In boxing, why does the referee seem to wipe a downed boxer's gloves before allowing him to resume fighting?

Question

If the arms seem flabby, does he stop the fight? Or is the canvas oily?

I've never understood this.

Answer 1

In the past, most boxing shoes had leather soles and could become very slippery.  This being the case, each boxers corner had a small square box that contained rosin.  The boxers would step into the box so that a coating of the rosin would cut down on the slipping.  Of course, when they stepped back onto the ring  some of the rosin would get on the canvas.  In the event of a knockdown, it was possible that the rosin would get on the gloves.  Rosin can cause eye irritation so the ref's would wipe off the gloves to avoid this.These days, most boxing shoes have a different kind of sole and rosin is not used very much at all.  However, even during the walk to the ring from the dressing room, the boxers shoes can pick up dirt or other contaminates.  So, it is just a protective measure to avoid irritation to the eyes.  Additionaly, it gives the referee another moment to get a close look into the boxers eyes for any signs that might indicate that the fight should be stopped.