Wrestling vs. Boxing — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman & Fiza Rafique — Updated on April 21, 2024
Wrestling involves grappling techniques, focusing on throws and holds, while boxing emphasizes striking with fists, prioritizing punches and footwork.
Difference Between Wrestling and Boxing
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Wrestling is a combat sport centered around grappling, aiming to control the opponent and achieve a pin or submission. In contrast, boxing is a striking sport where the primary goal is to outpunch the opponent, using combinations of jabs, hooks, and uppercuts.
Wrestlers utilize a variety of takedowns, throws, and joint locks to subdue opponents, whereas boxers focus on agility, speed, and precision to land powerful blows to the head and body.
Wrestling matches are often conducted on a mat, emphasizing technique, strength, and endurance, while boxing is performed in a ring, with strategic movement and defense playing crucial roles.
In wrestling, athletes compete in different weight classes, using styles like freestyle and Greco-Roman, each with its own set of rules and scoring systems. Conversely, boxing also features different weight classes, but the unified rules of boxing apply globally, emphasizing knockouts and scoring punches.
Wrestling is recognized for its ancient Olympic heritage and worldwide amateur competitions, while boxing is famed for its professional bouts and prominent figures in sports history.
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Comparison Chart
Type of Combat
Grappling, holds, and takedowns
Striking with fists
Primary Focus
Control and pin/submission
Knockouts and scoring punches
Scoring System
Points for control and holds
Points per punch, knockouts
Competitive Arena
Mat
Ring
Olympic Status
Yes, with various styles
Yes, as a single discipline
Compare with Definitions
Wrestling
A wrestling style allowing leg holds and attacks below the waist.
Freestyle wrestling is popular in international competitions.
Boxing
A striking sport where two competitors throw punches in a ring.
Boxing matches are often highlighted by tactical footwork and powerful punches.
Wrestling
Focuses on forcing opponents to surrender through holds.
Submission wrestling utilizes techniques from various martial arts.
Boxing
Stopping a boxing match for safety when one fighter is unable to continue.
A referee might call a TKO if a boxer is taking too much damage.
Wrestling
Common in American schools, emphasizing control and positioning.
Collegiate wrestling awards points for near falls and control.
Boxing
Focuses on scoring points rather than knockouts.
Amateur boxing emphasizes safety and skill, using protective headgear.
Wrestling
A style where competitors must only use their upper bodies to attack.
Greco-Roman wrestling is featured prominently in the Olympics.
Boxing
Characterized by longer bouts and significant physical impact.
Professional boxing can have major titles like the WBC or IBF belts on the line.
Wrestling
A combat sport involving techniques like grappling and throws to subdue an opponent.
In wrestling, achieving a pin can instantly win the match.
Boxing
A punch thrown in response to an opponent's hit.
Counterpunching is a skillful way to exploit an opponent's openings in boxing.
Wrestling
Wrestling is a combat sport involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. The sport can either be genuinely competitive or sportive entertainment (see professional wrestling).
Boxing
Boxing is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time in a boxing ring. Amateur boxing is both an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is a standard fixture in most international games—it also has its own World Championships.
Wrestling
A sport in which two competitors attempt to unbalance, control, or immobilize each other by various holds and maneuvers.
Boxing
A container typically constructed with four sides perpendicular to the base and often having a lid or cover.
Wrestling
Present participle of wrestle
Boxing
The amount or quantity that such a container can hold.
Wrestling
A sport where two opponents attempt to subdue each other in bare-handed grappling using techniques of leverage, holding, and pressure points.
Boxing
A square or rectangle
Draw a box around your answer.
Wrestling
A professional tumbling act that emulates the sport of wrestling. Also called "professional wrestling". It is distinguished from sport wrestling — which has strict internationally recognized rules and is conducted on a mat — by being scripted, rehearsed, conducted in a boxing ring rather than on a mat, and televised as entertainment.
Boxing
A separated compartment in a public place of entertainment, such as a theater or stadium, for the accommodation of a small group.
Wrestling
A wrestling match.
Boxing
An area of a public place, such as a courtroom or stadium, marked off and restricted for use by persons performing a specific function
A jury box.
Wrestling
(countable) The act of one who wrestles; a struggle to achieve something.
Boxing
A small structure serving as a shelter
A sentry box.
Wrestling
Act of one who wrestles; specif., the sport consisting of the hand-to-hand combat between two unarmed contestants who seek to throw each other.
Boxing
Chiefly British A small country house used as a sporting lodge
A shooting box.
Wrestling
The act of engaging in close hand-to-hand combat;
They had a fierce wrestle
We watched his grappling and wrestling with the bully
Boxing
A box stall.
Wrestling
The sport of hand-to-hand struggle between unarmed contestants who try to throw each other down
Boxing
The raised seat for the driver of a coach or carriage.
Boxing
An area on a diamond marked by lines designating where the batter may stand.
Boxing
Any of various designated areas for other team members, such as the pitcher, catcher, and coaches.
Boxing
A penalty box.
Boxing
The penalty area on a soccer field.
Boxing
(Printing) Featured printed matter enclosed by hairlines, a border, or white space and placed within or between text columns.
Boxing
A hollow made in the side of a tree for the collection of sap.
Boxing
A post office box.
Boxing
An inbox.
Boxing
An outbox.
Boxing
An insulating, enclosing, or protective casing or part in a machine.
Boxing
A signaling device enclosed in a casing
An alarm box.
Boxing
A cable box.
Boxing
(Informal) A television.
Boxing
A very large portable radio.
Boxing
Chiefly British A gift or gratuity, especially one given at Christmas.
Boxing
An awkward or perplexing situation; a predicament.
Boxing
Vulgar Slang The vulva and the vagina.
Boxing
Material used for boxes.
Boxing
A boxlike covering or enclosure.
Boxing
The act of enclosing in a box.
Boxing
The act, activity, or sport of fighting with the fists, especially according to rules requiring the use of boxing gloves and limiting legal blows to those striking above the waist and on the front or sides of the opponent.
Boxing
A slap or blow with the hand or fist
A box on the ear.
Boxing
To pack in a box.
Boxing
To confine in or as if in a box.
Boxing
To border or enclose with or as if with a box
Key sections of the report are boxed off.
Boxing
To provide a housing or case for (a machine part, for example).
Boxing
To limit the activity or influence of by or as if by creating a restrictive structure or outlining a territory
The legislature was boxed in by its earlier decisions.
Boxing
(Sports) To block (a competitor or opponent) from advancing, especially to hinder an opponent from getting a rebound in basketball by placing oneself between the opponent and the basket
Was boxed out by the tallest player on the team.
Was boxed in on the homestretch.
Boxing
(Nautical) To boxhaul.
Boxing
To cut a hole in (a tree) for the collection of sap.
Boxing
To blend (paint) by pouring alternately between two containers.
Boxing
To change the shape of (a structure, such as a wall) by applying lath and plaster or boarding.
Boxing
To hit with the hand or fist.
Boxing
(Sports) To take part in a boxing match with.
Boxing
To fight with the fists or in a boxing match.
Boxing
Present participle of box
Boxing
Present participle of box
Boxing
(sports) A sport where two opponents punch each other with gloved fists to head and torso; the object being to score more points by the end of the match or by knockout, or technical knockout.
Boxing
Material used for making boxes or casing.
Boxing
(construction) Casing.
Boxing
(object-oriented programming) Automatic conversion of value types to objects by wrapping them within a heap-allocated reference type.
Boxing
The act of inclosing (anything) in a box, as for storage or transportation.
Boxing
Material used in making boxes or casings.
Boxing
Any boxlike inclosure or recess; a casing.
Boxing
The external case of thin material used to bring any member to a required form.
Boxing
The act of fighting with the fist; a combat with the fist; sparring; pugilism.
Boxing
Fighting with the fists
Boxing
The enclosure of something in a package or box
Common Curiosities
Can wrestlers strike their opponents?
No, wrestling focuses on grappling without strikes.
Is wrestling an Olympic sport?
Yes, with both freestyle and Greco-Roman styles included.
What are the common injuries in boxing?
Bruises, cuts, and concussions are common.
What is the main goal in wrestling?
To control and ultimately pin or submit the opponent.
How long is a professional boxing round?
Typically three minutes.
What equipment is essential for boxing?
Gloves, mouthguards, and hand wraps are essential.
How do boxers win a match?
Through knockouts or by scoring more points than the opponent.
What are some illegal moves in wrestling?
Biting, hair pulling, and striking are prohibited.
How do judges score a boxing match?
Points are awarded for clean, effective punches.
What is the "sweet science" in boxing?
A term that refers to the strategic and technical aspects of boxing.
What is a clinch in wrestling?
A position where a wrestler holds the opponent close to restrict movement.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
