Expert: Lian Shoemake - 5/5/2005

Question
I was wondering what the age limit for boxing is these days. I'm 16 and looking to get some fights but i cant find anywhere.  I train at a gym but i only do kick boxing and jiu jitsu. Any information would be helpful. And if you could i wonder if you could tell me the weight divisions

Answer
Hi Sean,

Thanks for the question.

I'm not sure to which specific age requirement you're referring, but essentially amateir boxing has a range from 8 years old to 34 years of age. Boxers are matched based on age, weight and experience up through the age of 16, and they're matched based on weight and experience after the age of 16. Under the current USA Boxing rulebook, you'd be classified as a junior olympic boxer, and you could compete with other 16 year-olds or 15 year-olds, and any other junior olympic boxer within 2 years of your age.

There are numberous weight divisions, and they change slightly according to age/experience. So that you can see them all for yourself, go to www.usaboxing.org and click on the rulebook. There, you can find a section on "matched bouts" whick explains the weight classes.

I hope this is helpful, Sean.
Thanks again for writing!

Regards,
Lian