Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games Primer: Boxing

Canadian middleweight Ariane Fortin hopes to contend as the sport makes its Commonwealth Games debut, while veteran Custio Clayton remains a podium threat in the men's welterweight division.

Canada's Clayton a contender; women's divisions debut

A Commonwealth Games core sport, boxing is one of the few events to appear at every edition since the inaugural 1930 event in Hamilton.

Historically, it's been for men only. But that changes this year after the Commonwealth Games Federation followed the lead of the International Olympic Committee, which added women's events to the 2012 London Games.

In Glasgow, women will compete in three weight classes: flyweight (limit of 51 kilograms, or about 112 pounds), lightweight (60 kg / 132 lbs) and middleweight (75 kg / 165 lbs). Medals will be fought for in bouts of up to four rounds of two minutes each.

The men will duke it out in 10 divisions, ranging from light flyweight (49 kg, or about 108 pounds) up to super heavyweight (fighters weighing more than 91 kg, about 200 pounds). Fights can last up to three rounds of three minutes each.

There's an extra medal up for grabs in each weight class, as the losers of semifinal bouts are both awarded a bronze medal instead of being forced to settle things it in the ring.

The Canadian team has struggled since winning seven medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England, reaching the podium only once in 2006 and then getting shut out in 2010 in India.

Canada's last Olympic boxing medal was David Defiagbon's heavyweight silver in 1996. 

Canada will send seven fighters to Glasgow – two women and five men.

Canadians to watch

Custio Clayton

The 27-year-old welterweight from Dartmouth, N.S., returns to the Commonwealth Games after placing sixth at the 2012 Olympics and third at the Pan-American boxing championships in 2013. Clayton is a three-time Canadian champ.

Ariane Fortin

A 30-year-old middleweight who fights out of Montreal, Fortin won women's world titles in 2006 and 2008. She's also a seven-time Canadian champ, including six years in a row from 2005-2010.