Boxing-A Safe Sport Essay, Research Paper

Many sports can cause injuries such as football, soccer, and even golf. Athletes can tear a ligament or cartilage in their knee by just doing something as simple as running. Often, the healing process can take weeks, months, or even years to recover from the injury. One of the least understood sports is amateur boxing. People do not realize the precautions taken toward the safety of boxers. Critics of boxing have long called boxing a brutal sport. Perhaps it is safer than football where not only one, but eleven trying to hit the athlete.

Boxing has been classified as one of the most dangerous sports, but that is not true for there is more safety taken place than there is given credit. On the amateur level boxing is one of the safest sports, because the main idea of the game is to score points, not to knock the opponent out. In amateur boxing, the force of a blow or its effect on the opponent does not count. A punch that knocks a boxer to the mat receives no more credit than a regular blow. A knockdown is scored as a single punch and does not necessarily make the boxer a winner of that round. When scoring this way, there is little emphasis on inflicting pain. Head guards are mandatory in the United States and in major international competitions. Form-fitted mouthpieces are also required and must be worn at all times; if it falls out, it is replaced immediately. Two boxers are usually matched up to their ability or skill level so to keep the bout fair. Also a boxer is never placed in a position where he will get injured. The referee will stop the bout if a boxer is out-classed to keep him or her safe from major injury. The boxer s pride may be hurt, but he or she will be safe.

To keep the boxer safe he or she are generally trained at least six months in both offensive and defensive techniques before his or her first bout. As in most other sports, an athlete new to a sport goes to practice for only two or three weeks and then the athlete has his or her first game or competition. A boxer will know how to defend himself in most situations. If the boxer cannot defend him or herself, the referee will take control of the bout and stop the action between the two boxers.

Very few major injuries in the sport of amateur boxing, but there are some that occur in the sport. If an injury does occur during the bout the referee stops the action of the two boxers and takes the boxer to the corner for the doctor to check the injury. Based on the doctor’s opinion, the bout will continue or be stopped. The doctor may stop the bout at any point during the bout to check a boxer. The doctor might also check a boxer between rounds. The referee exercises more control than the doctor in the ring. Referees warn boxers to let them know that they are breaking the rules. If the referee stops a bout because of blows to the head, the boxer is not allowed to compete or workout in the gym for a specified period of time. Physical examinations are mandatory before and after a bout. In a tournament, the boxer has an examination the first day of the event and then has one each day he competes. The health of boxers is very closely monitored.

People say that boxing is a violent sport, but boxing is a safe sport and should be recognized as one because of all the precautions taken into effect before, during, and after the competition has taken place. Boxing is no more or even less violent than any other contact sport. Very few major injuries and dangers from competing in the sport; also fighter are well prepared to defend themselves way before they go into competition. Boxing is a safe sport and should be recognized as one.