Boxing in America
Boxing, one of Americas most physical sports but what most people do not know is that it never actually started in America. Boxing is a combat sport in which two people usually wear protective gloves and throw punches at another for a predetermined amount of time. Boxing itself started in 688 BC in ancient Greece. As of today, the sport has become more brutal and serious with different techniques. Boxer’s now train for several months up to a year for only one fight when in the past fighters have fought several days in a row. In this research I will be focusing on one aspect of the sport, boxing and its relations to mental health. Boxing has a history of playing a major role in mental/physical health. For example, concussions, Parkinson’s, a subdural hematoma, cerebral edema, even the rupturing of a vein between the brain and skull all can occur from brain damage. Studies also show that 90% of boxers before the end of their career will sustain at least two forms of brain damage if not the same one twice. But, not to be taken lightly the same injury twice only grows in damage it’s never the same.
Brain injury isn’t exclusive to just Muhammad Ali as many people think. Around 20 percent of professional boxers have been associated with Chronic Traumatic Brain Injury (CTBI). Studies relating to CTBI show that risk factors are more severe if a boxer has been fighting for more than ten years, if he is over the age of 28, and if he participates in more than 150 bouts. Most of the symptoms take time to develop after a boxer’s career is over, and most CTBI symptoms are prevalent in boxers over 50 years old. Many early and mild symptoms include balance problems and motor function impairment. A shortened attention span is also a symptom of early CTBI. As the condition gets more serious, it generally evolves into dementia pugilistica. Symptoms generally include difficulty walking, speech impediment, and sometimes paranoia. The most common causes of the condition are repeated exposure to concussions and sub-concussive blows to the head. Over time, these blows lead to a loss of neurons and scarring of the brain tissue. In a study, 109 boxers who had boxed for less than six years, six to twelve years, and over twelve years were screened. For the first group of boxers, no noticeable changes in brain function were present. However, in the last two groups, there was evidence showing decreased brain volume in certain areas and, in some cases, changes in reaction time and processing speed.
I am curious as to why the topic of mental stigma when it relates to this sport has been swept under the rug for so long. We the people hear about concussions and brain injuries in football all the time, and I understand that its due to the force of a human body colliding with another versus a simple punch. But most people don’t know how much damage 500-1000 punches in a career can do to the human brain and body. Since 1960 there has been 162 deaths in boxing due to many problems but mainly brain damage 62% of the deaths were due to sustained brain damage. One of the problems were the gloves that was being used during these times. As little as it seems the gloves have improved tremendously to neglect some of the impact from the feel of a bare fist. So, bringing awareness to the damage of these athletes will corner the Boxing Association to make better decisions when it comes to their fighter’s safety. Also, the number of rounds poses significant risks to the fighters. Twelve rounds that last three minutes allow a significant amount of time for each combatant to inflict damage. The standard three five-minute round fights in MMA are much safer due to the limited amount of time to be exposed to damage. And lastly, boxing rules allow a boxer to stand back up after being knocked down and continue to take punishment when they’ve already received a number of concussive blows to the head that knocks them down in the first place. MMA referees, however, are prone to jump in and stop a fight before a fighter can be seriously hurt.
I would like to eventually propose this research paper to strike a movement to change something small. Besides, everyone knows small things adds up to big things and major movements.