pugilism · blocking · uppercut · rawness · barroom brawl · technical knockout · tavern · toe the line · bobbing · chin · Mendoza · old school · Victorian · hook · slipping · knockout · southpaw · blood sport
- fightingkickboxing, MMA, judo, karate, taekwondo
- British Sportsrugby, cricket, football, tennis, soccer
- combat sportswrestling, MMA, judo, karate, taekwondo
- combat artssword fighting, swordfighting, wrestling, grappling, fencing
- Old Sportschariot racing, jousting, prizefighting, pugilism, fisticuffs
- boxingjab, uppercut, hook, punch, knockout
combat methodology
bare-knuckle boxingwrestling
Combat sport requiring holds
grappling · judo · Brazilian jiu-jitsu · Greco-Roman wrestling · jiu-jitsu