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The World of Boxing: Money, Masculinity or Murderous?

We often hear the term “boxing saves lives”. Similar phrases have also been used to describe other combat sports, such as Mixed Martial Arts. This begs the question: how can sports where the aim is to cause physical damage to the opponent, where concussions and knockouts are celebrated, where lives are taken, be considered ‘life saving’?

On the 16th October 2019, it was announced that Patrick Day, professional boxer, tragically passed away after suffering a brain injury in a fight. After the tragedy, a statement was released by Patrick Day’s opponent. Throughout this statement it is said that incidents such as this make it very difficult to justify the dangers of boxing.  Again, this is just one example of many similar situations which take place throughout the world of combat sports. For example, it has been said that each year, 13 boxers die on average in the ring. Some may argue that other sports, such as extreme sports like skiing, have similar statistics with regards to injuries and fatalities. However, the counter argument to this would be that in extreme sports these accidents are simply by-products, whereas in combat sports it is the specific objective to cause harm to the opponent.

Why has this form of violence been widely accepted in society? This blog is going to discuss some of the possible reasons.

Masculinity

For many years now, boxing has been portrayed as a route for young men to take as a way of preventing them from taking a darker route in life – for example, resorting to crime.

The idea that boxing that improve the lives of young men has previously been spoke about by Matthews (2019), who talks about how those from a lower socio-economic background are able to transform their lives through the sport of boxing. It is said that, through proper understanding of the sport, young people are able to develop inside and outside of the ring to become a better person and ultimately live a better life. This is why many parents accept their children’s involvement with the sport, despite the risks that come with it.

One of the most famous examples of this, is current heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua. He has not been shy in the past of speaking publicly about mistakes he made when he was younger, his involvement with crime and how he learned from them and used boxing as an outlet to ‘save’ his life. He also mentions how boxing helped him to be a ‘better man’.

However, there are times when this is not the case. There have been some cases throughout history of professional boxers being violent outside of the ring and inside their home. If you research incidents that have taken place outside of the sport, there are many cases of violent acts being committed by boxers. Unfortunately, one common theme throughout is domestic abuse. It has been highlighted before that violence towards women has become a problem in the world of boxing.

The most famous case of domestic abuse from a professional boxer is Floyd Mayweather Jr.

With a boxing record of 50 wins and 0 defeats, many fans consider him the greatest boxer of all time. However, there have been multiple cases where he has been found guilty of battery domestic violence as well as harassment. As a result, he was even sentenced to prison for 90 days but only served 60 before he was released. The sad reality of this is that his performances in the sport of boxing have overshadowed the crimes he committed which highlights an underlying problem in boxing.

This begs the question as to whether or not boxers such as Mayweather should be punished more harshly. Has his involvement with boxing promoted violence in his life, influencing these actions? Should he have not been allowed to box again?

Money

It is no secret that the sport of boxing attracts money, from the athletes themselves, to sponsors, to broadcasters, the list goes on. For example, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (despite personal issues previously discussed), was announced as the world’s highest-paid athlete in 2018, with a net-worth of $285 million. In August 2017, he earned $275 million from one fight alone. When you see figures such as this, it becomes clearer as to why many athletes are willing to risk their lives by stepping in the ring.

Another example of how much money influences the world of boxing is the money generated through pay-per-view sales. Sky Sports made a record 1.6 million sales in 2019 for the ‘Anthony Joshua Vs Andy Ruiz II’ fight. At £24.95 per purchase, it is understandable as to why broadcasters are keen to broadcast these sporting events. However, why are viewers so eager to pay money to watch two people to inflict violence on each other, with serious health risks?

Links have been made between combat sports and gladiatorial games that took place in ancient Rome (Doherty, 2001). Some of the similar characteristics cannot be denied. Both combat sports and ancient gladiatorial games consist of a crowd watching other people cause harm towards one another as a form of entertainment. Yes, obviously there are hugely significant differences also. Death in combat sports today is not expected. There are many health and safety precautions taken such as the weight of the gloves. There are more strict rules set in place. However, does the link between the two expose combat sports as a modernized version of these ancient games? Due to the fact that deaths are still part of the sport, as previously discussed, there is room for debate.

Conclusion

It can be said that there are both positive and negative aspects to the world of boxing. It can help to benefit young lives so that they can use boxing as an outlet to ultimately live a better life. With that being said, it has been shown that there are some cases where boxing can influence actions outside the ring.  Ultimately, can more be done to change boxing in order to prevent the negative aspects discussed. Can more safety precautions be introduced? Can punishments for violent acts outside the ring be more severe? Finally, it is also true that the sport of boxing provides entertainment, and many involved in the sport can also benefit financially.

In conclusion, the question left unanswered:

Do all the benefits that the sport of boxing brings justify the number of lives lost and life changing injuries suffered?

References:

Doherty, A. (2001). Violence in Sports: A Comparison of Gladiatorial Games in Ancient Rome to the Sports of America, pp. 1-11.

Matthews, C. (2019). Becoming a decent man – learning through boxing, Athlete Learning in Elite Sport, pp. 59-69.