Boxing.org.uk

The Dangers of Boxing

Boxing has often been criticised because of the actual or potential permanent physical and/or mental damage that participants in the sport can suffer. In particular it is pointed out that there is no clear division between the force required to knock out a human and an amount of force which may kill them. Critics of the sport also point out that knocking a person unconscious or even causing concussion may cause some permanent brain damage or pugulistica dementia (punch drunk). Many retired boxers suffer short-term memory loss attributed to trauma.

In 1983, The Journal of the American Medical Association called for a ban on boxing. The editor, Dr. George Lundberg, called boxing an "obscenity" that "should not be sanctioned by any civilized society." Since then, the American Neurological Association, American Academy of Neurology and British, Canadian and Australian Medical Associations have also wanted to abolish the sport.

Many support the ban because it seems that causing injury to another athlete is the goal of the sport. Dr. Bill O'Neill, boxing spokesman for the British Medical Association, has supported the BMA's proposed ban on boxing: "It is the only sport where the intention is to inflict serious injury on your opponent, and we feel that we must have a total ban on boxing."

Boxing, up until the past two decades, was limited in the United States to a starting age of sixteen. Before that age, the brain is loose inside the skull and bruises more easily as it is shaken. The age limit has been avoided and there are youngsters sparring who have already received brain damage, which is permanent.

Professional boxing is forbidden in Norway, Iceland, Cuba, Iran and North Korea.  Sweden accepted professional boxing events to be held from 2007 although the bouts are not allowed to last any longer than 4 rounds.

Anti-boxing activist Manuel Velazquez compiled extensive data on deaths in boxing.

In 1984, R.J. McCunney and P.K. Russo published a study entitled Brain Injuries in Boxing. The study argued that boxing is relatively safe compared to other sports by citing the following figures on U.S. sports fatalities:

Fatality rates per 100,000 participants

Boxing safety has much improved since 1984.

To date, there has been little research regarding the long-term effects of amateur boxing.