CHAMPS

So, last weekend I watched the above documentary called Champs. It profiled the boxing careers of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins. It was in some ways inspiring, and in many ways troubling and profoundly sad. This isn't one of those Rah! Rah! Sports docs that leave you feeling pumped and racing for the gym or to the sign-up board of your local rec. centre with naïve (or perhaps not) ambitions of reaching the highest echelons of athletic stardom. For me, this doc was more of a cautionary tale. A cautionary tale and a testament to the necessity for improved regulations in professional boxing.

Boxing is not alone in the doorway it offers out of adverse circumstances for those with enough talent and drive to follow their dreams down the Yellow Brick Road that leads to Oz.

Blinded by the bright Vegas lights, the glitz, the celebrities, the endorsement deals, the million dollar paycheques, it is easy to get caught up in the spectacle of it all; to become detached from what is really happening in the ring when iron fist meets fragile bone.

A KNOCK OUT ... HE KNOCKED HIM OUT, COLD.

Considering what those words actually mean, we tend to speak them rather casually, don’t we? He knocked him out cold. What a dreadful thing that is to say when you take a moment and really consider the meaning behind the words. 

Would any dollar figure be enough to entice you into the ring with Tyson in his prime? 

Or phrased another way: Would any dollar figure be enough to entice you to bungee jump off a highway overpass knowing in advance the cord was a wee bit too long … not quite ‘splat’ too long but definitely ‘asphalt impact’ too long?

ADVERSITY AS MOTIVATION, DRIVE, DETERMINATION, DISCIPLINE & THE DISTORTION OF FAME

The following are some random para-quotes (I'm not an apt stenographer), trivia, notes & stats I hurriedly jotted down while watching Champs: (In reference to the rules and regulations etc., keep in mind this is a documentary about professional heavy weight boxing in America.)

• “It is human nature to be fascinated by violence, that’s what sells; that's why boxing sells.”

• "You want to see how strong someone is? It’s not about putting him in the ring with Tyson; it’s about how he deals with disappointment.”

• “Who is standing opposite you in the ring is irrelevant; to the boxer it is internal, mental: the drive is to annihilate the opponent.”

• “I was trained to be a fighting machine, fueled by desire and craving for adoration; and then ... from 300 million dollars to chapter 11.”

• “It is an unforgiving sport, in more ways than one, the rise and the almost inevitable fall.” 

• Evander Holyfield lost over 15 pounds of body weight during his 1986 15 round bout against Muhammad Qawi.

• (After the match he had to be rushed to the hospital where it took over 2 gallons of IV fluids to rehydrate what he had lost during the match.)

• In America there is no minimum salary for boxers.
• There has been no implementation of the ‘Ali Act’.
• There is no league.
• There is no union.
• There is no standardized health and safety criteria.
• It is not regulated like other pro-sports.

• When the brain is slammed against the back of the head with the intensity and for the duration as occurs during these matches, a concussion can result which can cause swelling and long term hematomas, memory loss, strokes, aneurysms and vessel breakage ...

• A single MRI is given to a boxer to gain his license. No follow ups are required by law.

AFTER watching the documentary, I did a bit of curiosity inspired reading up. It goes without saying that the subject of boxing could fill volumes. That said, the focus of this entry is very narrow in scope. Specifically, the curiosity inspired reading I did was on the history of boxing regulations; as well as, on the long term impacts of those repeated hits to the head boxers endure over the course of their careers. 

Each aspect, though different - past and present - share a common thread in that they respectively demonstrate how successive generations have modified their willingness to accept extraordinary measures of bodily harm in sports. Knowledge is undoubtedly a good thing, but it's ultimately what we do with the knowledge we gain that defines who we are both presently and in the eyes of future generations. 

RULES AND REGULATIONS

The Broughton’s rules(1743) [1][16]

1) That a square of a yard be chalked in the middle of the stage, and on every fresh set-to after a fall, or being parted from the rails, each Second is to bring his Man to the side of the square, and place him opposite to the other, and till they are fairly set-to at the Lines, it shall not be lawful for one to strike at the other.

2) That, in order to prevent any Disputes, the time a Man lies after a fall, if the Second does not bring his Man to the side of the square, within the space of half a minute, he shall be deemed a beaten Man.

3) That in every main Battle, no person whatever shall be upon the Stage, except the Principals and their Seconds, the same rule to be observed in bye-battles, except that in the latter, Mr. Broughton is allowed to be upon the Stage to keep decorum, and to assist Gentlemen in getting to their places, provided always he does not interfere in the Battle; and whoever pretends to infringe these Rules to be turned immediately out of the house. Every body is to quit the Stage as soon as the Champions are stripped, before the set-to.

4) That no Champion be deemed beaten, unless he fails coming up to the line in the limited time, or that his own Second declares him beaten. No Second is to be allowed to ask his man’s Adversary any questions, or advise him to give out.

5) That in bye-battles, the winning man to have two-thirds of the Money given, which shall be publicly divided upon the Stage, notwithstanding any private agreements to the contrary.

6) That to prevent Disputes, in every main Battle the Principals shall, on coming on the Stage, choose from among the gentlemen present two Umpires, who shall absolutely decide all Disputes that may arise about the Battle; and if the two Umpires cannot agree, the said Umpires to choose a third, who is to determine it.

7) That no person is to hit his Adversary when he is down, or seize him by the ham, the breeches, or any part below the waist. A man on his knees is to be reckoned down.

THESE 7 RULES WERE EVENTUALLY EXPANDED TO:

The London Prize Ring Rules (1838 – revised 1853) [1][2][17]

1) That the ring shall be made on turf, and shall be four-and-twenty feet square, formed of eight stakes and ropes, the latter extending in double lines, the uppermost line being four feet from the ground, the lower two feet from the ground. That in the centre of the ring a mark be formed, to be termed a scratch; and that at two opposite corners, as may be selected, spaces be inclosed by other marks sufficiently large for the reception of the seconds and bottle holders, to be entitled "the corners."

2) That each man shall be attended to the ring by a second and a bottle-holder, the former provided with a sponge, and the latter with a bottle of water. That the combatants, on shaking hands, shall retire until the seconds of each have tossed for choice of position; which adjusted, the winner shall choose his corner according to the state of the wind or sun, and conduct his man thereto, the loser taking the opposite corner.

3) That each man shall be provided with a handkerchief of a colour suitable to his own fancy, and that the seconds proceed to entwine these handkerchiefs at the upper end of one of the centre stakes. That these handkerchiefs shall be called "the colours;" and that the winner of the battle at its conclusion shall be entitled to their possession, as the trophy of victory.

4) That two umpires shall then be chosen by the seconds to watch the progress of the battle, and take exception to any breach of the rules hereafter stated. That a referee shall be chosen by the umpires, to whom all disputes shall be referred; and that the decision of this referee, whatever it may be, shall be final and strictly binding on all parties, whether as to the matter in dispute or the issue of the battle. That the umpires shall be provided with a watch, for the purpose of calling time; and that they mutually agree upon which this duty shall devolve, the call of that umpire only to be attended to, and no other person whatever to interfere in calling time. That the referee shall withhold all opinion till appealed to by the umpires, and that the umpires strictly abide by his decision without dispute.

5) That on the men being stripped, it shall be the duty of the seconds to examine their shoes and drawers, and if any objection arises either as to insertion of improper spikes in the former, or substances in the latter, they shall appeal to their umpires, who, with the concurrence of the referee, shall direct if any and what alteration shall be made.

6) That both men being ready, each man shall be conducted to that side of the scratch next his corner previously chosen; and the seconds on the one side, and the men on the other, having shaken hands, the former shall immediately return to their corners, and there remain within the prescribed marks till the round be finished, on no pretence whatever approaching their principals during the round, on penalty of losing the battle.

7) That at the conclusion of the round, when one or both of the men are down, the seconds and bottle-holders shall step forward and carry or conduct their principal to his corner, there affording him the necessary assistance, and that no person whatever be permitted to interfere in this duty.

8) That at the expiration of thirty seconds (unless otherwise agreed upon) the umpire appointed shall cry "time," upon which each man shall rise from the knee of his bottle-holder and walk to his own side of the scratch unaided, the seconds and bottle-holders remaining at their corners; and that either man failing so to be at the scratch within eight seconds, shall be deemed to have lost the battle.

9) That on no consideration whatever shall any person be permitted to enter the ring during the battle, or till it shall have been concluded; and that in the event of such unfair practice, or the ropes and stakes being disturbed or removed, it shall be in the power of the umpires and referee to award the victory to that man who in their honest opinion shall have the best of the contest.

10) That the seconds and bottle-holders shall not interfere, advise, or direct the adversary of their principal, and shall refrain from all offensive or irritating expressions, in all respects conducting themselves with order and decorum, and confine themselves to the diligent and careful discharge of their duties to their principals.

11) That in picking up their men, should the seconds or bottle-holders wilfully injure the antagonist of their principals, he shall be deemed to have forfeited the battle, on the decision of the umpires or referee.

12) That it shall be "a fair stand-up fight," and if either man shall wilfully thrown himself down without receiving a blow, he shall be deemed to have lost the battle; but that this rule shall not apply to a man who in a close slips down from the grasp of his opponent to avoid punishment.

13) That butting with the head shall be deemed foul, and the party resorting to this practice shall be deemed to have lost the battle.

14) That a blow struck when a man is thrown or down, shall be deemed foul. That a man with one knee and one hand on the ground, or with both knees on the ground, shall be deemed down; and a blow given in either of those positions shall be considered foul, providing always, that when in such position, the man so down shall not himself strike or attempt to strike.

15) That a blow struck below the waistband shall be deemed foul, and that, in a close, seizing an antagonist below the waist, by the thigh or otherwise, shall be deemed foul.

16) That all attempts to inflict injury by gouging, or tearing the flesh with the fingers or nails, and biting shall be deemed foul.

17) That kicking, or deliberately falling on an antagonist with the knees or otherwise when down, shall be deemed foul.

18) That all bets shall be paid as the battle-money after a fight is awarded.

19) That no person on any pretense whatever shall be permitted to approach nearer the ring than ten feet, with the exception of the umpires and referee, and the persons appointed to take charge of the water or other refreshment for the combatants, who shall take their seats close to the corners selected by the seconds.

20) That due notice shall be given by the stake-holder of the day and place where the battle-money is to be given up, and that he be exonerated from all responsibility upon obeying the direction of the umpires and referee; and that all parties be strictly bound by these rules; and that in future all articles of agreement for a contest be entered into with a strict and willing adherence to the letter and spirit of these rules, and without reserve or equivocation.

21) That in the event of magisterial interference, it shall be the duty of the umpires and referee to name the time and place for the next meeting, if possible on the same day.

22) That should the event not be decided on the day named, all bets shall be deemed void, unless again declared on by mutual agreement: but that the battle-money shall remain in the hands of the stake-holder till fairly won or lost by a fight, unless each party shall agree to withdraw his stake.

23) That all stage fights be as nearly as possible in conformity with the foregoing rules. AND THEN, IN 1867, CAME THE INTRODUCTION OF:

The Marquess of Queensberry rules [3][4]

1) To be a fair stand-up boxing match in a twenty-four foot ring or as near that size as practicable.

2) No wrestling or hugging allowed.

3) The rounds to be of three minutes duration and one minute time between rounds.

4) If either man fall through weakness or otherwise, he must get up unassisted, ten seconds be allowed to do so, the other man meanwhile to return to his corner; and when the fallen man is on his legs the round is to be resumed and continued until the three minutes have expired. If one man fails to come to the scratch in the ten seconds allowed, it shall be in the power of the referee to give his award in favour of the other man.

5) A man hanging on the ropes in a helpless state, with his toes off the ground, shall be considered down.

6) No seconds or any other person to be allowed in the ring during the rounds.

7) Should the contest be stopped by any unavoidable interference, the referee (is) to name the time and place as soon as possible for finishing the contest, to that the match can be won and lost, unless the backers of the men agree to draw the stakes.

8) The gloves to be fair-sized boxing gloves of the best quality and new.

9) Should a glove burst, or come off, it must be replaced to the referee's satisfaction.

10) A man on one knee is considered down, and if struck is entitled to the stakes.

11) No shoes or boots with springs allowed.

12) The contest in all other respects to be governed by the revised rules of the London Prize Ring.

IN GENERAL, (& in addition, where not redundant, to the established rules above) today’s professional boxers are prohibited from: [1]

• Hitting their opponents in the back (neck and kidneys) and below the belt.
• From holding, tripping, pushing, biting, spitting, kicking, head-butting, or hitting with any part of the arm other than the knuckles of a closed fist.
• From holding the ropes for support when punching, holding an opponent while punching, or dropping below the waist of your opponent.

The Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, commonly referred to as the 'Ali Act', is a federal law that was enacted on 26 May 2000 by the 106th U.S. Congress to:

1.) Protect the rights and welfare of boxers

2.) Aid state boxing commissions with the oversight of boxing and

3.) Increase sportsmanship and integrity within the boxing industry

The Act amends the 1996 Professional Boxing Safety Act.[5][6]

BOXING RELATED HEAD INJURIES

From The Science of a Boxing Knockout: [7]

“Each punch creates a concussion (technically defined as any head injury that causes a disruption of neurological function), and each concussion brings the boxer closer to a state of darkness.”

The bodies’ electrolytes (Na+, K+, Ca+) are responsible for conducting impulses along neurons. Blows to these nerves cause an electrolyte imbalance (exit K+, enter Ca+) which the body works hard to restore. The damage is cumulative, with each successive blow making it more difficult for the body to correct the imbalance. 

"After a brain injury, the heart must supply sufficient blood flow for the brain to repair itself. If the demand outweighs the supply the brain then shuts down and leads to an eventual loss of consciousness," says Anthony Alessi, M.D., a neurologist and ringside physician for the Connecticut State Boxing Commission. "That's when I know to end the match, because if we keep going the fighter is going to die." 

DEMENTIA PUGILISTICA (DP) is a neurodegenerative disease which occurs in athletes having suffered repetitive blows to the head. It manifests as dementia, or declining mental ability, problems with memory, and Parkinsonism, or tremors and lack of coordination.[8][9] It can also cause speech problems [9] and an unsteady gait.

Patients with DP may be prone to inappropriate or explosive behavior and may display pathological jealousy or paranoia.[9]

Sufferers may be treated with drugs used for Alzheimer's disease and Parkinsonism.[10]

Loss of neurons, scarring of brain tissue, abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain and damage to the cerebellum are implicated in the syndrome.[11]

Increased exposure to concussions and sub-concussive blows is regarded as the most important risk factor, which can depend on the total number of fights, number of knockout losses, the duration of career, fight frequency, age of retirement, and boxing style.[12]

Depending on the force of the blow to the head, damage may also result in injury to the retina: retinal detachment, &/or retinal hemorrhage. [13]

AS AN ASIDE: (Because invariably someone will raise the point, I am not disregarding the following stats, just focusing on boxing for now ... because I happened to watch that documentary last weekend.) 

The following sports/recreational activities represent the categories contributing to the highest number of estimated head injuries treated in U.S. ER's in 2009. [18]

1. Cycling: 85,389
2. Football: 46,948
3. Baseball and Softball: 38,394
4. Basketball: 34,692
5. Water Sports (Diving, Scuba Diving, Surfing, Swimming, Water Polo, Water Skiing, Water Tubing): 28,716
6. Powered Recreational Vehicles (ATVs, Dune Buggies, Go-Carts, Mini bikes, Off-road): 26,606
7. Soccer: 24,184
8. Skateboards/Scooters: 23,114
9. Fitness/Exercise/Health Club: 18,012
10. Winter Sports (Skiing, Sledding, Snowboarding, Snowmobiling): 16,948
11. Horseback Riding: 14,466
12. Gymnastics/Dance/Cheerleading: 10,223
13. Golf: 10,035
14. Hockey: 8,145
15. Other Ball Sports and Balls, Unspecified: 6,883
16. Trampolines: 5,919
17. Rugby/Lacrosse: 5,794
18. Roller and Inline Skating: 3,320
19. Ice Skating: 4,608

ACCORDING TO the Journal of Combative Sport, from January of 1960 to August of 2011, there were 488 boxing-related deaths. The journal attributes 66% of these deaths to head, brain or neck injuries; one was attributed to a skull fracture. [18] 

Boxing may account for fewer deaths than some other sports but the numbers of boxers suffering brain damage are believed to be much higher than recorded. [13]

 The American Association of Neurological Surgeons suggest that as many as 90% of boxers sustain a brain injury over the course of their careers. [13]

ATHA et al. (1985) designed an instrumented padded target mass suspended as a ballistic pendulum to determine the mechanical properties of a boxing punch. Data were gathered from a world ranked British Professional heavyweight Frank Bruno. The target was a cylindrical metal mass of 7 kg. Within 0.1 second of the start, Bruno’s punch had traveled 0.49 m and attained a velocity of 8.9 m/s on impact. The peak force was 0.4 ton on impact and was attained within 14 milliseconds of contact. This represents a blow to the human head of about 0.63 ton. The impulse accelerated the target head at the rate of 520 m/s² . [14]

In other words, a 6 kg padded wooden mallet, swung at 20 mph would deliver an equivalent blow.

The following excerpts are from Sports Medicine and the Ethics of Boxing: [15] (Some points have been paraphrased.) 

Conceding that much research still needs to be done before we can know with certainty the nature of boxing injuries, it is safe to say that human anatomy is at odds with the preferred tactic in boxing, which is to strike the opponent's head.

This returns us to the issue of what precisely sport physicians ought to do. All sports represent a compromise in personal freedom and safety between the need to pursue enjoyable and lucrative activities and the need to avoid injury.

Unfortunately, refinement of diagnostics and improved education of boxers, trainers, and ringside doctors will take us only so far. What will persist is the boxer's underlying goal: the contest often goes to the boxer who can punch the opponent into submission or unconsciousness.

In matches based on points, the decision often goes to the boxer who excels in aggressiveness and injures or knocks down the opponent through punches to the head.

In professional boxing, the incentive is direct: the scoring and ranking system gives priority to the fighter who is able to knock the opponent out. (The authors note here that the differences between amateur and professional boxing vary by country.)

Even in amateur boxing, where the knockout is less common, there is still a risk of concussion from blows to the head. Hence, in amateur or professional boxing, what would reform ultimately involve? Would the fight need to be stopped after each punch to diagnostically assess the trauma?

The authors suggest that perhaps the foremost way in which boxing related health risks may be reduced is to introduce changes to the rules that would, “penalize punches to the head.”

Seems obvious enough, right?

HowStuffWorks

UPDATES / RELATED

Concussions Linked to Brain Changes in Former NFL Players / Live Science / May 18, 2015

Out Cold: What Happens In The Brain When We Get Knocked Out  / Medical Daily / April 30, 2015   Blood Test Tells How Long Concussion Symptoms Will Last Scientific American / January 6, 2015

***

FIN

REFERENCES

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing

[2] "Clay Moyle and Arly Allen (2006), 1838 Prize Rules". Cyberboxingzone.com. 

[3] "Encyclopædia Britannica (2006). Queensbury Rules, Britannica". Britannica.com.

[4] http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring03/bueneventura/rules.htm

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_Ali_Boxing_Reform_Act

[6] "LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUMMARY". govtrack.us.

[7] The Science of a Boxing Knockout By Marita Vera JUL 22, 2010

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dementia_pugilistica

[9] Mendez MF (1995). "The neuropsychiatric aspects of boxing". International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 25 (3): 249–262. doi:10.2190/CUMK-THT1-X98M-WB4C. PMID 8567192.

[10] Jordan BD (2000). "Chronic traumatic brain injury associated with boxing". Seminars in Neurology 20 (2): 179–85. doi:10.1055/s-2000-9826. PMID 10946737.

[11] Graham DI and Gennareli TA. Chapter 5, "Pathology of Brain Damage After Head Injury" In, Cooper P and Golfinos G. 2000.Head Injury, 4th Ed. Morgan Hill, New York.

[12] Jordan, B. D. (2009). Brain injury in boxing. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 28(4), 561-78, vi.

[13] http://menshealth.about.com/od/fitness/a/boxing.htm

[14] Friedrich Unterharnscheidt and Julia Taylor-Unterharnscheidt Boxing: Medical Aspects  (2003) Academic Press. ISBN-13: 9780127091303 ISBN:0127091300; page 45

[15] Leclerc S, Herrera CD. Sport medicine and the ethics of boxing. Western Journal of Medicine. 2000;172(6):396-398.
[16] http://how-to-box.com/content/first-rules-boxing-broughtons-rules
[17] http://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/london-rules-1838.htm
[18] AANS - Sports-Related Head Injury (2014)

IMAGE CREDITS

"Blow2". Licensed under Public Domain via Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

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"- fighting red kangaroos 1" by Dellex - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:-_fighting_red_kangaroos_1.jpg#/media/File:-_fighting_red_kangaroos_1.jpg