The History of Smelling Salts in Boxing

[Caractacus]

When were they first used and when did it become illegal to use them ?
What type of smelling salts were used ?
Also did they change the tide in any i famous Boxing bouts if they had been used ?

[jaclem3]

they had to use smelling salts on aaron pryor when they told him they wanted him to fight sugar ray leonard.

(boxbuzz.....dammit...i know i should send you a pm whenever i get the urge to write about pryor. i keep thinking just one more won't hurt me and you are supposed to talk me out of it.

[BoxBuzz]

Caractus....I'm curious, just what "effects" or "affects" do you imagine that smelling salts provide?

Never mind...I'll offer it up....

Smelling salts release ammonia (NH3) gas, which triggers an inhalation reflex (that is, cause the muscles that control breathing to work faster by irritating the mucous membranes of the nose and lungs. Additionally, the irritant elevates the heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Fainting can be caused by excessive parasympathetic and vagal activity that slows the heart, and decreases perfusion of the brain. The sympathetic irritant effect is exploited to counteract these vagal parasympathetic effects and thereby reverse the faint.

Forcing yourself to breathe deeply is almost as effective.....but the "pain" that ammonia creates in the nasal passage is the main shock aspect which creates much of this effect.

Not sure on the history....but it is sort of an artificial swat...and probably good that it's not approved. But a good slap, and a boxer willing to breathe deep will do just about as well.


And yes even with the smelling salts, Pryor would still pass out when Duran or SRL were mentioned as possible opponents in any credible conversation.

[gilgamesh]

While I don't believe Aaron Pryor would've beaten Leonard I don't believe he would've been afraid of him. Duran on the other hand...maybe.

[Caractacus]

Caractus....I'm curious, just what "effects" or "affects" do you imagine that smelling salts provide?

Never mind...I'll offer it up....

Smelling salts release ammonia (NH3) gas, which triggers an inhalation reflex (that is, cause the muscles that control breathing to work faster by irritating the mucous membranes of the nose and lungs. Additionally, the irritant elevates the heart rate, blood pressure, and brain activity by activating the sympathetic nervous system. Fainting can be caused by excessive parasympathetic and vagal activity that slows the heart, and decreases perfusion of the brain. The sympathetic irritant effect is exploited to counteract these vagal parasympathetic effects and thereby reverse the faint.

Forcing yourself to breathe deeply is almost as effective.....but the "pain" that ammonia creates in the nasal passage is the main shock aspect which creates much of this effect.

Not sure on the history....but it is sort of an artificial swat...and probably good that it's not approved. But a good slap, and a boxer willing to breathe deep will do just about as well.


And yes even with the smelling salts, Pryor would still pass out when Duran or SRL were mentioned as possible opponents in any credible conversation.

shheyat ,you ever seen anyone re-act like that just from a slap, like Cassius Clay did back in June 1963 ?

[BoxBuzz]

Well, I'm talkin' a Ronda Rousey type of slap. lol.

Seriously...it is the pain that gets your attention......the other physiological stuff being alluded to is pretty over rated. Ammonia just kicks the crap out of your sinuses....too much will actually have the inverse affect, and put you out.

[Caractacus]

Chickie Ferrara was at it (again) when he illegally gave Larry Holmes smelling salts during the Holmes bout with Gerry Cooney
(I think it may have been after the fourth round).

[Caractacus]

Well, I'm talkin' a Ronda Rousey type of slap. lol.

Seriously...it is the pain that gets your attention......the other physiological stuff being alluded to is pretty over rated. Ammonia just kicks the crap out of your sinuses....too much will actually have the inverse affect, and put you out.

yeah,but a slap is a re-action from an external force.
The sense of smell is one of the most powerful if not the most powerful of all the senses.
You know whenever I take a shower,everyone now and then I will accidently snort in some water,
and in a nano-section my memory goes back to when I was four years old (that's over 50 years ago)and someone had thrown me in
a pool when I wasnt paying attention to try help and make me learn to swim.

[Cygnus475]

Well, I'm talkin' a Ronda Rousey type of slap. lol.

Seriously...it is the pain that gets your attention......the other physiological stuff being alluded to is pretty over rated. Ammonia just kicks the crap out of your sinuses....too much will actually have the inverse affect, and put you out.

yeah,but a slap is a re-action from an external force.
The sense of smell is one of the most powerful if not the most powerful of all the senses.
You know whenever I take a shower,everyone now and then I will accidently snort in some water,
and in a nano-section my memory goes back to when I was four years old (that's over 50 years ago)and someone had thrown me in
a pool when I wasnt paying attention to try help and make me learn to swim.

Whenever you sniff in water by accident that's more of a panic thing due to your airways being blocked suddenly. In your case, ptsd from a childhood swimming trauma. Your example doesn't have much to do with initially "smelling" the water.

[BoxBuzz]

Yeah, that analogy stinks.