Home Boxing, Sport in the House
Boxing is a very dangerous sport. Every year both amateur and professional boxers die in matches, or afterwards as a result of injuries. Others, such as Michael Watson, are disabled for life as a result of beatings in the ring. Medical studies also show that boxing can lead to long-term brain-damage, and to illnesses such as Parkinson’s disease. For these reasons all the major medical associations call for an end to boxing. Banning boxing would mean an end to needless deaths, injuries and brain-damage.
Some people say that boxing is unlike any other sport. The aim of boxing is to hurt the other man, and above all to knock him out. The sport appeals to the worst and most violent parts of human nature. Such a savage sport has no place in modern society. We should not let men do this to each other. We should not offer money to encourage them to fight. We should also ban it as a form of public entertainment.
And the other people say that boxing makes violence look cool. The money and fame a few champion boxers get for hitting people sends the wrong message to young people. It isn’t just the fights themselves which are the problem. Fighting often breaks out at publicity events, or even in the audience.
Boxers know the risks of their sport and choose freely to fight. They are also well-paid for the dangers of fighting. We have to allow people to make their own decisions in life. The government should not ban something adults choose to do unless it clearly affects other people. In boxing, it is the boxer who takes the risk and who will pay the price, no one else. Other sports are also dangerous, for example horse-riding, skiing or parachuting – should we ban those too?
Tags: cool boxers, dangerous sport, die, fight, risk
