Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, wearing protective gloves, gum shields (not red) and head guards (all except elite men), throw punches at each other for a predetermined set of time in a boxing ring. 

The boxing competitions will be held over a seven day period and will consist of 10 men's weight categories; they will take place at the Crystal Hall, which is located on a dramatic peninsula jutting out into the Bay of Baku on the Caspian Sea.

Boxing, one of the most popular sports in Azerbaijan, requires dedication, skill and self-discipline of both mind and body. Considered one of the oldest and most traditional sports, early evidence of boxing dates back to 688 BC. Modern boxing is considered to have begun in the 19th century upon the publishing of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in 1867.

The sport made its debut into the modern Olympic Games during the St. Louis 1904 Games. Women's boxing was sanctioned by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in 1994, and celebrated its Olympic debut as a full medal sport during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Facts and figures:

• Boxing contests are supervised by a referee over a series of two to three-minute rounds
• Scores are awarded by judges using the 10-Point Must System
• Many of the sport’s legends have experienced great success at the Olympic Games; Cassius Clay (later known as Muhammad Ali), George Foreman and Lennox Lewis all won Olympic Gold
• The first Olympic success any Azerbaijani boxer was achieved in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; Vugar Alekperov (75 kg) won a bronze medal
• The AIBA World Boxing Championships were successfully held in Baku in 2011
• In 2016, Baku hosted the final world Olympic qualifying event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games