To give up, acknowledge defeat. When a boxer’s second (their trainer or corner man) feels their boxer is taking a beating and doesn’t think they can or should continue the fight, they throw a towel or sponge into the ring to stop the carnage, to end the fight by TKO. Also known as: “To throw in the towel”, “To throw in the sponge” to end the fight.
Throw in the Towel
This Day in Boxing History…
- Birthday
- 1980 Mary "The Heat" Ortega was born in Kansas City, Missouri, USA
- 1990 Erika Cruz Hernández was born in Mexico
- 1993 Ségolène "Majestic" Lefebvre was born in France
- History of Women's Boxing
- 2005 Jackie Nava wins the inaugural WBC World super-bantamweight title with a ten-round, unanimous decision over Leona Brown gaining the distinction of being the first female boxer awarded a WBC world title.








