BoxRec

What are your views on cuts in boxing?

Why do some fighters seem to get cut in every fight, and some fighters don't see a cut in their entire careers? Obviously, the toughness of a fighter's skin is directly related to this, but how do easily cut fighters overcome this problem?

A fighter's diet could very well have a lot to do with it. It's also worth a mention that fighters from certain parts of the world are a lot less susceptible to cuts i.e. mexican fighters, who by nature have very tough skin.

Interested in some thoughts on this.

Didn’t Billy Schwer go through the changing his diet bit to stop picking up cuts.
Jack Dempsey would bath his face in brine to toughen the skin.
Also I have read that the use of Vaseline can weaken the skin to further cuts, something to do with getting between the skin when they stitch you back up..don`t know if it`s true??

Ricky Hatton notoriously has a cuts problem. But since his surgery, his skin has held up very well. He suffered a terrible cut over the left eye against John Thaxton, had surgery, and has never been cut there since. gainst Vince Phillips it was a terrible cut over his right eye, again he had surgery and like his left eye, it's been fine.

wonder if Ricky's cuts problems are behind him now?

Just a thought but Mexicans tough skin may be because of the sunny weather. Perhaps as the sun heats the skin, it ages and dries and becomes tougher making it less resistant to cutting.

It would certainly make sense when compared to cut prone Ricky Hatton who is pale and lives in sunny Manchester.

Ken Buchannon used to go to extremies to stop his cut problem, it all down to skin complexion - I know Hatton hasn't cut for a while, but he will. Just like Billy Schwer went through a period in 1998-1999 without cutting.

Alan Minters doctor explained it to him clearly. Something like this..

The cuts are caused because the skin on your face is not supposed to get hit so much.

A couple of thoughts

I reckon that cuts are due AS MUCH to the shape of the skull as to the actual skin itself - i.e if the fighter has pronounced cheekbones/ brow ridges etc then it makes sense that they are more likely to get cut.

Looking at someone like Skelton for example - his face and head looks totally round therefore i reckon he's less likely to cut.

Hatton's problems with cuts (as I remember) were reputedly"solved" after a specialist removed hardened lumps of vaseline that had not been cleaned properly and sewn back under his skin after some of his earlier fights.

Looking at Chi & Sugama at the weekend I was struck by how good Oriental faces are in terms of not marking up and cutting. I don't know if it is to do with the stereotypical flat profile or smaller noses or something.

The two theories mentioned both hold some water.

1 - The skin drying and toughening the skin - hispanics and african fighters
rarely cut. Its obviously a generalisation but there is some logic here.

2 - The prominence of the bone structure, profile brows and cheeks will inevitably increase the chance of cuts because they offer an abrasive edge for the skin to be pressed and torn against.

Seems common sense.

But Alan Minters doctor pretty much covered the underlying problem.

Hatton hasnt cut recently as he has been fighting punchbags. Normal service will be resumed if he fights Harris.

In a biography of Henry Cooper I've been reading it is suggested that his horific cut problem was caused by his pominent brow bone (underneath his eyebrows) where most of his cuts occured.

I am curious Dean have you ever been cut badly or suffered a re-occurring problem?

Dynamite Dean Phillips wrote:What are your views on cuts in boxing?

I think there are too many of them in the sport and they should be kicked out.
oops misread the word 'cuts'

Henry Cooper got some proper nasty looking ones, didn't he?

J-C wrote:In a biography of Henry Cooper I've been reading it is suggested that his horific cut problem was caused by his pominent brow bone (underneath his eyebrows) where most of his cuts occured.

Yes I read that, having said that Cooper only lost about 4 fights on cuts

tonyevs wrote:Didn’t Billy Schwer go through the changing his diet bit to stop picking up cuts.
Jack Dempsey would bath his face in brine to toughen the skin.
Also I have read that the use of Vaseline can weaken the skin to further cuts, something to do with getting between the skin when they stitch you back up..don`t know if it`s true??

I seem to recall that Billy Schwer was advised to drink more water between fights to help his skins strength.

Didn't Joe Louis also use Brine on his skin as well as coco butter?

I'm sure your right about the Vaseline didn't it happen to Tyson? Or was it Hatton? I can't recall.

Former Middleweight Champion Vito Antifermo was a terrible bleeder around the eyes. I read he had plastic surgery on them which helped but he still kept cutting on his forehead.

Yeah i remember Harold Lederman saying something like Antufermo bled on the contract of a fight!

Guest wrote:Henry Cooper got some proper nasty looking ones, didn't he?

J-C wrote:

Guest wrote:Henry Cooper got some proper nasty looking ones, didn't he?

Errrr..............Yes, that is quite nasty isn't it!

Enough blood to satisfy even the most ardent fan of B-movie horror flicks!

People's skin varies enormously in the thickness of the outermost layer. Generally speaking, darker skinned people, tend to have thicker skins. Afro Carribbean people's have the darkest skins and therefore the thickest, which is why most black fighters tend not to get cut too often.

The shape of the brows and other ridges in the face also makes a big difference, high cheek bones and prominent brow ridges make cuts more likely.

Of course being cut before makes the liklihood of cutting again increased, as scar tissue acts like a fault line. This is why many fighters go to a plastic surgeon these days, to avoid the formation of thick scar tissue.

Chambers wrote:

Dynamite Dean Phillips wrote:What are your views on cuts in boxing?

I think there are too many of them in the sport and they should be kicked out.
oops misread the word 'cuts'

steve689 wrote:I am curious Dean have you ever been cut badly or suffered a re-occurring problem?

I have never had any problems with cuts ever. Bruising is inevitable, but cuts - no (touches a big 8 by 4 plank of wood)!