pugilists
Fists for sport
Pugilists are boxers—people who fight with their fists, especially professionally.
The term sounds formal or old-fashioned compared to simply calling someone a boxer: The two pugilists circled each other in the ring.
Pugilist carries a whiff of the sport's earlier era, when bare-knuckle fighting was common.
Underwear or prizefighters
- fightersThose who engage physically
- championsContest winners, top performers
- contendersThose seeking to win
- opponentsThose who compete against
challengers · heavyweight · featherweight · welterweight · bantamweight · middleweight · title holder · knockout artist
Quick, straight blow
- hookCurved catching device
- uppercutAscending boxing strike
- crossPass from side to side
- combinationsUnions of separate parts
footwork · stance · guard · clinch · counterpuncher · slugger · brawler · swarmer
Fighting without hand protection
- prizefightersProfessional boxing competitors
- Jack JohnsonGroundbreaking early heavyweight champion
- old-timersLongtime participants or members
- fisticuffsHand-to-hand combat
squared circle · classic era · legendary · sportsmen · titleholders
Boxing film protagonist
- Muhammad AliLegendary heavyweight champion
- Mike TysonFormer heavyweight boxing champion
- Sugar RayBoxing nickname, multiple champions
- Joe LouisDominant 1940s heavyweight champion
Manny Pacquiao · Floyd Mayweather · Canelo · underdogs · rags-to-riches · heart · grit · determination
boxers
Underwear or prizefighters
- fightersThose who engage physically
- championsContest winners, top performers
- contendersThose seeking to win
opponents · challengers · heavyweight · featherweight · welterweight · bantamweight · middleweight · title holder · knockout artist · pound-for-pound
jab
Quick, straight blow
combinations · footwork · stance · guard · clinch · counterpuncher · slugger · brawler · swarmer · reach
bareknuckle
Fighting without hand protection
- prizefightersProfessional boxing competitors
- Jack JohnsonGroundbreaking early heavyweight champion
- old-timersLongtime participants or members
fisticuffs · squared circle · classic era · legendary · sportsmen · titleholders
Rocky
Boxing film protagonist
- Muhammad AliLegendary heavyweight champion
- Mike TysonFormer heavyweight boxing champion
- Sugar RayBoxing nickname, multiple champions
Manny Pacquiao · Floyd Mayweather · Joe Louis · Canelo · underdogs · rags-to-riches · heart · grit · determination · glory
pugilistspacifists
Those opposing all warfare
peacemakers · spectators · conscientious objectors · noncombatants · mediators
pugilistspacifists
Those opposing all warfare
milquetoasts · weaklings · cowards · pushovers · shrinking violets
pugilistswrestlers
Combat sport competitors
grapplers · judoka · kickboxers · martial artists · fencers