Good interview on the radio just now with a Jane Crouch, one time professional women's boxer, on how the sport is so far removed now compared to when she first started out on her professional career. It was a really good listen with her describing how hard it was to grow up in a very male dominated sport to which many of the big promoters at the time either laughed at her or refused to book on to any boxing card meaning she fought most of her early fights out of this country. She also went on to say that when she ended her fighting career she put the sport to a 'timely death' and had a 'funeral' to close the sport and everything around it away from her life as she had to move on.
They later came on to the subject of the 'after care' of most boxers and that she knew a lot of now retired boxers who struggled with their lives away from boxing as they were struggling to do simple tasks because of the brain not functioning as it should do, all down to a life of been hit in the head. She went on to say that the boxing boards of control in the sport need to do a lot, lot more as they do not help any boxer after a life of boxing and that it should do as a vast majority of the boxers she talks to are suffering or struggling to make ends meet. She even said it's a dangerous sport and she knew the consequences of it but she just wanted to box...
I've never been a big boxing fan, although I have watched some of the big fights in the past, namely the Benn, Eubank & Collins battles along with the McGuigan, Bruno, Tyson, Hearns all over 20 years ago but I never took to it. I understand the need to find out who is the main man of the world, something you did at school, well I did, but I am still at a loss about it's relevance as a sport...?!?
I know that there is a lot of dedication given by these boxers to protect their chins, body etc and that the gloves have gotten bigger, the fitness better and the safety of the fighters is exemplary but it's something I think has had it's day. As a sport, the fact that you are trying to punch someone in the head constantly, not all the time mind, but to wear him down through constant hits and physical exertion just dosnt seem true of what a sport should be.
I know there are a few boxing fans on this forum, and I am sure they will defend the sport, but to go back to the point Jane Crouch was making, the boards of these boxing belts should be doing a lot more than they should be. Most sports have councillors to help them, but surely the one sport that needs loads of attention is one where the brain is getting knocked about for 10-15 years, which in the long term can't be doing them any good at all...