RELIGION’S place in boxing is not a subject many people give thought to, caught up in the excitement of the battle and atmosphere of the big night, but faith really does play a large part for many boxers personally, and in the boxing scene in general.

Looking back over boxing history it was Jewish fighters who made names for themselves in the first half of the 20th century; indeed at this time boxing was considered to be “the” Jewish sport and famous names such as Max Baer, Abe Atell and Benny Leonard led the way in America. In Britain Jack “Kid” Berg and Ted “Kid” Lewis were successful inside the ropes.

Today Jewish boxers are making a name for themselves once again, with Ukrainian-born American Dmitriy Salita recently losing out to Amir Khan for the WBO belt and Yuri Foreman becoming the first Israeli to hold a world title last year when he stopped Puerto Rican puncher Daniel Santos, only to lose the championship to Miguel Cotto in June. Also Yuri is studying to become a rabbi, trying to fit in his studies in between training for fights. Both these boxers, as well as most other fighters who follow their religion, adhere to Jewish law and observe the Sabbath, meaning they cannot fight between Friday sunset and Saturday sunset. With most boxing shows on a weekend you can see how this may be a problem.

If the first part of the last century saw many Jewish boxers making names for themselves, then the second half saw many fighters of Muslim faith make an impact in the sport. Some were born into the Islamic faith and other notable names converted during their career, champions such as Mike Tyson, Chris Eubank, Bernard Hopkins, and of course Muhammad Ali.

In the UK Naseem Hamed and Amir Khan would be mentioned if fans were asked to name a famous British Muslim champion. Both fighters have garnered huge support even outside the boxing sphere. There are also many more Muslims taking up the sport, and several are now entering the professional game all over the UK.

Of course Muslim fighters would not find it desirable to fight during Ramadan; training would be disrupted at this time. Being unable to eat or drink during daylight hours doesn’t lend itself to great preparation but many can schedule contests around this time unlike other sportsmen of the same faith who compete more regularly.

Occasionally though religious practices and beliefs do come into conflict with boxing and the sport’s regulations. Muslim and Sikh groups are challenging a ruling which bans amateur boxers from competing if they have a beard. The English Amateur Boxing Association recently ruled that all fighters had to be clean shaven to allow cuts on the face to be seen.

Also some Islamic scholars believe Boxing to be considered to be “undesirable” to Shariah (Islamic) law.

Recently Muslim boxer Anthony Small caused controversy when he made comments about the war in Afghanistan and the returning troops, even joining a protest against the servicemen. The one-time British and Commonwealth champion’s comments may have been political as much as religious, but the response to his outburst from people within boxing and the general public was one of outrage and he may find his comments have a detrimental effect on his future career in the sport.

Of course there are boxers who follow many other faiths. George Forman became a born-again Christian after he claimed he experienced a near-death experience while suffering exhaustion following his fight with Jimmy Young in 1977 and Evander Holyfield is also well known for his strong Christian beliefs.

Buddhism also has many followers who take up the fight game. Considered to be the most peaceful religion, many take up boxing, and also kickboxing, in countries like Thailand.

Religion may not play such a conspicuous role in the sport but to many fighters it is their faith that gives them the focus and dedication to make it to the top. It is this less visible impact that matters most of all.