Giving up pounds

[greynotsoold]

In sparring I don't think it is a big deal, as long as everybody involved understands the point behind sparring. That, of course, has a lot to do with the skill and experience level of the boxers. It wouldn't make sense for two guys starting out, one a fly and the other a light heavy, to spar because they don't know how to box yet. They'd just be throwing punches, fighting.
I saw a guy, weighed 120 or so, and he'd spar everybody, any weight. But he was very accomplished , national #1 amateur in his weight class, and made sure everybody got good work.

[southpawed]

As a trainer though, would you let your flyweight spar with a featherweight you didn't know? Lets say it definitely had the potential to turn into a mauling. How many pounds would you give up to the other fighter before you decided it was unsafe for your kid? Or would you just not put your fighter in at all?

All i know is, sitting here battered, with a cut up mouth and a sore jaw, that this is the last time i spar two featherweights in a course of a week. I know ultimately, it was my foolish decision to agree to enter the ring with them. But i can't help but think in the back of my head, that my trainer might get me hurt or killed, if i happen to not make a wise decision on my own behalf. So for my own protection, how many pounds do you think is safe to give up before i'm just asking to get hurt?

[greynotsoold]

When you start talking about somebody you "don't know", things can get very dicey because boxing is a treacherous activity. A lot of trainers lie about their boxer's weight, ability, experience, and so on. This was tried on me and my boxers when I first started doing this; it was almost comical, honestly trying to find work for a fighter, these guys suspecting me and conversley trying to con me. So, I would try to limit dealings to trainers I knew, so we could maximize what we were both getting out of it.
Now, I would not let something even start if I thought it had potential to "turn into a mauling." What gave it that potential? Any sparring session must be closely watched and stopped the second it starts being a fight.