Quote Originally Posted by Beanflicker View Post
I'm not asking whether it should be or not; obviously a boxing forum isn't going to provide unbiased data.

I was reading an article a few days ago where the writer called for a ban on boxing, citing of course the Abdusalamov incident.

It's time for New York to give up the fight and ban boxing - NY Daily News

He brings up a lot of interesting points. What we've learned about the effects of head injuries and concussions over the last 10 years or so has been a real eye opener. We've become more aware and sympathetic to the dangers of brain trauma and those suffering with aquired brain injuries.

The big argument you see from boxing and MMA fans is "well, football/hockey/ect is dangerous too and they are accepted". But the fact is, in no other sport (besides MMA) is the main, primary objective to give somebody a brain injury.

No matter how much you go on about the beauty of the sweet science, the technique, the art, the discipline, ect, at the end of the day the main purpose of all of that is to knock another man unconscious.

We live in a very sensitive culture now adays: all you hear is "bully this, bully that", or somebody getting fired because they said something insensitive that offended some group.

Will we get to the point where our culture rejects this brutal sport where the object is to smash someone's brain?

I think you have really touched on something here. This world gets more and more coddled from helmets in the sandbox to cars that park themselves. Soon you wont even have to know how to drive.
Some younger generations who base their world on what their gadget says are confused by a lone chair in the middle of a hallway. Somehow moving it or walking around it is a foreign concept. We have turned into a micromanaged species on a micro level. They are dumbing us down to the point of problem solving brain collapse. That is the brain damage the powers at be should be worried about.

Devolution. A 140 character world full of anagrams and nonsense reality tv.

Boxing may fall victim to the over protected nanny state western world we live in. This new risk and reward twist is helping it along. I can honestly see championship fights being reduced to 10 then 8 rounds and fighters wearing 1 pound mitts and maybe even dare I say head gear. Britain isn't helping things with all of their 4 round prize fighting tourneys. In fact they are laying down the ground work. With any luck, I'll be in an old folks home by then suffering from dementia and watching reruns of Kojak.