Save Boxing: Smaller Gloves, Smaller Ring

[Benny Leonard]

The idea of having a different size ring for lighter weight divisions than heavy divisions is unworkable. How many boxing shows have you seen in which there is only fights from one weight division?? In essence, you would have to have many rings, or have a ring which you can make smaller?? (i've never seen one myself.)

As for the smaller gloves to appease a need for more knockouts, i think boxing is fine as it is. There is more to boxing than watching people being beaten unconsciencious - you strike me as the kind of person who thought DLH vs Mayweather was boring and would not be able to appreciate the extreme amount boxing skill being presented.

Besides - the gloves are not bigger to protect the opposing fighters brain - the gloves are getting bigger to protect the fighters hands!!

The need to protect MMA fighters hands are not as needed as much, as punches are far less prevalent and they do need to grapple.

THE END

For Ring size:
I usually hear that there are two ring sizes that can be used for a fight, just use the smaller one.

For Glove size made to "protect" one's hands: yes, I know, but if a fighter is knocked out quicker, you might not have that problem. Also, if fighters from "back in the day" could use smaller gloves compared to the ones now it should be just fine for today's fighters. All I am saying is, go back to the original size gloves, and not the bigger gloves Vegas wants (which makes them hypocrites because they allow MMA to wear tiny gloves).

you strike me as the kind of person who thought DLH vs Mayweather was boring and would not be able to appreciate the extreme amount boxing skill being presented.

I thought the fight was OK, it could have been better; especially given this was a fight to help boost boxing back to the front.

Just look at how many shots were blocked because of the glove size. There were to many punches that probably could of landed if not for the big gloves making the zone smaller.

Real defensive skill, in my opinion, is what Mayweather usually does when he is standing his ground, shoulder rolling the punches, and then countering. You can move around, do not get me wrong, but if a certain amount of punches are not thrown each round, I have a bit of a problem. It is not like the old days when fights went past 12 rounds, so fight, fight, fight.


If you ask me who do I prefer to watch, Tyson or Pep, I say Tyson.


Most people want to see a Jack Dempsey, Tyson, Louis, etc. type fighter than a Willie Pep or a Whitaker.


Ray Robinson is the best example of a fighter that everybody can appreciate.


Look at the gloves Ali was wearing vs. Jurgen...plus the great excitement...nice

[Alibata]

Bring back the 8ozers.

[Benny Leonard]

All that said boxing is dangerous.

Even the Great fighters like Ray Robinson and Ali, in later life, showed the horrid effects of the brutality of boxing.

The Ancient Greeks used to think of boxing as a metaphor of life. Makes sense, but maybe life can also evolve to the next level. If so, I have no problem giving up a sport I enjoy watching.

I am simply saying, as long as we have boxing, understand the consequences of boxing, lets make fights "like they used to be" or at least like they were in the 20th century. Allowing bigger gloves will only allow the continuence of even bigger gloves, then headgear, then...
Not sure how many people are going to pay top dollar to watch sparring matches.

We will see where it goes from here...

[Gio]

I dont know about the gloves, but the ring does need to be smaller to prevent track and field meets.

[bestboxingonly]

imo boxing will be and will always be better than mma. why? because there's more money with boxing esp. if you have the talent. every upcoming young talented fighter in the wolrd would always think that he could earn more with boxing then mma. so why take the risk and earn less? If the GBP and other good promoters who promised us to clean up boxing then 4 sure we won't be waiting long enough to see a new boxing hero

[1bad65]

If you use the smaller gloves, I'm gonna bet that a bigger percentage of fights will be stopped on cuts. No one likes to see that. I prefer the winner to be determined by KO, ref stoppage, or a descision. Any good, close fight stopped by a cut leaves the fans feeling they were robbed of seeing the 'true' winner of the fight.

Cutting down the ring size will reduce the importance of a key point in the Sweet Science, ring generalship. IMO, the one thing that would be a very quick fix for boxing's current troubles would be to get over all the bickering managers, promoters, and federations bull**** and make sure the best fight the best. Give the fans the great matchups they want and ONE TRUE champion per weight class and I think boxing can begin to regain old fans who left as well as new fans too.

[me2007]

this is a sensible argument.

smaller gloves are less dangerous because a fighter who takes a flush shot will get knocked out immediately and not pummeled for 12 rounds.

To get knocked out from one punch is less damaging to the brain that being constantly smacked aorund for 12 rounds.

Smaller rings are a good idea too, it would stop the ****** running laps tactic that seems to spoil the excitement of fights.

[Diablo]

imo boxing will be and will always be better than mma. why? because there's more money with boxing esp. if you have the talent. every upcoming young talented fighter in the wolrd would always think that he could earn more with boxing then mma. so why take the risk and earn less? If the GBP and other good promoters who promised us to clean up boxing then 4 sure we won't be waiting long enough to see a new boxing hero

With popularity and demand the pay will definitely increase. MMA is still very very young so in 5-10 years the money will be going up. Just give it alittle time.

The problem is boxing is losing potential stars to the NFL, NBA and MLB. Kids see Ali and see what a mess he is and he was one of the greatest of all-time. They don't want to end up like that plus, they can make a ton more in any of those other sports compared to boxing.

[The Troll]

I think your actually less likely to get braindamaged wearing like 4oz gloves but there'd be alot more damage to hands and more cuts and broken bones. There'd be less like one punch knockouts as well. They should use 8oz gloves even at heavyweight but I really don't like seeing guys where the huge gloves at lower weight class because it's to hard to get punches through the guard.

[Rockwell]

The amount of times the brain smashes into the skull is what causes the most long term damage not the hardest hit, so smaller gloves are safer for fighters. There would be less cuts only because there would be far fewer rounds as well. I think they should give it a go.

What was the deal with Pacquiao-Morales and glove type? Morales stood in and took Pacquiao's hardest shots in those closing rounds of their first (i think) fight but when Pacquiao was allowed to wear his "fighters gloves" in the secon fight he destroyed him with his power. I may have this mixed up but either way I'm wondering what the difference is between these two types of gloves and if there's such a big difference in two identical fights then it seems like it would really change things.