Boxing equals brain damage
I’ve never understood boxing.
Watching people beating each other to a pulp never made sense to me as a “sport”. Rocky movies? Forget it - I never went near them.
I remember when one of those world boxing championships was on and my colleague just couldn’t understand why I wasn’t interested in waiting up all night to watch it.
According to this BBC article,
…as boxing involves powerful people hitting each other repeatedly, often around the head, there are other risks - most serious of all being permanent severe brain damage.
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.
And you can imagine the effect that repeated damage from long-term boxing has on the brain’s ability to learn.
I’m very happy that:
For the moment [the British Medical Association] continues to lobby for a total ban on boxing for men or women.
I liked this suggestion from Professor Hugh Bayne:
He wrote in the British Medical Journal that doctors could make boxing illegal in the UK simply by withdrawing their support and refusing to attend bouts.
He pointed out medical cover is a legal requirement at all boxing promotions.
Just ban it. Period.
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Constance said,
March 19, 2007 at 1:07 am
I agree, Zac.
Why do men always have to prove themselves in such primitive ways? I’ve always hated boxing, too. Shouldn’t there be a UN decision on it, or something?
Mike said,
April 23, 2007 at 12:10 am
I think you people need to get lives, why should it matter what people decide to do? A UN decision, I don’t see why you people care. It does not effect you at all, maybe it’s jealousy because it’s something you could never do or understand, but as the saying goes, “People always fear what they don’t understand”. You don’t like boxing, don’t watch it, simple as that.
Constance, people, not only MEN, people, feel they need to prove themselves in MANY other ways too, such as AMERICAN FOOTBALL (which is FAR more dangerous) and weightlifting.
You people are very narrow minded, all I ask is to think for yourselves and not what (selective) “studies” say. (and the Ali deal) There are far more completely unharmed. Thank you and goodbye.
zac said,
April 23, 2007 at 1:00 am
Thanks, Mike for your view. So you would:
* Let people destroy themselves with drugs?
* Let people drive on whatever side of the road they like,
at whatever speed they like, with whatever level of
intoxication they like?
* Let people beat up their kids?
* Let people use guns in whatever way they like to solve
personal problems?
* Sanction rape?
Or would you let them do these things, then not watch because you don’t like it…?
Trevor said,
April 25, 2007 at 1:02 am
Zac, those are ridiculous examples, boxing involves two individuals who realize and acept the risks of what they are about to engage in. Driving on the same side of the road, beating up kids, using guns, and rape all involve unwilling participants.
The drug example MIGHT stand, but I still don’t think boxing should be banned. I can pull ridiculous examples out too, I mean, if being gay causes increased incidences of AIDS, then why not outlaw homosexuality right?
zac said,
April 25, 2007 at 1:24 am
Hi Trevor. In each of my examples (which I agree are fairly wild!), I am talking about stopping people destroying themselves and each other.
I also took umbrage at Mike’s request to stop watching if I don’t like it. I don’t like war - but just by turning off the TV doesn’t make it go away or stop.
I agree with your point about homosexuality. But it is very different if you have a high risk person who does not take precautions. Once again, they are destroying themselves and destroying others.
Isn’t that what laws are for?
Ant said,
May 16, 2007 at 2:52 pm
What you people dont seem able to grasp is that the only people who are hurt from boxing are people who choose to box, and despite what you self righteous simpletons think we are aware of the risks.
To compare boxing to rape, war and murder where innocent people are hurt by the actions of others is not even a poorly considered arguement , it is an argument that has not been given any consideration.
all this protecting people from themselves is rubbish as long as only the willing participant is hurt its their life and they should be able to live it!
zac said,
May 17, 2007 at 12:58 am
“the only people who are hurt from boxing are people who choose to box”
Really? So if you are brain damaged, that isn’t going to affect your wife? Your children? Your parents? Your co-workers who have to pick up the work slack when you become increasingly dysfunctional? And the rest of us who have to pay higher health insurance premiums because people like you can’t control your primitive urges?
Puleez!
Your argument reminds me of the smokers of earlier days who first denied any harm they were doing to themselves. Then when secondary smoke inhalation was shown to cause damage to those in close proximity (family, friends, co-workers), this was also denied. Smokers still claim their habit only causes damage to themselves, and us “do-gooders” are told to butt out. C’mon people, no man is an island.
Steven said,
May 18, 2007 at 7:46 am
Seems to me that Ant’s thinking has already been affected by his boxing…
box bra said,
November 27, 2007 at 3:50 pm
y boxing is good is cause if u dum [edit] b smart[edit]s n have a go at ppl about boxing u will get [edit] up.
- so ppl shouldn’t ride horses either? think of that amount of backs broken from horse riding. 100’s of times more than brain damage from boxing. why not ban horse riding? cause u soft [edit] like riding your pony’s n [edit] n can’t handle a bit of fear so u try n stop [edit]. ooh n i agree ban being gay cause it is [edit].
zac said,
November 27, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Thanks for your comment and enthusiasm, box bra. I edited your unacceptable language.
Where is your evidence that horse riding is more dangerous than boxing? What are you basing this conclusion on? Are you comparing number of rides versus number of boxing matches? Speed of ride? Nature of ride? Length of match?
Box bra is yet another piece of evidence of the deleterious effects of boxing on cognitive function… Apart from the obvious flaws in rational thinking (frontal lobes), the left temporal lobe’s grammar areas have also taken a hit.
Me said,
May 25, 2008 at 8:42 am
“Really? So if you are brain damaged, that isnt going to affect your wife? Your children? Your parents?”
When I became an atheist it affected my parents, I stopped reading the Bible, stopped going to church, etc… I’m not going to change cause others don’t want me to, and if someone does its not something to be forced by law.
“have to pick up the work slack when you become increasingly dysfunctional?”
That’s and over exaggeration of the risks of amateur boxing (I say amateur cause a professional boxes for a living.) your not going to get an extra chromosome.
A blow to the head is like drinking, smoking, or going to a Lamb Of God concert. They all do damage to our brains, why single out boxing?
Alex said,
June 9, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m not a boxer but I want to say something about this.
There’s a risk that you will get injured if you play a sport. And I mean ANY sport.
So are you saying we should ban all sports and force everyone to just sit at home all day to make sure everyone is safe so that no one will have to “pick up the work slack” because their colleague is becoming “increasing dysfunctional”?
Heck, life itself is risky. You never know when you might get hit by a car you didn’t see when you walk across the road and you never know when you might slip and fall at home alone and suffer permanent brain damage because no one was around to bring you to the hospital.
Does that mean we should lock ourselves up in a room and throw away the key so that we can be safe and our families can be safe?
zac said,
June 10, 2008 at 9:15 am
Hi Alex and thanks for your comment.
I agree with you - everything has an element of risk. You have raised some points that I think are very valid - crossing the road (or even more, driving on that road without a safety belt) is dangerous, but often essential for our ultimate survival (we may need to cross the road to buy food to eat).
But that’s different to intentionally involving ourselves in the most dangerous sports, which are usually not essential for survival.