Skilful boxing starts to explain another pasting (6)
I believe the answer is:
defeat
'skilful boxing starts to explain another pasting' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.
'skilful boxing starts to explain another' is the wordplay.
'skilful' becomes 'deft' (I've seen this in other clues).
'boxing' means one lot of letters goes inside another ('box' can mean contain, as in to put in a box).
'starts to' says to take the initial letters.
The first letters of 'explain another' is 'ea'.
'deft' enclosing 'ea' is 'DEFEAT'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for defeat that I've seen before include "Conquest" , "failure" , "Vanquish, win against" , "Overthrow" , "Gain victory over" .)