Ever watched a boxing match and wondered what a “southpaw” actually is, or why announcers get so excited about the “sweet science”? With weight classes ranging from flyweight to heavyweight, legendary rivalries spanning decades, and terminology that sounds like it’s from another sport entirely, understanding boxing can feel like taking a left hook to the brain! Our boxing trivia collection steps into the ring with questions covering everything from Muhammad Ali’s greatest fights to the technical differences between an uppercut and a cross. Perfect for impressing friends during fight night or discovering why certain boxers are still revered decades after hanging up their gloves.
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Boxing Trivia Questions and Answers
- What is the area called where boxers fight?
Answer: Ring - How many rounds are in a professional championship boxing match?
Answer: 12 rounds - What do boxers wear on their hands during a fight?
Answer: Gloves - Who was known as “The Greatest” in boxing?
Answer: Muhammad Ali - What is the term for when a boxer can’t get up before the referee counts to 10?
Answer: Knockout - How many minutes does a round in professional boxing last?
Answer: 3 minutes - What is the piece of plastic that boxers put in their mouth to protect their teeth?
Answer: Mouthguard - What was Muhammad Ali’s birth name?
Answer: Cassius Clay - What are the four main punches in boxing?
Answer: Jab, cross, hook, and uppercut - What heavyweight champion famously bit off part of his opponent’s ear?
Answer: Mike Tyson - Who did Mike Tyson bite the ear of?
Answer: Evander Holyfield - What is the term for when a boxer falls down but gets up before the referee counts to 10?
Answer: Knockdown - What boxing match was called “The Rumble in the Jungle”?
Answer: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman - What boxing match was called “The Thrilla in Manila”?
Answer: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier (their third fight) - What do they call the corner people who help the boxer between rounds?
Answer: Cornermen - What is the name of the organization that sanctions the most famous boxing championships, with belts like WBA, WBC, and IBF?
Answer: There isn’t one single organization – they are separate sanctioning bodies - What famous boxer was nicknamed “Iron Mike”?
Answer: Mike Tyson - What is the boxing weight class for fighters weighing between 118-122 pounds?
Answer: Bantamweight - How many ropes are there around a boxing ring?
Answer: Four - What is the name of the famous boxing movie series starring Sylvester Stallone?
Answer: Rocky - Who was the first boxer to defeat Muhammad Ali in a professional fight?
Answer: Joe Frazier - What famous boxer did Muhammad Ali call “The Gorilla”?
Answer: Joe Frazier - What boxing defensive technique involves bending at the waist to avoid a punch?
Answer: Ducking - What is the name for when both boxers cannot continue and neither wins?
Answer: Draw - What boxer was known as “The Real Deal”?
Answer: Evander Holyfield - In which country did “The Rumble in the Jungle” take place?
Answer: Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) - What is the highest weight class in professional boxing?
Answer: Heavyweight - Which country has won the most Olympic gold medals in boxing?
Answer: United States - What was the name of Muhammad Ali’s famous strategy against George Foreman?
Answer: Rope-a-dope - What is the term for when a boxer deliberately falls down to avoid being hit?
Answer: Taking a dive - Who was the youngest heavyweight champion in boxing history?
Answer: Mike Tyson - At what age did Mike Tyson become the youngest heavyweight champion?
Answer: 20 years old - What is the lowest weight class in men’s professional boxing?
Answer: Minimumweight (also called Strawweight) - What was Joe Louis’s nickname?
Answer: The Brown Bomber - What is the time between rounds called?
Answer: The rest period - How long is the rest period between rounds in professional boxing?
Answer: 1 minute - Who said the famous quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth”?
Answer: Mike Tyson - What is the boxing equipment that trainers wear on their hands for fighters to practice punching?
Answer: Focus mitts - Who was the boxer nicknamed “Pretty Boy” and later “Money”?
Answer: Floyd Mayweather Jr. - What was boxer George Foreman’s profession after retiring from boxing?
Answer: Minister and entrepreneur (known for the George Foreman Grill) - What is the term for a boxer who fights right-handed?
Answer: Orthodox - What is the term for a boxer who fights left-handed?
Answer: Southpaw - How many boxing matches did Rocky Marciano fight and how many did he lose?
Answer: 49 fights, 0 losses - What famous boxer fought an exhibition match against a Japanese wrestler named Antonio Inoki in 1976?
Answer: Muhammad Ali - What boxing strategy involves staying on the outside and using your reach advantage?
Answer: Fighting on the outside (or outboxing) - What is the last name of the brothers Vitali and Wladimir, who were both heavyweight champions?
Answer: Klitschko - What is the name of the boxing ring’s floor?
Answer: Canvas - What do fighters hit when they practice and train?
Answer: Punching bags (or heavy bags) - What is it called when a boxing match is stopped by a doctor due to a cut?
Answer: Technical knockout (TKO) - Which future US President boxed as a young man at Harvard University?
Answer: Theodore Roosevelt - What’s the name of the quick, straight punch thrown with the lead hand?
Answer: Jab - What was the nickname of boxer Roberto Durán?
Answer: Hands of Stone - What famous words did Roberto Durán reportedly say when he quit in his rematch against Sugar Ray Leonard?
Answer: “No más” (No more) - Which boxer was known as the “Manassa Mauler”?
Answer: Jack Dempsey - What were the original boxing gloves made of in the early days of the sport?
Answer: Horsehair - Which boxer held world championships in eight different weight divisions, more than any other boxer in history?
Answer: Manny Pacquiao - What was unusual about Antonio Margarito’s hand wraps discovered before his 2009 fight with Shane Mosley?
Answer: They contained plaster of Paris (an illegal hardening substance)