The highly divisive horsehair boxing gloves are set to be banned in Britain.
As of January 1, 2028, horsehair gloves will not be permitted in any bout contested under the auspices of the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC).
The BBBofC's most recent guidelines state that "only gloves manufactured solely with foam/padding will be approved."
Why are horsehair gloves so controversial?
Horsehair gloves have been a topic of contention for some time.
Detractors take issue with the gloves as the stuffing can compress and shift away from the knuckles as they are worn in, delivering a more impactful blow.
One of the most high-profile disputes involving horsehair gloves was in the lead-up to Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder's enthralling rematch in Las Vegas in 2020.
Wilder's team lodged a complaint with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) over the horsehair-padded Paffen Sport gloves that Fury selected.
'The Bronze Bomber' argued that Fury could separate the padding in the gloves by pushing and squeezing them together.
Fury's gloves were subsequently cut open by the NSAC and deemed to have met all of the commission's regulations.
'The Gypsy King' went on to knock out Wilder in the seventh round, prompting a slew of accusations that Fury's gloves had been tampered with.
âÂÂHis glove looks like theyâÂÂve already been used, already folded, bended, like theyâÂÂve been thrown in the trash and got back out and say, âÂÂweâÂÂre gonna reuse theseâÂÂ," Wilder told 78SportsTV at the time.
âÂÂMy argument was that this is not enough padding in these gloves.
âÂÂThey [NASC officials] were trying to convince me the horse hair in the gloves makes up for everything because the horse hair is actually harder than the foam...
âÂÂThe man [the NASC official] tried to go on and explain the lining [on the glove] means it [the horse hair] canâÂÂt go anywhere.
âÂÂOf course it canâÂÂt go down, but it can go left to right in the pad. I started to explain to him, of course, it canâÂÂt go down, but it can go left to right.
âÂÂYou can just put your hands together, and the horsehair will start to expand [separate], so now youâÂÂll just have a fist [in your glove], a top secret weapon."
New weight class in Britain
Alongside the phasing out of horsehair gloves, the BBBofC has announced the approval of a new weight class, light cruiserweight, that will come into effect on January 1, 2027.
"Light cruiserweight will have a championship limit of 13st 5lbs (187lbs) and, as such, will bridge the current largest weight gap between two divisions in the sport (25lbs) and will be available across Area, English, Celtic and British titles," a statement read on the Board's website.
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