Rival Classic Sparring (16oz Velcro)

Intro

Rival has a pretty established history as a reputable boxing glove maker and a wide range of products for different needs. These are their “Classic Sparring” gloves and their purpose is quite obvious the moment you pick them up. “Classic” in terms of no bells and whistles. And “Sparring” because they are almost hilariously large. I guess that’s what they used back in the old days, but there are sleeker options suitable for sparring today.

That said, the price was right. They come in well under $100, and if I had to pick any of my gloves to get punched with, these would rank in the top two.

The Wrist 4/10

You can see from one of the photos just how long the wrist strap on these is. It goes around your arm not once, but twice. Despite that, I can’t say that they feel any more supportive than a wrist strap that just goes around once. In fact, going around twice seems to allow more “give” and looseness in the wrist.

Hand Comfort 6/10

They are comfortable to wear and relatively easy to get on. They’re snug and definitely protective. There is something I don’t like about the tight finger box. They’re passable for sure, but nothing really to write home about.

They are made of genuine leather which is really nice at this price point. Though while other leather gloves smell like nice handbags, baseball gloves, or leather jackets, these smell like a farm. Nothing overpowering, but still.

Punching & Protection 5/10

If you are using these for sparring, they’ll do a good job. They are big and protective. At their size they won’t be threading the needle through anyone’s defense, but will also make it more difficult for anyone to do the same to you. I do find them on the stiff side of things, but may just need a longer break-in period. They are not made for the heavy bag and you can feel that with the lack of feedback on your punches. Wrist support on the weaker side can be felt if trying to go full power, but again, that’s not what they were made for. Stick to their purpose and you will be happy. If you already have a decent pair of bag gloves and are getting into sparring and need something well made for a low price, then these are solid but not the best option out there.

Other Features and Intangibles 8/10

These are well priced for real leather and a true boxing pedigree. Again, not much in the way of bells and whistles, but for their purpose that’s actually a good thing. The glove and thumb are a single piece making for no unnecessary stitching and no potential for errant threads or seams cutting someone by accident. Logos except for the wrist patch are printed on, again avoiding potentially scratchy embroidery.