Have you ever wondered why ....

... that square enclosure used by boxers is called a "ring"?

In the early days of professional fist fighting, groups of fighters would travel from town to town challenging the local
men. The fighters would arrange a few of the spectators in a circle and have them hold a ring of rope. Any man
wishing to challenge one of the boxers would "toss his hat into the ring." The bout would then take place in this early
boxing "ring."

As the number of spectators increased, the hand-held ring no longer sufficed, and it became necessary to fashion an
enclosure by attaching ropes to stakes driven into the ground. Four stakes were normally used, which produced a
square enclosure, but it continued to be called a boxing ring.

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