TalkingBoxing Articles
The Pope and the Rope-A-Dope
TUE October 18, BUSTER PARIS - Civilta Cattolica (Christian Civilization) a Jesuit magazine backed by the Vatican has come out with an article titled “The Immorality of Professional Boxing”. The article condemns the sport of boxing – here are some of the highlights I picked up from the Associated Press:
* In the short or long run professional boxing is a “legalized form of attempted murder.”
* Compared the sport to the bloody gladiator contests in ancient Rome.
* Fighters who don't die in the ring often suffer long-term physical and psychological injuries. The article goes on to cite the deaths of hundreds of fighters in the last century.
* Criticized the business of boxing as equally ruthless, with the fighter “only a machine to make money.”
Well, you gotta give them a little credit for that last one.
My first reaction is anger and I want to blast the Vatican, take a jab or two at them for this. My big right hand would be gloved in the pedophile priest scandal specifically of Boston Massachusetts. Obviously boxing is much more immoral than the raping of small children. I actually had several paragraphs written about that and other issues where the Holy See hasn’t been as vocal as they are about boxing, but I decided not to go that route. I decided to take a different path.
I decided to hit delete and turn the other cheek.
There is so much to say and so much to be addressed, but this is a simple article written by a simple man and I’m trying to brief. So for the time we have together there are two points that I want to make, one is that boxing is not the most dangerous sport to participate in and the other is that boxing offers more hope, help and a better way of life than it does tragedy and harm.
For full disclosure let me tell you where I’m coming from.
I think boxing is one of the truest and best sports out there and I see it as more than just a sport. Much like it’s cousin Martial Arts I see boxing as a “way” or a “path” and I believe boxing is like Tai Chi and Yoga in that it has a spiritual side to it.
I think it’s absolutely beautiful and compellingly ugly. I think of boxing as one of the most admirable and honorable endeavors that one could become a part of and I’m eternally grateful that it’s in my life and in the world.
OK – that’s where I’m coming from. Now on to the first point:
Boxing is not the most dangerous sport to participate in. This is usually the biggest argument the other side makes especially when you look at how the game is played; after all we’re talking about two human beings pounding away at each other.
Let’s just cut to the chase and take a look at the actual number of deaths caused by boxing per year – it’s 10.
This information is really interesting – and a big thanks to Robert Ecksel, editor over at The Sweet Science.com for these eye-opening figures on deaths by sport. These figures appear on his blog in a section titled Pavlovian Response To Boxing Death: [link to the source of the stats]
* Scuba Diving: 1100 deaths a year
* Skydiving: 370 deaths a year
* Mountaineering: 308 deaths a year
* Hang Gliding: 169 deaths a year
* Motorcycle Racing: 77 deaths a year
* Horse Racing: 23 deaths a year
* College Football: 11 deaths a year
* Boxing: 10 deaths a year
If the Vatican is truly concerned with deaths resulting from sports, then clearly there are a few others that should be addressed first. Would scuba and skydiving be considered legalized forms of suicide? Would horse racing and college football also be considered legalized forms of murder?
I think not.
Second point:
Boxing offers more hope, help and a better way of life than it does tragedy and harm. Here you have to acknowledge all the good that boxing does. There are lots of “goods” and positive characteristics to mention - obviously there’s the entertainment aspect, but I’m just going to focus on one of the most important things that boxing does.
Boxing provides hope to all who approach it. The sport offers great rewards and a better way of life for most of the fighters as well as for the peripheral participants.
Look at all the lives that boxing has turned around or bettered. I don’t have the time here to get fully into everyone’s stories, but they are all remarkable - for example George Foreman, as he himself says, that growing up his family was so poor that they were “po” – they couldn’t even afford the last two letters. He went from being a petty criminal to an Olympic hero to Heavyweight Champion of the World and is a continual inspiration to all who experience him.
There’s also Bernard Hopkins who as he says was a thug growing up, involved in crime and gangs and by the 11th grade was convicted and sentenced to 18 years in the state penitentiary for armed robbery. He turned his life around in prison when he rediscovered boxing and became one of the best pound per pound fighters of all time and continues to give back to our community and guides youngsters heading in the wrong direction the right way.
Look at Roberto Duran who as a child ate meals out of garbage cans. Look at ‘Mi Vida Loca’ himself – Johnny Tapia whose astounding life story is thankfully on it’s way to the pages of a book and lets not forget Kassim Ouma who at the age of 6 was brutally snatched up by the Ugandan army and forced to become a soldier and a man – at the age 6 – carrying a gun bigger than he was. Boxing saved him.
Lastly let me mention a hero inside and outside of the ring. One of the greatest gifts that boxing gave to the world, one of the greatest gifts that God bestowed on the Earth – one of the greatest gifts of all time – Muhammad Ali - whose greatness inside and outside the ring should be studied, revered and celebrated.
I know that for every success story there’s a sad story, but even for those cheerless tails boxing offered a way out and offered hope – and that’s better than nothing.
On the worst day - is a young boy better off in the street or the gym?
On the best day would you rather be at your desk or in your cube – or would you rather be bouncing in your corner, a stadium full of cheering fans and every single molecule in you waiting for that first bell and glory?
As for the systems and politics of boxing – yes they without a doubt definitely need to be straightened out. No question about it. I say put Teddy Atlas and Senator John McCain in a room together and let them create a plan – I’ll even spring for the coffee and snacks.
All of that being considered though I believe boxings goods far outweigh any of its bads.
There have always been and will continue to be detractors of the sport of boxing and there will always be those that want to see it’s abolishment. That’s nothing new.
Wherever you fall or whatever your thoughts are on the topic I think this is an incredibly important conversation for all of us to have, but realistically the numbers speak for themselves and boxing is not the most dangerous sport out there and it’s by no means immoral or legalized attempted murder.
Buster Paris can be reached at: bparis@talkingboxing.com - and always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions
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