Why Do We Say "Throw in the Towel"?

“Throw in the towel” is one of those sayings that has become so ubiquitous that most people never stop to consider its origins. Well, fans of boxing will no doubt already know the answer, as boxing trainers occasionally quite literally throw towels into the ring to call off the match.

How Boxing Gave Rise to “Throw in the Towel”

In boxing matches, pugilistic protagonists who step inside the ring (or squared circle) rely on their backup team, or cornermen, for far more than swiftly whipping a stool out so that the fighter can rest between rounds. 

There will also be a cutman, whose job is to staunch the blood flow from open wounds or busted noses, apply Vaseline, and use a cold iron to reduce swelling. Also ever-present will be the fighter's trainer, whose job is to instruct, to motivate, and to provide essential advice as the fight develops. 

A boxer's trainer has one other function, which is arguably the most important of them all. If he believes that his fighter is taking too much punishment, it is the trainer's responsibility to signal to the referee that he wishes to end the combat and acknowledge defeat. He does this by throwing a towel into the ring. 

This is an uncommon but somewhat regular occurrence. In February 2020, during the world title heavyweight contest between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder, the latter's trainer, Mark Breland, threw in the towel midway through the seventh round, sparking a torrid debate. Many suggested Breland had saved Wilder from taking unnecessary punishment. Others, including Wilder himself, vehemently disagreed. 

Where Did the Practice of Throwing in the Towel During Boxing Matches Come From?

But where and when did the custom, or rule, of throwing in the towel originate? Boxing itself dates back to ancient times, with the earliest known artistic depictions of the sport occurring in Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt in 3000 BCE. 

The Romans too were no strangers to boxing, staging contests in which fighters, their hands wrapped in leather straps, would meet in brutal engagements. The ancient Greeks also held the sport of boxing in the highest regard, making it part of the Olympic Games as far back as 688 BCE. With no weight classes, time limits, or padded gloves, boxing in the Olympics in those days was a seriously dangerous business. 

It wasn't until relatively modern times, and the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in the late 19th century, that the idea of rounds and 10-counts became the norm. It was then that the idea of a trainer conceding a match arose. 

Interestingly, it seems that this was initially signified by the throwing in of a sponge, as documented in The Slang Dictionary, a phrasebook published in 1860. Somewhere along the line, the sponge was replaced by a towel, with one of the earliest discovered printed use of the phrase in its modern form appearing in 1913 in The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette.

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