A 5 minute guide to the history of custom headgear and protective equipment

The custom headgear is one of the most essential and effective safety equipment in the world of boxing. 

As much as it is important to know about the different factors that go behind a good quality protective equipment, it is quite interesting to dig into the history of boxing gear. 

If you like to dig deep into the historical facts and are a boxing fanatic at the same time, this is the perfect place for you. 

Scroll through this blog for a concise guide into the history of the headgear and some of the other essential protective equipment. Happy reading!

Who Came Up With The Idea Of Custom Headgear?

Young Jack Dempsey commissioned a local sports equipment maker to create him a protective head guard in 1917 that could endure more than fifteen rounds of rigorous boxing sessions. 

This type of headgear opened the door for more contemporary designs, which are similar in style to the more wrestling-oriented headgear we are more familiar with today. 

Since then, the custom boxing headgear has come a long way, with multi-layer lightweight padded systems that can absorb more shock and more thorough designs that offer greater facial, nose, and cheek protection.

The old design could not provide as much protection and safety that it can offer today. Although it was a great choice back then, given the limited choices for protective gear in the world of boxing, the safety levels were not that great. 

However, over the course of time and technological advancements, the headgear has developed a lot and now has a different style for protection against every single part of your face. Full-face protective equipment is also available for the beginners. 

Why Is the Custom Boxing Headgear So Important?

It’s essential to avoid seriously hurting both your hands and your opponent. When engaging in contact sports like boxing, MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Krav Maga, or MMA, there is always a chance of getting hurt.

There have been numerous cases of serious injuries from the boxing ring due to the athletes’ lack of caution and improper safety gear.

If the athletes had been better prepared and had protected the weak places in their bodies, many of these accidents might have been avoided.

Moreover, before the headgear was officially introduced into the ring in the twentieth century, it was not even possible to stay safe because of the lack of availability for protective head equipment.

Both amateurs and professionals can vouch for the inevitable importance of the custom headgear. Beginner-level practice rounds can occasionally be dangerous, even though there is a greater chance of injury at big tournaments.

Quick Insight Into History Of Protective Gear

Let’s take a peek into the history of some other protective equipment that is frequently paired with the headgear and provides a higher level of safety for the players.

Boxing Gloves

Greek boxers used himantes, or oil-softened leather strips, to wrap their hands when boxing made its debut at the Olympics in 688 B.C. These transformed into a cestus that became the ancestor of the modern boxing glove. 

They were constructed out of leather strips that occasionally had hooks or blades affixed to them. They resembled guns more than protective equipment. 

The first-ever properly covered boxing glove was created in 1743, however they have since undergone a significant evolution and improvement. The insulated gloves were exclusively employed for training at the time. 

The wearing of “mufflers,” as the gloves were known, was frowned upon for around ten years after that. As the sport embraced more formalized regulations and safety procedures, they gradually gained support along with the custom wholesale headgear. 

Today’s boxing gloves are undoubtedly a lot more developed and standardized. A lot of consideration is given to the padding’s weight, style, and type. The practicing and fighting gloves used in modern boxing are designed to protect both the boxer and his or her opponent.

The majority of the earliest boxing gloves were composed of tan or brown natural leather. 

They weren’t colored until the early 1950s, when network television’s era for boxing was beginning, and even then, it was done for aesthetic rather than practical reasons.

The boxing gloves then changed from black to oxblood red. This change was made to cover the blood, and soften up the graphics for TV viewers, and lessen the impression that boxing was an excessively brutal sport.

Groin Protector With The Custom Headgear

One of the most commonly paired protective tools with the custom boxing headgear is the groin protector and we cannot stress enough about the importance of this equipment. 

The first-ever groin guard was created in the late 1920s. It was known as a Taylor after the name of James P. Taylor, a Brooklyn-based producer of shoe soles. 

The result of a June 1930 boxing bout between Max Schmeling and Jack Sharkey, which resulted in an inaptitude, were the actual reason that finally made this innovation popular. 

Due to a contentious low strike, Schmeling prevailed against Sharkey and became the German Heavyweight Champion of the United States. 

Following that match, The No Unfair Laws were established, and Taylor’s No Foul Protector was embraced by the majority of US boxing organizations.

Modern groin protectors have more developed, secured foaming and bigger cups, which offer more comprehensive protection. Modern designs cover the upper stomach, midriff, and crotch more than earlier styles did.

No matter which kind of custom headgear you want to buy along with other safety equipment for boxing, Fight Gear Custom has got it all under a single online store with amazing designs, high quality, and budget-friendly rates. So don’t sulk around and hit our website today for the best deals. 

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