Three changes to help boxing

[generalbulldog]

It has been widely cited that the reason of the change to 12 rds was that there were studies that showed fighters taking too much damage in those 3 extra rounds. I haven't seen the study yet, but boxing has been known to be a very physically debilitating sport, this is an undeniable fact that can't be refuted.

Well the people that want 15 rounds usually aren't the ones inside the ring taking damage. So I think it's ridiculous to want them to take even more damage when it's not necessary. It reminds me of when NFL fans want to go back to the rule of the 60s to 80s with those nasty hits. Yeah it's easy to say you want more boxing, but you are not the one in the ring taking the punches.

The safety of the fighter comes first period.

That is COMPLETE bullshit. If THAT were true there'd be no sport. Or we'd have headgear in the pros and they wear 20oz gloves and a single knockdown or drawing blood would stop a fight.

Boxing is bloodsport.

That is true boxing is a bloodsport just like American football is a collision sport. But guess what changes are done to ensure the safety of the college and NFL players today. Just like horse collar tackling is banned, trying to suplex the QB isn't allowed anymore, other sorts of tackling aren't allowed, and leather helmets has been replaced with plastic ones and now there are mandatory face bars for all of the helmets, etc.

In boxing many of the changes has come to at least make it a little safer and not some complete blood bath. So what do you want? Go back to bare knuckling and have all those rounds where boxing goes to 45rounds? Or how about fighting to the death like the old Roman Colliseum? Since you did say it's a blood sport?

And I find it ridiculous to suggest 12 round fights you have lazy fighters cruising or whatever. Meldrick Taylor fought in the 12 round era and still came out punch drunk/brain damage. Gerald McClellan fought in the 12 round era and came out basically a vegetable. Z Gorres a Filipino fighter fought in this era and came out of a bout with massive brain swelling and almost died. Riddick Bowe fought in the 12 round era and is now brain damage/punch drunk. Fernando Vargas is now punch drunk and brain damage. Boxing is a brutal sport already with 12 rounds. And what's the point of adding another 3 rounds for championship matches? To satisfy the inherent lust of bloodthirsty fans?

I like the sport and understand the risk associated with it, but that doesn't mean I want to see a guy dead, become a vegetable, punch drunk, which having 15 rounds add to more of that risk.

I just got done watching Ali-Patterson 2 where Patterson was taking a tremendous beating and looked drunk on his feet before the ref stopped it, you know what was the crowd's reaction? They were booing. The crowd wasnt happy and wanted to see Floyd Patterson get killed in the ring or get severely damaged for laughs, giggles, and entertainment. I ain't part of that crowd but I guess some people are.

Think I sort of overreacted there? Sorry about that. But the idea that we boxing fans REALLY care about the health of these fighters just isn't credible. Boxing isn't good for any fighter's health, ever. Anyone who pays money for fights is part of a culture that sees five or so men killed every year, year in and year out for our entertainment. There is no escaping that you're part of it.

One major reason we have these feeling for these fighters is they choose to be warriros, to embrace the rsik involved. It takes a certain kind of man.

As for 15 rounders, as you note, there is simply no reason to believe that those three rounds raise the risk in a significant way. The risk is there from round one of fight number one. As I said, it would be good for the sport to again tier fights the way we used to at 10-12-15 rounds.

And no, you don't escape ANY of the guilt you ascribe to "bloodthirsty" fans just because you'd like to see fights stopped sooner. The equation is simple. People who REALLY carew about the health of boxers support abolition of the sport.

Like I said there are risks in the sport that I do understand, just like there are risks for playing in the NFL, but guess what the NFL did make some changes to make it a little safer for the players. Boxing did the same I have no problem with that. Like I said there were medical reports out there that 15 rounds were more dangerous for the fighters. So do you have these reports that 15 rounds are not more dangerous? I would like to see them.

And I find it ridiculous to say that fans who care for the fighter's well being want the sport to cease to exist. That's like saying fans of the NFL who don't like to see horse collar tackles or cheap shots like they did in the 60s and 70s want the sport of football to be abolish because they care a little bit on the welfare of the players. See how ridiculous that argument is?

Just because you and some fans want to see a guy have a higher chance of dying in the ring or becoming another Gerald McClellan doesn't mean I do. And just because I don't like to see that happening doesn't mean I want the sport to be abolish.

And btw, what's good for the sport is not a return to 15 rounders. What's good for the sport is to abolish the alphabet gangs and have one universally recognized world title. What's good for the sport is a return to same day weigh ins so that another guy doesn't have such an massive weight advantage against another or the fighters are not massively cutting weight. What's also good for the sport is to have one universally recognized commission that applies the same rule and standards everywhere. And finally what's good for the sport is to have many of it's matches on network television to reach another larger spectrum of fans to entice them and future participants into the sport.

Anyways it doesn't matter anyway because 15 rounders are just like pagers/beepers, it's become obsolete now in this modern world.

We'll just agree to disagree.