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What They Do

Athletes and Sports Competitors Career Video

Insider Info

Professional boxers box in professional events for money. Professional events are any shows that require the purchase of a ticket by the audience. Amateur boxers often fight for show only.

Boxers must train, often as long as five hours or more a day, to be physically fit and capable of withstanding up to 12 rounds of fighting. This includes weight, strength and stamina training. Additionally, boxers must maintain certain weight limits for the class in which they compete.

Amateur, Olympic-style boxing features 12 weight classes. Unlike the pros, amateur boxers wear protective headgear. An Olympic-style bout consists of five, two-minute rounds, with a one-minute interval between rounds.

Professional rounds last two minutes for women and three minutes for men. Women box an average of six rounds per fight, unless they are competing for a belt, in which case they box 10 rounds. Men box 10 rounds per fight, except for title fights, when they box for 12 rounds.

Boxers train in private or public clubs and often have personal trainers and managers to help direct their training and career moves.

Andrew Krooner is an Olympic boxing contender. "Many people don't think of boxing as a team sport, but really it is," he says.

"My father and brothers help with my training and keeping me motivated, and my mother makes sure I eat like I should to stay in my weight class. It's a very team-oriented sport if you want to succeed, because you can't do it alone."

At a Glance

Use your strength and skill to defeat an opponent

  • You have to be careful to stay within your weight class
  • The more fights you win, the more money you make
  • You need strength and stamina

Contact

  • Email Support
  • 1-800-GO-TO-XAP (1-800-468-6927)
    From outside the U.S., please call +1 (424) 750-3900
  • North Dakota Career Resource Network
    ndcrn@nd.gov | (701) 328-9733

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