Boxing gloves are the protection that helps a fighter take a punch without being severely harmed.
When fighters box in the ring they wear boxing gloves that normally weigh between eight and ten ounces. If they have on no gloves then they are participating in bare-knuckles boxing.
How Much Do Boxing Gloves Weigh?
The average weight of boxing gloves is between eight and ten ounces. There are heavier boxing gloves that go up to 20 ounces.
In order to determine what weight of boxing gloves you should wear you have to consider how much you physically weigh.
Junior lightweight gloves – people weighing up to 130 lb.
Lightweight gloves – people weighing 130 lb. to 155 lb.
Welterweight gloves – people weighing 155 lb. to 190 lb.
Middleweight gloves – people weighing 190 lb. to 205 lb.
Light heavyweights – people weighing 205 lbs. to 225 lbs.
Heavyweights – people weighing in excess of 225 lbs.
Fact: The heavier the glove is the harder it is to punch with the glove. Heavy gloves provide more hand protection but make it a lot harder to throw a punch.
Benefits of Lighter Weight Gloves
- With the lighter gloves the boxer has more control over the movements of their hands
- The reaction time of the boxer will be shorter
- More speed when doing bag work
Benefits of Heavier Gloves
- More protection for the hands
- Reduces the amount of damage that an opponent may suffer during short jabs and punches
- Gives the boxer increased power for some hits
Boxing Glove Weight Considerations
Your weight is not the only thing that influences what weight boxing glow you will use.
During training women and people with small hands are most likely to use a 12-ounce glove.
Most main-event fighters stick with the traditional eight to ten-ounce gloves.
People who are considered to be average in size will normally use a fourteen to sixteen-ounce glow while they are training.
People who are over 200 pounds will normally use a boxing glove that weighs between eighteen and twenty ounces while they are training.
Common Glove Types
You use different types of boxing gloves for different things. Sparring gloves and bag training gloves are totally different.
Sparring Gloves
When you are sparring with a partner you do not want to deliver the same amount of damage and pain you will deliver in the main event fight. That is why sparring gloves have extra padding in them. The average sparring glove is one that weighs about sixteen ounces.
When the person sparring is bigger than 175 lbs. the sparring glove weight will be increased to 18 or 20 ounces.
Bag Gloves
These are the gloves the boxer wears when working out with a bag.
Bag gloves do not have the heavy padding of sparring gloves. The reduced padding allows the fighter to feel their punches and to be able to increase their speed.
Competition Gloves
These gloves are designed to deliver the maximum amount of pain to the opponent.
Did You Know?
Amateurs boxers have stricter rules concerning the weight of their gloves and the amount of padding that must be in their gloves than professional boxers do.
In 1949 there was an official boxing match between Guis Waldorf and a bear? Spoiler alert; the bear won.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Heavy Are Tyson’s Gloves?
For most of his career, Mike Tyson used 8 to 10 ounces during competition but when sparring used the 18 ounces.
How Much Do Boxing Gloves Weigh In Pounds?
The majority of boxing gloves weigh less than one pound.
How Much Do Mayweather Gloves Weigh?
Mayweather prefers an eight-ounce glove for maximum effect.
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