Have you just entered the world of boxing and aren’t sure do boxing gloves hurt more than fists? Should you practice with bare knuckles or with gloves on?
Whether you are wearing boxing gloves or fighting bare knuckles, be clear that boxing hurts. However, it is the intensity of pain and the degree of damage that differs. There are no boxing gloves that don’t damage at all.
Therefore, here we have come up with all the facts and research that will help to figure out bare-knuckle vs gloves, what hurts the most.
So, without blinking the eye one more time, let’s become well abreast of the valuable information blow by blow.
Purpose of Boxing Gloves
Before getting into the details of do boxing gloves hurt more, let’s find out the benefits of wearing boxing gloves. So, here are a few:
- Wearing boxing gloves while fighting reduces the risk of damage and fracture to your bones and ligaments.
- The chances of misalignment become far less.
- The damage, particularly to the wrist, is less as the boxing gloves have shock-absorbing power. So, instead of allowing the whole force to become absorbed by your wrists, the shock travels all the way up to your arms. As a result, the impact of the powerful punch becomes many folds less.
- Wearing boxing gloves help in developing eye and hand coordination, followed by more confidence and self-esteem.
- Where the chances of cuts and bruises are more in case of hitting with bare knuckle boxing gloves reduce them to nearly zero.
Now that we are all up with the advantages of wearing boxing gloves, let’s find do boxing gloves hurt more than fists.
Do Boxing Gloves do more Damage than Fists
There is no second thought that boxing fists are going to hurt no matter whether you wear gloves or not, but to find out if boxing hurts more bare-knuckle, there was research done in which Bas Rutten hit the punching bag using different boxing gloves and even bare knuckles.
Where everyone thought that these specially designed gloves would do more damage, the results left everyone with surprise.
The results showed that
- Punching with bare knuckles delivers 776 lbs of force
- Punching with MMA gloves delivers a strength of 650 lbs in a single strike
- Boxing gloves reduce the forceful impact and deliver only a punch of 641 lbs.
So, it became clear that hand pain from boxing with bare knuckles will be more than that with gloves of any type on.
But what if the fighting goes on? In that case, the results go the other way round. In fact, by wearing boxing gloves, the fists or the boxing hands hurt less. As a result, the boxer can fight more persistently and throw more punches for a greater time.
This leads to long-term injuries like CTE. And according to the British Journal, boxers are at higher risk of developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy at some time in their life.
Related: Best Gloves for Punching Bags Read Here
Why do Boxing Gloves Hurt more than Fists- A Few Reasons to Consider!
Although the punch by a bare-knuckle fist is more powerful than an MMA fist and boxing glove fist, still boxing with gloves on leaves more severe injuries and long-term damage to the opponent.
Now, you must be thinking about how and why does boxing hurt more with gloves on?
So, here are the reasons.
1. The Fighter Hits Harder
The most significant reason boxing gloves result in more damage to the opponent is the mind game. By wearing boxing gloves, the fighter or the boxer starts to feel safe and well protected. He knows that the force isn’t going to hurt his wrist or tendons at all.
Consequently, he becomes more determined to hit the opponent with even larger speed and force, resulting in a forceful throw.
Moreover, the boxer continues to throw punches one after another until he feels satisfied and receives the result he longs for.
This all results in more and more damage to internal organs due to extended hours of getting hit.
2. No Tension of Getting Hurt
Another fact is that they know that boxing hurts less than bare knuckles by wearing gloves. Therefore, they throw the punch or strike with the maximum speed they can.
However, in the case of bare knuckles, they need to be very careful as a high-speed punch can easily fracture or break their boxing fists.
3. Padding of Punching Bag
Last but not least, the punching gloves or the boxing gloves have cushion or padding that absorbs the shock and reduces the impact. So, it has a physiological effect on the boxer, boosting his confidence.
All and all, we can say that with the extra layer of protection, although the impact of the force of a single punch is less, and even the boxing hands hurt, it enables the boxers to continue the fight for a much extended time.
That is why in boxing with bare-knuckle vs gloves, the gloves are always in a win-win situation and lead to more damage.
How Hard is Getting Hit with Boxing Gloves
Since we answered the question “Do boxing gloves hurt more than fists” with a big YES, let’s break in boxing gloves and the damage it causes.
The damage and the pain due to boxing gloves vary with the area you got hit.
A general fact is that although the impact lessens by nearly 100 lbs by wearing gloves, the surface area of attack increases.
So, where hitting with bare knuckles was going to swell your eyes only, the punch of gloves will swell the nose along with the eye due to greater attack capacity and area.
The second thought to consider is whether a single or two punches of 776 lbs are going to damage more or uncountable punches of 640 or 650 lbs will give more severe pain to bear? Obviously, the second one!
The flurry of body shots leads to dizziness and unconsciousness in the opponent, making it easier for you to win.
Do MMA Gloves Hurt more
Apart from discussing, “do boxing gloves hurt more than fists?”, it’s essential to figure out which boxing gloves hurt more.
Well, an MMA fist or an MMA boxing punch is a median between a bare-knuckle punch and a boxing glove punch.
In MMA, the gloves are comparatively smaller, less padded, and lightweight. As a result, the speed of executing the punch increases.
But since the padding is comparatively less, the chances of knuckles getting damaged also increases.
But as a matter of fact, in MMA, the type of injuries are different from those in boxing.
In MMA, you aim at hitting the opponent on the whole body using different stances like elbow throws, kicks, etc.
But in boxing, you always look for hitting the facial muscles and head using the punching power.
So, although the chances of damage to both the boxer and his opponent increase by using MMA gloves, the real-life situations don’t support it because, in MMA, the boxing fists aren’t the main throw to always opt for.
What Kind of Damage Occurs to A Boxer When Hitting Bare knuckles
Since the primary purpose of boxing gloves is to protect the wearer’s hand and not the opponent, boxing with bare knuckles is obviously going to hurt more.
In boxing fists, the force of the entire body framework delivers, but your delicate hands aren’t strong enough to absorb the rebounding force and shock.
So, there are high chances that some kind of damage will result to your hands after two or three punches.
Therefore, it is better to fight with gloves on.
Which Type of Boxing Gloves Hit The Most
Since boxing gloves that don’t hurt the wearer aren’t made yet, let’s change our focus to which type of boxing glove hurts the opponent the most.
The degree of hitting power depends on factors like
- Size of glove
- Padding
- Speed of punch
- Weight
So, a glove that is small in size, lightweight, and has excessive padding for protection and shock absorption will hit the opponent more strongly.
However, the speed of the punch depends on you. The faster you will execute the punch, the higher degree of damage it will cause.
So, in short, we can say that boxing hurts no matter what; it’s the degree of pain that is under your control.
Do You Need Gloves for Punching Bag
Whether you need to wear gloves for hitting the punching bag or not depends on your personal choice and experience. However, a general rule is that beginners should always wear boxing gloves while practicing and hitting a punching bag as the force can damage the hand bones.
Moreover, it is better to familiarize yourself with the strikes, basic moves, and force through shadowboxing.
How to Make A Fist in Boxing Gloves-The Perfect Way
To execute a punch without hitting yourself, you must make the right boxing fists.
So, here are the steps to follow:
- Start with your little finger and curl your fingers into your palm. However, don’t bend your thumb.
- Place your thumb across the knuckle of your index finger.
- Tightly close your fist with fingers in your palms so that huge pressure generates and yet the bones don’t damage.
Conclusion- One Last Thought
To cut a long story short, we can say that the answer to do boxing gloves hurt more than fists is a definite yes with respect to hitting and hurting the opponent. All boxing gloves work to protect the wearer and hit the opponent.
And with this, our topic of discussion reaches its end. Now it is your turn to brace yourself and find a pair of boxing gloves.
