Boxing Should Be Banned / Educational Video

Video of Medscape General Medicine is provided here courtesy of WebMD/Medscape Health Network. MedGenMed. 2005; 7(3): 52. Published online 2005 July 22. PMCID: PMC1681645. Boxing Should Be Banned in Civilized Countries Round 4. George D. Lundberg, MD, Editor-in-Chief; Adjunct Professor of Health Policy. Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts. Disclosure: George D. Lundberg, MD, is an employee of Medscape, LLC.

Boxing should be banned in civilized countries. So trumpeted The Journal of the American Medical Association on January 14, 1983, capturing the attention of a vast worldwide audience of supporters and critics.[1] It was a stiff opening jab, but not a knockout punch. Was boxing banned? No. Was it intensely scrutinized? You bet, even including hearings in the United States Congress. The AMA and dozens of other national and specialty medical societies fell into line, demanding a ban. Even the Olympic Committees reexamined the activity. What is wrong with boxing? In addition to a host of sociologic concerns, boxing is wrong medically, since it not only kills some participants, it inflicts objectively proven chronic brain damage in as many as 80% of fighters who have had a substantial number of fights. It is wrong morally, because the intent of the sport is to harm the opponent in order to win, preferably by knockout brain damage by definition. These 2 objections, medical and moral, separate boxing from all other risk sports. What did improve? Shorter fights, referees stopping fights earlier, better medical exams by better trained doctors albeit of questionable ethics before fights. Fighters blinded by previous boxing injuries are now usually prevented from fighting. But blows to the head still damage the brain, whether acutely or long term, whether the fighter whose fist inflicts the blow is paid or not, and whether the head in which the brain resides is or is not clad with protective headgear. Loads of letters and Rounds 2 and 3 soon followed in JAMA, each with a new twist.[2,3] Why bring this old subject up now? Because, in addition to Mike Tyson finally declaring his ring career to be over, there have been some interesting new developments. And that's for Round 5. That's my opinion. I'm Dr. George Lundberg, Editor of MedGenMed.

References:
1.Lundberg, GD. Boxing should be banned in civilized countries. JAMA. 1983;249:250. [PubMed]
2.Lundberg, GD. Boxing should be banned in civilized countries round 2. JAMA. 1984;251:26962698. [PubMed]
3.Lundberg, GD. Boxing should be banned in civilized countries round 3. JAMA. 1986;255:24832485. [PubMed]

Category:

News & Politics

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[DannyNFLD]

Thanks for this vid. I myself am a HUGE boxing fan, but you'd have to be delusional or just plain ignorant to ignore the incredible toll this sport takes from it's participants.

Its depressing to witness the cases of individuals like Gerald McClellan, who has been permanently blind and wheelchair-stricken for nearly 15 years due to injuries suffered in the ring.

[rosaryfilms]

DannyNFLD, you are welcome!

[stridetide155]

the people choose to fight u hippie.. they arent roman gladiators forced to fight... people have every right to choose what they want to do to there body.

[Mikey121291]

I agree completely with everything you've said and the same apllies for all combat sports such as MMA and Muay Thai. We choose to fight no one has forced me to fight. I do it because I love Muay Thai and the challenge of one man versus another. I keep myself fit and healthy and I'm at lower risk of cancer, diabetes etc. than 99% of the population. It is a way of life for me and I'm extremely proud of it. Don't tell me it's barbaric. At my first fight my opponent came up to me. cont. in next com

[jkgjihghb]

@steam0001 Get something straight, and that is fighting in hockey games is not good, and that is something known as bad sportsmanship, because good sportsmanship says there is not any place for fighting in hockey games!

[IcedCoffee81]

40 people don't have common sense, while 25 of them do. Ridiculous activities like these raise up the cost of health insurance and that is why there are more decent Americans without it.

[baasbovenbaass]

Ban boxing :')

[1FaithHopeandLove]

...Also boxing tends to be highly addictive.

[takashijoh]

I can see your point of view, although I would saying calling for an outright ban is probably a bit excessive. The sport can be (and should be) made much safer than it currently is. I don't mind people getting knocked down, but as much as I like boxing, I always feel uneasy when I see a fellow human KO'd - glazed expression, dripping blood etc. Banning the sport outright however, will have the opposite effect - as it will drive it underground and that will most certainly, be a bad thing.

[Zaxxen69]

I love all these meatheads thinking it's their choice. Very few millionaires take up MMA. Also after getting beaten in the head so much their decision making skills are seriously impaired. But that's ok DIE for my entertainment!! hahahaahah!

[hekk100]

This is a proof that no Nation has the guts nor there is any country that took a lead to prove itself as a humane ”CIVILIZED” Nation, and neither do they are intending to, or are interested in, or care less, for that matter.

 Isn’t it true?

This is a proof that their is a lack of sane people to take a firm stand nationally and universally to ban this sport of insanity; in most of the nations.

[Stavrosdouvlis]

@ZAGGLETON Just because they fight does not mean they are violent, i can show you martial artists who can literally kill 5 people with their bare hands and when they get to a mugging for example they dont do anything even if they can.Because the other guy may be desperate....

[shotoallday]

I honestly think 12 rounds is still too much. Title fights should be at least 10 rounds, maybe 8. But boxing shouldn't be banned. The boxer's WANT to do it, they know the risks but they don't care. Same thing with people joining the military. They know they can die, but they do it because they WANT to.

I do see your point though, boxing is a brutal sport. And yes, I'm a huge boxing fan.