Comments Thread For: Joe Joyce-Derek Chisora and the price the fighters risk paying
It's worth looking ahead to Saturday's heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora, 40, and Joe Joyce, 38, and having the conversation about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
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I respect the authors point. Actually agree. But so long as boxers are willing to "crash into each other" and promoters and sanctioning bodies are not united to protect the boxers from themselves, is there anything that can be done?
I respect the authors point. Actually agree. But so long as boxers are willing to "crash into each other" and promoters and sanctioning bodies are not united to protect the boxers from themselves, is there anything that can be done?
There's loads that can be done but it wont happen unless it's enforced by government and that won't happen until something tragic happens such as a sickening convulsion followed by death in a ring during a televised high profile fight and all the general media picking it up and piling on.
Who's to say where we draw the line though? No one is forcing anyone to get in the ring. If a doctor examines a fighter and decides he's fit (maybe have multiple doctors?) to fight what else is there to do? People smoke, they drink, they eat too much garbage. Lots of people pay the price later in life for all the stuff they do when they're younger. If we just went on "getting punched in the head is bad" we wouldn't have a sport.
Not getting hit is within the rules, and there is huge potential for increased reward if one can master the art of it... but yeah, someone's getting hit.
It almost sounds as if Tris Dixon is envisaging measures that would allow some kind of panel to retire a licensed & medically cleared fighter if, having watched his fights, the panel opines that said fighter has sustained too much damage.
It's worth looking ahead to Saturday's heavyweight clash between Derek Chisora, 40, and Joe Joyce, 38, and having the conversation about chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
[Click Here To Read More]
Absolutely, it's crucial we discuss the long-term risks these fighters are taking. Chisora and Joyce are both getting up there in age, and the cumulative damage from their careers is likely to be significant. CTE is a very real concern, and it's heartbreaking to see so many boxers struggling with it after they retire. Let's hope these two warriors take care of themselves after Saturday's fight.
There is quite a strong ethical argument for banning boxing. There are various arguments against, including that criminalising boxing would drive it underground & cause more violent fights with fewer safeguards & less medical support. In the end, however, the main argument against banning boxing is simply that, in a free society, people have to be left to make their own mistakes. If you follow that argument then you can't turn around & say 'but not Chisora'. I wish Chisora would stop, I wish Joyce would stop, but it isn't my call to make. IF you think I should be allowed to stop Chisora or Joyce boxing, because it is so obviously detrimental to them, then TBH you have accepted the argument that boxing should be banned since ultimately it is physically & mentally detrimental to everyone.
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