References

Bledsoe, G., Edbert, B., Grabowski, J., Brill, J., & Li, G. (2006). Incidence of injury in professional mixed martial arts competitions. (Master's thesis, John Hopkins University)Retrieved November 24 from http://www.jssm.org/combat/1/18/v5combat-18.pdf

 
Farrier, J. (2010, July 04). Bare knuckle boxing is actually safer than using gloves.
Retrieved November 29 from http://www.neatorama.com/2010/07/04/bare-knuckle- boxing-is-actually-safer-than-using-gloves/
 

Holloway, J. (2011, September 12). Negative effects of boxing. Retrieved November 24 from http://www.livestrong.com/article/541876-negative-effects-of-boxing/

Iole, K. (2009, September 03). Ufc's white defends mma, fires back at boxing promoter. Retrieved November 21 from http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/mma/blog/cagewriter/post/UFC-s-White-defends-MMA-fires-back-at-boxing-pr?urn=mma-123289&cp=14



Macnair, T. (n.d.). Boxing. Retrieved November 21 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/physical_health/conditions/boxing.shtml

Muhammad ali and his battle. (2009, March 20). The Guardian. Retrieved November 22 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/mar/20/parkinsons-disease-muhammad-ali

What is boxing?

The act, technique, or profession of fighting with the fists, with or without boxing gloves.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. VS. Ricky Hatton



What is MMA?

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is a contact sport that allows a wide range of fighting techniques including striking, kicking, and grappling.

Rashad Evans KO's UFC legend Chuck Liddel in 2nd round.

Which sport is more dangerous?

There is a perception that MMA is more brutal than boxing just because of that....perception. The fighting style includes kicks, submissions and hitting a fighter whilst on the ground with gloves that have hardly any padding. However, it has been proven by John Hopkins University that MMA is actually considerably safer than Boxing.


     In UFC's (MMA's main promotion company) beggining they were branded as a brutal, no holds barred tournaments with no weight classes and very few rules. (No biting or Eye Gouging; everything else goes) As a result many states would not legislate MMA except New Jersey and Nevada. Former Senator John McCain even campaigned to have MMA outlawed from cable TV saying that the events were "human cock fighting."


     The UFC was founded in 1993 and began the modern era of MMA. Since that time, there have been two deaths in MMA competition. Douglas Dedge died on March 18, 1998, from injuries sustained in a fight on an unregulated card in Kiev, Ukraine, two days earlier. And in 2007, Sam Vasquez died on Nov. 30, 2007, from injuries sustained in an Oct. 20 fight in Houston.  (Bledsoe, Edbert, Grabowski, Brill & Li, 2006)


     The Journal of Combative Sport has documented 71 deaths since 1993 in boxing. (Iole, 2009)

     The report from John Hopkins concluded that MMA has the same injury rate as Boxing but has a significantly lower knockout rate, which would suggest a lower amount brain injuries.

(Bledsoe, Edbert, Grabowski, Brill & Li, 2006)

How is boxing health imparing?

Since I have already established that boxing is by far the more damagin sport I will focus on it instead of MMA for its health risk.

Cuts and bruises are the most common boxing injuries, and many boxers leave the ring needing stitches to the face and dental work. Body blows can lead to broken ribs and internal bleeding. Potentially blinding eye injuries can occur but may be difficult to detect except by specialist examination

The most serious of all risk is severe brain damage. This is to be expected when you have a powerful person constantly delivering blows to your head for upwards of 15 rounds. According to brain surgeons over 80% of all professional boxers have serious brain scarring on MRI scans. (Macnair)

     The British, American, Canadian and Australian Medical Associations have all called for an end to boxing, citing the high risk of brain damage and other injuries. The American Academy of Pediatrics has stated that boxing is an unsuitable sport for young athletes. Defenders of boxing assert that death rates from boxing-related injuries are low and that fighters are aware of the health risks involved. Sportswriter Harry Mullan has argued that improved medical care and awareness of safety procedures, rather than an all-out ban, are needed. (Holloway, 2011)

When do the negative effects of boxing begin to appear?

While other injuries repair relatively easily, brain tissue, once damaged, remains damaged. The symptoms of such brain damage - commonly known as being 'punch drunk' - include slurred speech, slow reactions and even occasional blackouts. These symptoms may take years to appear – on average about 16 years after taking up boxing, but sometimes as later as 40 years, long after the boxer has retired from the sport.  
    
      One of the most famous accounts of brain damage being caused by boxing is in that of former heavyweight champion, and the greatest of all time, Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1984 at the age of 42. There is a widely held belief that his condition was caused by repeated blows sustained to the head in his illustrious career. (Macnair)

     Ali began showing symptoms of the disease soon after retiring from the boxing ring in 1981. But his condition was not diagnosed until three years later. By that stage he had developed tremors, his speech was slurred, and his body movements had become slow. Doctors prescribed drugs which alleviated the worst of his symptoms.

     Ali is no longer able to speak in public ( "Muhammad Ali and," 2009)

Why do people still participate in boxing?

I believe the reason people still box is because boxing is an entertainment business. People are bloodthirsty by nature and seeing two men fight until they can no longer fight sells money. Professional know if they box they will make money and gain fame. For others its just a matter of pride or releasing pent up anger.
   
     One of the best fighters of all time Mike Tyson is known for his eccentric and sometimes scary personality. Mike Tyson was a kid who got bullied everyday in his neighborhood because he spoke with a lisp. Soon Mike Tyson began fighting to release all of his pent up anger and animosity. He soon became the youngest heavyweight champion in the world and was on top of the world. However after he lost to Buster Douglas in the upset of the century, his life went back into a downward spiral and he soon found himself the center of rape allegations and always blew up at media, officials and fans alike. He went from fan favourite to the train wreck nobody could turn away from even at one point biting off Evander Holyfields ear in a fight. So its not like people haven't seen boxing absolutely ruin a mans life who doesn't even have brain damage but instead had the pressure get to him.


     So why do people still box? A variety of reasons that include: money, fame, pride, fun, inflicting harm onto others as a release of anger, the acknowledgement and title of being the biggest and baddest and because they grew up idolizing fighters before them. They are willing to take the risk necessary to achieve their goals.

What steps can be taken to stop? Why would these work?

The act, technique, or profession of fighting with the fists, with or without boxing gloves.
As I previously stated I do not believe that boxing can be stopped. It is something people will always engage in. I am in no ways my self a pparticipant of boxing but I can fully understand why people participate in all combat sports whether that be boxing, MMA, jiu jitsu or even karate. A lot of people believe that knowing how to fight is essential and that fits into the whole survival of the fittest idealogy.

     However, if we are trying to stop the amount of boxers or MMA combatants is to nip the roots of the sport at the bud. The best way of doing that would be not allowing children up until they are a certain age to box, make it illegal (which will never happen due to huge revenue streams the fight produces for the state or province) or just educate young fighters more about the risk.


     Although I am able to see why the sport is dangerous, we must also look at the opportunities it has afforded young men, especially those fighting to climb out of poverty like Mike Tyson or Manny Pacqaio have done. Instead of trying to get rid of it I say we make it safer. Some of these include the use of headguards for all fighters, something professionals do not use, regular brain scans of all participants to catch early signs of severe brain damage, health care insurance for all semi-professional boxers in the USA, and reducing padding on the boxing glove.


     Why reduce padding on the glove? Well it may not seem this way but the MMA gloves fighters wear are way more safe than the traditional boxing glove. Since boxing gloves spread the impact of a blow, the recipient of a punch is less likely to be blinded, have their teeth knocked out or their jaw broken. However, gloves do not lessen the force applied to the brain as it rattles inside the skull from a heavy blow. In fact, they make matters worse by adding 10oz to the weight of the fist. (Farrier, 2010)


     I believe making boxing more safe of a sport as well as any other combat sport is essential to making sure that these fighters do not suffer the risk of long term brain damage. Cuts, bruises, broken jaws, broken ribs and head injuries of lesser damage should be expected. However, a fighter should not have to deal with severe brain damage that ruins their lives later on. Most boxers are destroying a third of their life in order to have a good 10-20 year career. And I don't believe the reward outweighs the risk.