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England Team Performances
It is now believed that boxing was represented as a sport at the Olympic Games in 688 BC .... the Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) did not send a team! These 'ancient' Olympic Games are thought to have stopped around 393 AD.
On the 21st January the 1880 the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) was conceived. This event signalled the beginning of amateur boxing as we know it today around the World.
Many have argued that the National ABA Championships were indeed the first amateur 'international boxing'. The competition (the oldest in world amateur boxing) commenced on the 18th April 1881 (click here to view the ABA Championships roll of honour). This argument is based on the 1888 'ABA Championships' when J. Webb (Cardiff ABC), T. Evans (Cardiff ABC), H. Briggs (Newport ABC) and P. Maher (Dublin ABC) all reached the finals (all lost).
In 1898 Wales had its first ABA Champion (H. Marks, Cardiff Harlequins ABC). In 1902 the first american entered the Championships followed by the Transvaal in 1910. Remarkably the 1926 National ABA titles were won by representatives of England, South Africa, Scotland, Wales and Denmark with a 'runner up' from Ireland!
The 1904 St. Louis (USA) Olympic Games witnessed the introduction of modern day amateur Olympic boxing (click here to view the history of Olympic boxing). However all (24) competitors were American! The 1908 London (England) Olympic Games did see boxers from England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales but also Australia, Denmark and France. These Games are probably the first truly international tournament (click on here to view 'ABA of England International Roll of Honour').
In 1911 (5) boxers from Great Britain travelled to the USA to box in a 'multi-nations' tournament. The competition involved Canada, Great Britain and the USA. Is this the first international, multi-nations tournament?
'International' matches did take place (involving England) but there is no accurate information on these events. However details become clearer from 1925. The first being 6th May 1925 when Ireland (1) lost to Scotland (7) held in Dublin. The first accurate record of England is the 30th March 1929 when the 'ABA' team beat Ireland (5) - (3) in Dublin.
Since 1908 the ABA (and subsequently the ABA of England) have sent teams to all the major international tournaments held and participated in many, many multi-nation events and straight international matches. We hope you enjoy the record of these events (click on here to view 'International Roll of Honour').