Should Boxing Be Banned? Essay, Research Paper
Society is getting desperate. In our search for entertainment, we have found that watching two men beat each other to unconsciousness satisfies our needs. Furthermore, we call it a sport. The ?sport? of boxing is inhumane, dangerous, and potentially fatal. Why, then, do we allow it to continue? Because of the preceding reasons, I believe all forms of boxing should be eliminated.
As a result of boxing, many diseases and injuries occur. Parkinson?s Disease and Alzheimer?s Disease are head-related diseases which affect the memory, thought process, and sometimes even motor skills of the diagnosed. Some fighters affected by these head injuries are the great Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. Though much of what attacks the brain cannot be avoidable, many believe that these cases could have been prevented. Yet another common result of boxing is dementia. This is a disease which ?ages? the victims up to 30 years. In the case of Jerry Quarry, a 50-year-old boxing retiree, his life has been changed dramatically. Because of excessive punches to the head, Quarry had extreme cerebral atrophy; enlarged cavities filled with fluid in the brain. This condition is what aged him to need help shaving, showering, putting on shoes and socks, and later, changing diapers. Doctors say that he may only live until he is 60 ? if he is lucky. Lastly, another common result of boxing is becoming comatose. Many boxers such as Jimmy Garcia have gone into a coma after being knocked out during a boxing match. Garcia was in a coma for thirteen days until doctors finally took him off life support. Is it not disturbing to think that this twenty-four year old was deliberately put into that state and later killed? The thought that this young man was being paid to fight for our entertainment surely makes us think about the humanity of boxing.
Our society, in the last 20 years, has raised standards to such things as people?s health, science, and law. Boxing, on the other hand, is perfect proof that our moral values have dropped significantly. Boxing is one of the most inhumane acts that has ever been viewed as sport. In no other situation does law or moral allow two grown men to beat each other to the ground and furthermore have it often result in head injury or death. Yes, deaths or head injury may occur in other sports, but they are often as accidents. The deliberate objective of boxing is to knock the opponent to unconsciousness; there is no other way to win. Secondly, many of the acts people commit as a result of boxing, they would not normally do. One such incident is the catastrophic fight between Mike Tyson and Donovan Ruddock. After the referee pronounced the fight over because of his judgement on Ruddock?s condition, a riot broke out. The riot lasted several minutes, with security trying to hold back the raging mobs ? and all as a result of one match. Lastly, does it not say something about the people of society when they pay up to five hundred dollars to watch a savage brawl in which one man ends up unconscious? The money being charged is outrageous, yet people still pay for it. Maybe this is why there is so much violence everywhere, and often, this violence expressed in the ring results in death.
Since 1945, three hundred thirty boxers (amateur and professional) have died from injuries received in the ring. Though these statistics are no greater than that of football or hockey, you must remember that the very purpose of boxing is to inflict as much pain or injury to the opponent as possible. There are many causes of these boxing-related deaths, however. One cause of death among boxers is long-term diseases such as Alzheimer?s or Parkinson?s. One such case is that of Sugar Ray Robinson. Though he did not die directly after a boxing match, it is believed that Alzheimer?s contributed to his death. He died at the age of sixty-eight in 1989. This adds evidence to the growing relationship between boxing and Alzheimer?s. Another prominent cause of death is serious blows to the head during a boxing match. Usually, these people die instantly or shortly after. An example of this condition is Cleveland Denny?s story. After being battered by six straight punches to the head by Gaetan Hart, Denny went down. He died seventeen days later, without ever regaining consciousness after the fight. The last prominent cause of death related to boxing is kidney or other organ failure. A recent situation of this is that of Jimmy Garcia?s. Twenty-five seconds into the 11th round of his match against Gabriel Ruelas, Garcia slumped to the mat unconscious. He later lapsed into a coma at the hospital due to extreme kidney failure. He ended up staying alive for thirteen days until the doctors finally took him off life support, still deeply comatose. These examples raise a question: Why do we let boxing go on when so many people die from it?
Boxing is an unbelievably inhuman sport and kills people. Not only that, but sometimes the pain of a disease or physical deformity can be much worse than death, and boxing inflicts this pain. Everything else in society that is harmful or life threatening is illegal or has restrictions. When is society going to realize that boxing needs to be banned as well?