Cock-fighting is on the TV in the Philippines. You can sit there and watch two roosters rip the life out of each other, and bet on it with the local bookie and listen to a commentator gibber away about which chicken’s closer to killing the other one.
True, you can. Cock-fighting is on TV, with graphics and stuff, with sponsorship and a message running under the action, like Foxtel’s footy coverage.
Terrible? Barbaric? Well, on Sunday in Brisbane 55,000 Australians will gather at Suncorp Stadium – and however many millions will watch on television – to see two men bash each other’s brains, which will cause their brains to bleed and suffer irreversible brain damage.
And people will bay for it. And they won’t really know why. And they won’t really know what damage is really being done – or they won’t really care – to the two human beings bashing each other in the head in the ring.
Yes, boxing legend Manny Pacquiao’s in the country to fight Jeff ‘The Hornet’ Horn – ‘our’ boy, a teacher from Brisbane.
Good story. Bad context.
Because Horn’s sport will leave him with a heightened risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Boxing is a cause of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) “a progressive degenerative disease of the brain linked to memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, impulse control problems, aggression, depression, and progressive dementia,” according to Medical Daily.
Now, I used to enjoy boxing. Wednesday nights when Jeff Fenech, our man the Marrickville Mauler, was slugging away with Satoshi Shingaki or Azumah Nelson there was no place you’d rather be than on a stool in your pub looking up at the box.
No place you’d even consider being. It was like State of Origin – you had to be there.
Similarly when Mike Tyson was fighting or Kostya Tszyu. When Tszyu turned lippy Yank peanut Zab Judah into the suddenly drunkest man in the room, I was up and roaring like everyone else in the Clovelly Hotel, up and exulting as one. You beauty.
But that was then. And this is now. And now… well, now we know stuff. We know that repeated concussion on the brain causes brain bleeding. It causes brain damage. Bleeding is damage to the brain. It’s brain damage. Google it. The doctors aren’t making it up.
Boxing causes brain damage. Fact.
And that seems to be part of boxing’s appeal, that savagery. Boxing is a blood sport. It’s a blood on the brain sport. It’s not right.
It’s not a blood sport? It’s all sweat, skill and balls? No doubt.
But were it the ‘sweet science’ its advocates make out, boxers would be wearing huge, highly padded gloves, as they do in amateur boxing, and wearing headgear, as they in amateur boxing.
The aim of the game would not be to concuss your opponent, or make their faces bleed. It would be to score points.
If it’s such a sport, why doesn’t professional boxing change the rules so that it’s like amateur boxing?
Amateur boxing is three rounds, a focus on scoring. Professional boxing is up to a dozen rounds, two men punching each other’s brains. You win by knocking someone out. The head is a target. And knowing what we do, that shouldn’t be.
The blood sport element of it that appeals to a certain cross-section of our humanity. UFC is like that, a bit. Their gloves are even smaller than in boxing. There’s also more blood. And thus more baying for blood. There’s people love that stuff.
No, I’m done with boxing. No more. Because when you think about it, when you really sit down and analyse the pleasure you get out of watching two men punch each other in the head until one’s knocked out… well… it’s a bit sick, really, given what we know.
What do we know? Google it. Read this one for a start, and this one. There’s thousands like it.
No, stuff it. I can’t watch it. It’s wrong.
Swanny
Guest
Simoc Well I've played league against some of the best . We smashed each other but avoided the head . It's not tough to punch someone in the head . It'd cowardly
Craig
Guest
"Boxing is bad for your health so I wont watch it". If you didn't know that, then you're either stuck in 1900 or you're so stupid you wont ever know. Or, you know this, and accept that those who choose to participate in the sport accept the risk.
Simoc
Guest
So you obviously haven't played the game jeff.
Kavvy
Guest
What a bunch of insecure you little boys you three come across as.
dannotquiteaman
Guest
Well said Mrs.dustbin er I mean dustby
The Grafter
Guest
Well said Jimmy. Up until this millennium, the world heavyweight champ was universally admired as the strongest, fittest, toughest bloke in sport. Boxers know the risks. A lot of the problem comes down to trainers and promotors using them as meal tickets well after their expiry dates. Like all sports, boxing comes down to having the right people around the fighter. A well written opinion by the author that usually is rolled out around Games and big fight time.
Mark
Guest
Good article.. I've been excited about this fight but it does make me think twice. Thanks
jeff dustby
Guest
how dare he present a valid and well explained opinion? as for your rebuttal - i give it an F
jeff dustby
Guest
people like to ignore those things when it suits them
jeff dustby
Guest
you hit a tennis ball at someone on the street - same thing
jeff dustby
Guest
your name says everything
jeff dustby
Guest
some great misogynistic attitudes here Joey B
jeff dustby
Guest
moat other battles arent not based on punching the other guys lights out. Its sad something things like this and comes up with some rubbish allegory - life is a battle
jeff dustby
Guest
no Ryan, you make zero sense
jeff dustby
Guest
in RL the objective is not to smash the guy
jeff dustby
Guest
i think it appeals to guys who yearn to return to the days of the school year where the toughest kids had respect and kudos and an elevated position in society. Watch a fight in a pub and everybody becomes an expert and a tough guy
Rock
Guest
Is it really though, you tackle a bloke in the street you'll get done for assault - the same charge for punching on in the street.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
Jimmy you don't think that can be read two ways? That the people who have no chance of being well paid white collar job holders, only have one way of making a good living, by getting punched in the head for the enjoyment of those well paid white collar job holders?? I guess its all perspective in the end.
Dexter The Hamster
Guest
I like it Ryan H. No-one should ever write an opinion piece ever again, or express their thoughts online (except you of course, and in this one case, me!!)
BigJ
Roar Guru
Ill have the stuffed chicken breats please with garlic sauce