Is boxing dangerous?

How is Boxing Dangerous?

Is boxing dangerous? It’s a question that commentators and fans of the sport have long debated. 

There are undoubtedly several negative effects of boxing, and although safety measures have been introduced, serious injuries do occur. 

Here, we look at why boxing is dangerous and consider common injuries and what the studies say about the long-term health issues fighters face later in their lives. 

What Are the Rules in Place for Boxing in the Modern Era?

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports (ABC) has issued several regulatory guidelines and rules following some high-profile serious injuries in boxing.  

Today, boxers must undergo a pre-fight physical examination to ensure they are physically fit to fight.  The ABC has also instituted strict measures relating to weight classes, meaning that only boxers of similar weights can compete professionally with one another.  

You will also find rules regarding approved ring attire, hand wraps, gloves, and those that can and can’t enter the ring. The ABC has also improved the definition of fouls in boxing, differentiating between intentional and accidental fouls and spelling out the penalties for each. 

Crucially from a health and safety standpoint, there now must be at least one physician ringside at every bout. The physician must be a licensed medical Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine and is available to treat any serious injuries ringside.  

So, there have been marked safety improvements in boxing recently, but serious injuries still happen. Let’s look at some of the most common injuries fighters pick up in the ring. 

The Most Common Injuries in the Ring

Though serious injuries occur in boxing, they are, fortunately, rare. That being said, the most common injuries boxers pick up on the canvas include:  

Concussion  

Concussion results from repeated blows to the head and is one of the most negative effects of boxing due to possible long-term complications. In the short-term, concussions leave fighters confused, dazed, and light-headed. It takes a sustained period of rest to recover from a concussion.  

Cuts & bruises 

Cuts and bruises – particularly around the eyes, nose and face–are commonplace in the boxing ring. Excessive cuts and bleeding can lead to a fight being stopped, so boxers try to avoid them as much as possible with clever footwork.  

Fractures 

From Bennett’s Fracture to Boxer’s Fracture, these types of injuries are also commonplace in the ring. Given the power of a boxer’s punch, wrist and hand fractures are relatively common, even though strapping and gloves prevent more serious hand injuries. 

What Effect Does Boxing Have on the Brain? What are the Long-term Effects?

One of the reasons so many people think that boxing is dangerous is the long-term effects that boxing can have on the brain. While cuts, bruises, and fractures heal over time, boxers are at greater risk of traumatic brain injuries than most other sports people.  

Some of the most famous boxers of all time – Muhammed Ali and Aaron Pryor – for instance, both suffered brain injuries that have been linked to their boxing careers. Ali suffered from Parkinson’s disease later in life, while Pryor’s cognitive health deteriorated significantly before his death at 60. 

Boxers take tens of thousands of blows to the head throughout their careers, both in sparring and in the ring. The constant trauma over a sustained period can lead to cognitive decline and a range of neurological conditions among boxers, as some intriguing research has shown in recent times. 

What Does the Research Say?

A 2016 University of Sterling research project found that routine sparring in boxing can affect brain performance differently. The project looked at the motor control and cognitive function of 20 boxers and Muay Thai fighters before and after nine-minute sparring sessions. Crucially, the participants showed impaired brain-to-muscle communication and decreased memory performance one hour after sparring.  

Moreover, a 16-year study in Australia between 1985 and 2001 found that approximately 16% of all injuries sustained by professional fighters within the study were concussions, while 90% occurred on the head, neck, or face. Though the study didn’t look at long-term implications, the fact that such a significant proportion of injuries were on the face and head is worrying.   

Due to the lack of research into any negative effects of boxing, particularly from a neurological perspective, many call for more research to examine the sport’s actual cognitive cost over time. 

Famous Boxers that Have Taken a Beating

Practically every professional boxer, including the late great Muhammad Ali, has taken a beating at some time in their career. But one of the biggest beatings in recent memory was that of Nick Blackwell, who was put into a medically induced coma by Chris Eubank Jr. in March 2016.  

In 1991, Chris Eubank Sr. was involved in a similar incident when he put Michael Watson in a 40-day coma after their super-middleweight title fight. This incident led to a raft of new safety measures being introduced.  

In 2022, IBF Featherweight champion Josh Warrington had his jaw broken in a fight against Kiko Martinez, an injury that required surgery.  

It’s also hard to look past the 2002 bout between Evander Holyfield and Hasim Rahman when the latter was on the end of a headbutt that resulted in a growth the size of a tennis ball on Rahman’s head by the end of the eighth round. 

What Steps Have Been Taken to Make Boxing Safer?

The ABC’s regulatory guidelines are perhaps the biggest step towards making boxing safer, with stringent weight categorisations and detailed rules helping to increase fighter safety in the ring. 

However, many boxing commentators believe more must be done to protect fighters as they take to the canvas. No second chance at making weight is a significant change that could be made, as well as harsher punishments for drug cheats to prevent boxers from trying to gain an unfair advantage.  

There should also be rule changes for rabbit punching, as they are all too often seen, even though fighters know that hitting behind the head is illegal.  

What is the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act?

Enacted on May 26, 2000, the Muhammed Ali Boxing Reform Act aims to protect the rights and welfare of boxers. It essentially provides valuable assurances and safeguards for boxers in the US. It deals with things like contracts, compensation, fighter rating systems, and several safety aspects. 

There are rumours that the so-called “Ali Act” will be introduced to MMA in the near future. 

Did Muhammad Ali’s later injuries come from boxing?

Experts have long argued whether Muhammad Ali’s boxing career led to his Parkinson’s diagnosis. Ali was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 1984, just three years after he retired from professional boxing.  

Parkinson’s kills neurons in the brain, leading to movement issues and speech problems, among other things. His doctors didn’t initially connect his diagnosis with his boxing career. Still, it’s hard to ignore, and many experts believe that the head traumas he sustained may have contributed to his condition.  

While some doctors argue that blows to the head can lead to Parkinson’s, others note that environment and genetics also lead to the disease. As a result, it’s difficult to say definitively whether Ali’s boxing career led to his diagnosis.  

Is Boxing More Dangerous than MMA?

A study from the University of Alberta found that boxing is more dangerous than MMA. This is primarily because MMA fighters were shown to be less at risk of receiving injuries that could damage their long-term health.  

There are several reasons why this is the case. Firstly, boxing fights are longer than MMA bouts, meaning that boxers spend more time in the ring. Moreover, the head traumas sustained by boxers are much more pronounced when compared to MMA fights, which cause concussions and long-term cognitive issues.  

After all, in MMA, a fighter can choose to grapple and set up submissions, while boxing is about landing blows to the head or upper body.  

There’s also the fact that safety regulations are much more stringent in MMA and have been implemented largely due to boxing’s previous safety failures. 

Other Dangerous Sports

While boxing is dangerous, it’s not the only sport in the world where competitors can suffer long-term injuries. Other dangerous sports include: 

American football  

Though increased padding and safety equipment has helped reduce serious injuries in American football, career-ending injuries still occur, such as ACL injuries and back or neck injuries. 

Formula 1  

The introduction of the halo has made Formula 1 cars considerably safer, but it’s still a dangerous sport in which drivers exceed 200 MPH as they race around the circuit. Rugby 

Due to the sheer number of contacts throughout the game, rugby is one of the most dangerous sports in the world, with serious back, neck, and head injuries far too commonplace. 

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