concussion in sport/boxing

[dalcumly]

Recent media coverage of rugby internationalists being allowed to play on after suffering concussive blows to the head has me worried.

If the public, through media coverage, become seriously concerned about the long/short term effects of concussion in sport, and the lawyers start to see opportunities for litigation, it's surely only a matter of time before the spotlight turns on professional boxing. Quite clearly, in our sport, concussive blows are fairly routine, its part and parcel of the game.

A young doctor friend of mine , who played top level rugby, done academic research on concussion among his friends and as a result has given up the game. Almost all those interviewed noticed short term memory loss and slight slowness in movement for at least 6-9 months after the event.

I don't know how I feel about this. I know that boxers stopped, other than on a cut, are banned for around 40 odd days from fighting again, but this doesn't stop them sparring. Brian Rose will fall into this category presumably. But if he was your son when would you allow him to start sparring again ???? Personally I don't think Brian should be taking ANY sort of head blow for 6 months. ( But, perversely, I still think he was stopped far too soon). That's boxing for you !!!!

[tobyh5]

I guess if it bothers you there is an option to take up conkers, if you wear safety goggles of course

[orbtastic]

I guess if it bothers you there is an option to take up conkers, if you wear safety goggles of course

You may joke, but a schoolmate's brother almost lost the sight in one eye playing conkers. It was reported in the local press with the obligatory pic of him frowning, eye patch on and holding up a conker on a shoelace.

[dalcumly]

Toby

It doesn't bother ME. But it might bother friends/relatives of boxers who notice a change in behaviour.I love my boxing but sometimes boxers have to be saved from themselves. I'm very friendly with an ex boxer from the 60s, who before all the new safeguards were put in place,took the decision, on his own, after his only knockout, amateur or pro, to absent himself from the gym for 6 months.
He's perfectly fine today. Another boxer from the same era simply carried on as normal after tough 15 round fights and sadly , although perfectly lucid to talk to, needs to take his dog with him when he goes a walk because he can't find his way home.

[Sklar]

I was talking to somebody about this yesterday. Rugby Union is a mugs game these days, they have looked to American football (a great sport to watch but a horrible sport on your body and brain) and cloned their tackling technique. It's stupid (unless you're a spectator), even with the protection plenty of American kids end up physically fucked by their twenties and the same is progressively occurring here with Union.

[Wake up call]

The thing with boxing is if a guy is severely concussed, the fight tends to end.

With Rugby the issue is that players suffer a head blow, lie on the ground for a few minutes and then their coach tells them to run it off and they rejoin the game, where they are likely to get another concussion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-impact_syndrome

[Boxerbeetle]

The thing with boxing is if a guy is severely concussed, the fight tends to end.

With Rugby the issue is that players suffer a head blow, lie on the ground for a few minutes and then their coach tells them to run it off and they rejoin the game, where they are likely to get another concussion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-impact_syndrome

Bradley pretty much fought concussed for 12 rounds against Provodnikov - I've not really followed his career that closely, but I've heard a lot of people saying Bradley's speech & mannerisms are already starting to show signs of long-term damage.

It's certainly clear that more research into concussion in boxing needs to be done. Even pro-wrestling seems to take the issue a lot more seriously than boxing does.

[Broomhall]

I love the fight game, spent 40 years involved as boxer, coach, and fan but knowing what I know now about brain injury and how it occurs, there is no way I would let my son box.

It is easy to say things like play conkers instead if you dont want risk, but dementia is not like breaking a leg or twisting an ankle. I surf in some very dangerous conditions sometimes but I would swap the risk of being drowned quickly than losing your mind slowly.

People also say it affects boxers when they get old-but I think a lot of boxers suffer with mental health problems like depression and anxiety-and just listen to fighters like Pernell Whitaker or James Toney talking-these are not old men.

I cant turn the clock back, but sometimes I wished I had never put a pair of boxing gloves on.

[johnreilly]

I wonder how much risk there is with just sparring, rather than participating in competitive bouts? For various reasons I'm unable to get a boxing license but still love sparring. Never sufferred a concussion, but also not done much heavy sparring. Is there much risk of a concussion when you're wearing 16oz gloves and a headguard?

[Counter-puncher]

I guess if it bothers you there is an option to take up conkers, if you wear safety goggles of course

You may joke, but a schoolmate's brother almost lost the sight in one eye playing conkers. It was reported in the local press with the obligatory pic of him frowning, eye patch on and holding up a conker on a shoelace.

classic local paper stuff

[moogie101]

I was talking to somebody about this yesterday. Rugby Union is a mugs game these days, they have looked to American football (a great sport to watch but a horrible sport on your body and brain) and cloned their tackling technique. It's stupid (unless you're a spectator), even with the protection plenty of American kids end up physically fucked by their twenties and the same is progressively occurring here with Union.

There’s an avalanche of research on U.S. football, concussion, brain damage and depression. It’s quite scary how much damage they pick up in that sport.

Well the NFL has really stepped things up here, the old "go & run it off thing" is no longer acceptable. An independent doctor assesses anyone who takes a hit & if suspected of a concussion they are out of the game.

As for boxing, I don't agree that first knockdown/ heavy shot should automatically stop a fight. But genuinely concerned with a lot of responses from boxing fans on here after the Rose loss. If a fighter is hurt & not in a position to defend himself (cover up/ clinch/ take a knee) I am happy that a referee was prepared to stop the fight rather than risk seeing a brave fighter get hurt, especially with the sort of long-term damage we are discussing here.

[Counter-puncher]

I was talking to somebody about this yesterday. Rugby Union is a mugs game these days, they have looked to American football (a great sport to watch but a horrible sport on your body and brain) and cloned their tackling technique. It's stupid (unless you're a spectator), even with the protection plenty of American kids end up physically fucked by their twenties and the same is progressively occurring here with Union.

mmmm. i think the medium - longterm future is going to produce some interesting conflicts within both sports, as the authorities try to square the circle of (1) increased knowledge of the frequency and effects of concussion, and a natural desire to promote player safety up to a certain point and (2) the desire to continue the consumer spectacle of huge men smashing fvck out of each other in the interests of our entertainment. the extent to which lawsuits are or are not successful will be instrumental in whether the compromises are more weighted towards (1) or (2)

[Counter-puncher]

aye, i was focussing on Rugby and NFL in the above.

boxing is, ironically, fortunate compared with those 2. its not as though this concussion stuff is new to us in boxing, after all, and new 'revelations' around the subject aren't likely to affect the uptake in new player numbers nearly as much as in rugby/NFL.

[freddydoesdallas]

I was talking to somebody about this yesterday. Rugby Union is a mugs game these days, they have looked to American football (a great sport to watch but a horrible sport on your body and brain) and cloned their tackling technique. It's stupid (unless you're a spectator), even with the protection plenty of American kids end up physically fucked by their twenties and the same is progressively occurring here with Union.

There’s an avalanche of research on U.S. football, concussion, brain damage and depression. It’s quite scary how much damage they pick up in that sport.

That research really opened my eyes to the consequences of concussion. Couldn't believe how many former players had serious changes to their personalities due to it and thrn went on to take their lives. The story of one of the latest ones to kill himself was especially bad as he knew what was happening to him and shot himself in the heart so he could leave his brain in a condition for research