Marquess of Queensberry Rules

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The Marquess of Queensberry Rules are the standard rules for boxing. They were created by John Graham Chambers, a Welsh sportsman from Llanelli, in London in 1865 and published in 1867. The rules are named after John Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry, who publicly supported them.

Key features:
- Boxers must wear gloves.
- Each round lasts three minutes, with one minute of rest between rounds.
- If a fighter is knocked down, he must rise to his feet unaided within 10 seconds or be counted out.

These rules replaced the older London Prize Ring Rules (first written in 1838 and revised in 1853) and became the standard for both professional and amateur boxing. They differ from the American Fair Play Rules, which were mainly for amateurs and never became as widely used.

The Queensberry Rules also promoted fair play: boxing should be won by skill and following the rules, not by brutal tactics.

One early boxer who fought under these rules was Jem Mace, a former English heavyweight champion, who defeated Bill Davis in 1876 in Nevada under Queensberry rules. His use of gloves helped popularize the new system.

Amateur boxing soon adopted the rules too. Britain formed the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) in 1880, and the ABA held its first official amateur championships in 1881. In the United States, the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) was formed in 1888 and began its boxing championships that year.

Today, the Queensberry Rules are the foundation of modern boxing for both amateurs and professionals.