I lived in Japan for a while and in the gym I trained in there people didn't bother with amateur fights - just went straight to pro.

It was pretty dangerous since Japanese Refs don't stop bouts for the sake of fighter safety - it's not honourable or something.

Two of the guys got retina damage in their first fights and one guy got put in a coma from bleeding in his brain in his first fight. He asked his coach if he could go back in to fight again but wasn't allowed.

I don't know if this tendency is due only to being put into pro competition without the proper training though coz they also dieted too much. One guy I met who was a past member at that gym was put in hospital and nearly died trying to reach a weight class that was too light for him.

There are a few more skeletal small male boxers there than in Australia that's for sure.

I have had a few dodgy gyms in my time and it's not easy to tell as a beginner whether your gym is good or bad.

However, I am finding asking lots of Q's in forums like this might be a good way to check your coaches training philosophies against a large number of other coaches and fighters who have enough experience to make a fair assessment.

I don't think the rate of severe injuries in boxing needs to be a high as it seemed to be in Japan!