Should boxing be a paralympic sport?

[dondada]

What do you think? Would you watch it?

Sorting out the classifications would be interesting.

[BoxRob]

What do you think? Would you watch it?

Sorting out the classifications would be interesting.

What two blokes in a wheel chair trying to punch each other?

[dondada]

What do you think? Would you watch it?

Sorting out the classifications would be interesting.

What two blokes in a wheel chair trying to punch each other?

Not all paralympians are in wheelchairs. Judo is in the paralympics.

Plus, I'm sure (in fact I know) the same was said about basketball and rugby...

[The Insider]

I'd watch it. What would the disability criteria be though?

[dondada]

I'd watch it. What would the disability criteria be though?

I'd watch it too, I think. The classification would certainly be the crux. It's really bewildering how they judge it. It certainly couldn't be like swimming, for example, or athletics. There you get amputees going up against blind athletes. Imagine the indignity of getting sparked by a blind man?

Actually, this could be Mickey Helliet's way of getting Bheki Moyo a win, come to think of it...

[sweetscience]

i boxed in denmark in the amatuers once at a boxcup & this guy was boxing with one hand & a stump

very strange !

against an able bodied dude

[clintonmcphilbin]

I'd watch it. What would the disability criteria be though?

I'd watch it too, I think. The classification would certainly be the crux. It's really bewildering how they judge it. It certainly couldn't be like swimming, for example, or athletics. There you get amputees going up against blind athletes. Imagine the indignity of getting sparked by a blind man?

Actually, this could be Mickey Helliet's way of getting Bheki Moyo a win, come to think of it...

in swimming and track they av different events for different impairmeants. I seen the wheelchair boxing online and its a lot like fencing and they use big gloves so no chance of ko.

[Flashing Blade]

A guy from Yorkshire has developed a fighting chair for paraplegics so that they can box/fight competitively. He was guest of honour at an MMA show I was at the other week and did a brief interview.

[slapbangwhallop]

I'm sure some guy was push his 'new wheelchair boxing organisation' on my Facebook page a few months ago. There are people out there doing it.

[Bronxbull666]

One armed boxing would be good, it'd be like fencing, and plenty of chance to admire the jab. Blind boxing could be interesting, there are plenty of blind judges about. Midget and dwarf boxing, ginger boxing etc.... I'm sure there's an Audley joke here somewhere, anyone?

[JamesH]

Great question. Immediate thought was no, but I'm unable to explain why.

There was a bloke in Harlesden in the early/mid 90's, Kenny something. He was a sprinter and won quite a lot and was trained by Linford. I remember the lads in school used to use his house to smoke weed in. Apparently his disablility was mental but it seemed to be more that he had a younger mental age rather than an visible disability, but he ran against guys with one leg and a stump. That never seemed fair to me... There would have to be so many rules in boxing it would be hard to keep up.

[whiskey]

yes definitely, as long as it had criteria for what the disability was.

Be difficult sorting weight classes though if one guy was massive with no legs and the other was small, but had a pair of redundant legs.

Or if one guy just had one absolutely gigantic arm, against a guy with two lesser arms.

[Londonirish]

[Dan Dares]

I was thinking the other day...

Do they have an olympics for people that are mentally handicapped? Seems a bit discriminatory if they don't.

[Jeff Thomas]

One armed boxing would def work

[BoxRob]

What do you think? Would you watch it?

Sorting out the classifications would be interesting.

What two blokes in a wheel chair trying to punch each other?

Not all paralympians are in wheelchairs. Judo is in the paralympics.

Plus, I'm sure (in fact I know) the same was said about basketball and rugby...

Yes, I realise that but surely they would have to have the same disability. For a certain sport one disability will hinder you more than another disability. For instance, it wouldn't be fair if one was in a wheel chair and the other say just had a stump or one arm but was able on his leg's can you imagine that? The one with the stump hoping in, unleashing then getting out, going one way then the other. The bloke in the wheel chair wouldn't have much of a chance would he? I cant believe i'm even discussing this? Do the participants in Judo have to have the same disability?

[stujones]

If Judo is there then why not boxing?

My issue would be based on the classification. There have been some dodgy stories regarding dodgy classifications in other sports over the years - if it happend in boxing, then it could have major consequences.

Who remembers that "blind" athlete in Sydney who dragged his exhausted guide runner around 5,000 metres (I think) in a time would have done well in the regular Olympics. There was no way he was needing guidance, the last few laps the guide runner was struggling to keep up and in the end the guide runner fell with exhaustion. He clearly was able sighted and was booed as he crossed the line.

He topped it off by collecting his gold medal in a Wheelchair!!!

However, I cannot see why it could be brought in for the deaf? I've seen the Welsh Deaf Rugby team play and they are pretty good.

[DavidPayne]

I was thinking the other day...

Do they have an olympics for people that are mentally handicapped? Seems a bit discriminatory if they don't.

I work in this field, indirectly, and it is a bone of much contention that those with learning difficulties and mental health issues are often excluded - which serves to discriminate and dismiss their impairments and further isolates and demeans their struggle.

Everyone loves a guide dog or a wheelchair - the unseen disability is hard for people to accept or include.

[DavidPayne]

I'm just imagining Don King rolling Ironside Mike Tyson out of the way to get to Tanni "Tony" Thompson post fight.

[Hagler2002]

Blind boxing would be an interesting watch, it certainly works in football the skill level is amazing.

Dave Paris could judge it.

[Dan Dares]

Blind boxing would be an interesting watch, it certainly works in football the skill level is amazing.

Dave Paris could judge it.

[stujones]

I was thinking the other day...

Do they have an olympics for people that are mentally handicapped? Seems a bit discriminatory if they don't.

I work in this field, indirectly, and it is a bone of much contention that those with learning difficulties and mental health issues are often excluded - which serves to discriminate and dismiss their impairments and further isolates and demeans their struggle.

Everyone loves a guide dog or a wheelchair - the unseen disability is hard for people to accept or include.

There is a Special Olympics which is for people with Learning Difficulties - there are also some classifications in some events of the Paralymics for learning difficulties.

[Cyclops]

I have a deformed left hand and briefly flirted with boxing when I was 15, but the trainers were pudenda to me and wouldn't let me spar. Natuarally I didn't stick around too long and graduated to other martial arts and ultimately MMA, where I fight other able bodied dudes no problem (I don't consider myself disabled anyway). I'm happier doing this, but boxing is the combat sport I follow as a spectator with any sort of passion.

I could've been a contender!

[Datsue]

I have a deformed left hand and briefly flirted with boxing when I was 15, but the trainers were pudenda to me and wouldn't let me spar. Natuarally I didn't stick around too long and graduated to other martial arts and ultimately MMA, where I fight other able bodied dudes no problem (I don't consider myself disabled anyway). I'm happier doing this, but boxing is the combat sport I follow as a spectator with any sort of passion.

I could've been a contender!

Interesting. I on the other hand, was just shit, but would be interested in competing in the Paralympics versus genuinely disabled individuals.

Or little old ladies. Or anyone already in a coma.

[forcefraser]

I once watched a one armed blind fella fighting a midget in a ring in Thailand. It was totally unfair. The midget was punching him in the knacker region whilst the blind bloke was swinging wildly like a cheap grass strimmer.

Based on the above, unless they sorted out the classification process properly, I would not like to see it in the paralympics. We`d have more whinging about unfair advantages than even the South African bladerunner can conjure up.

That guy is just a bad loser, gutted at a multi million dollar sponsorship deal going up in smoke. Stiltrunner deserved that victory fair and square.