This is the question which the First Kungfu vs Boxing competition to be held at the Las Vegas Hilton Sports Center on December 11 seeks to answer. It is the first time a contest between the two sports has been organized, according to report of China Daily.

A total of nine pairs of contestants, most of who are national champions in their respective countries, will take part in the event. One pair will be female.

The competition that has been dubbed the "battle of the century" by media at home and abroad is not just a commercial exercise. "It pits the traditional fighting sports of the East and the West against each other for the first time," said Li Jie, the chairman of China Wushu Association, which is one of the organizers.

Almost every insider is saying the odds are even. "It will be a good match because both of the sides show their desire to win," said Ron Weathers, a promoter of the competition.

Last Saturday, the two sides held a trial competition. Lewis Woods, the 58kg-grade fighter competed with two of his Chinese counterparts.

"It seemed we won according to the score," said Chinese coach Guan Jianmin. "But both of the sides didn't show their real power. Many technical secrets should be kept until the official competition."

"Chinese kungfu has the advantage of kicking and wrestling skills," said he.

Because professional boxers can only use two fists for the fight, a lot of the body is left exposed, where a person using kungfu can strike, he said.