First 'Boxer' ever?

[CubanGuyNYC]

Forgive me if I didn't come across clear.

I meant the first reference to an actual professional boxer, by name basically.

You've probably got some digging to do. We agree the earliest participants in a precursor of modern-day boxing probably date back at least as far as ancient Greece. Whoever those early pugs were, their names are almost certainly lost to the ravages of time.

If we're defining "first boxer(s)" as the first acknowledged prizefighters, regardless of rules, here's what Wikipedia says: "On 6 January 1681, the first recorded boxing match took place in Britain when Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle (and later Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica) engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher with the latter winning the prize."

The fighters' names aren't mentioned.

[Spray_resistant]

How could there have been a 1st boxer without other boxers for him to box?

[CubanGuyNYC]

How could there have been a 1st boxer without other boxers for him to box?

lol

That observation wasn't lost on me, that why I wrote: "If we're defining "first boxer(s)" as the first acknowledged prizefighters..."

I took care to pluralize my words.

[Barn]

How could there have been a 1st boxer without other boxers for him to box?

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[JAB5239]

James Figg was the first recognized bare knuckle champion. I think this is the answer you're looking for but may be wrong.

[The Iron Man]

Difficult question to answer!

The earliest we know of organised fist fighting is over 5,000 years ago.

In greece it was introduced as a sport and got into the Olympics. And the greatest of those greek boxers was Theagenes (According to a book I have).

[rorymac]

When I saw the title of this thread I thought you meant the first pioneer of intelligent fighting which we might recognise in the modern game. I was going to offer Bob Fitzsimmons as one of the most revolutionary technicians, however many existed long before.

Some BC Minoan had some slick skills but he always called for an 80-20 split and many think he was on PEDs. Judges back then were pretty corrupt too.