Boxing
Injuries
Boxing injuries are different than other
sports injuries. Most boxing injuries involved blows to the head,
which are illegal in other sports. Boxing injuries are commonplace
for professional boxers.
Amateurs don't experience the amount or
severity of boxing injuries that the pros do. Boxing injuries
are accepted as "part of the game" when it comes to
professional boxing. Cuts, bruises, scrapes and minor bleeding
are all expected injuries that one may anticipate while entering
the ring.
The more severe boxing injuries like brain trauma
and detached retina are risks that boxers decide to take when
entering the ring and at the same time are risks, which with they
hope they are never faced.
Since amateur boxers have more padding, protection and go fewer
rounds than the pros do, it is the professional boxer who is most
at risk for boxing injuries. Besides minor injuries, head and
brain injuries are the most
common injuries that boxers face. When a boxer is knocked out
or "out of his feet" he has suffered a concussion.
Over time, multiple punches to the head can cause a case of "punch
drunkenness" in a fighter who exhibits signs of inhibited
thinking ability, headaches, blurred vision, or memory loss. In
more serious cases, a boxer can be killed by a blow to the head.
Who can forget November 13, 1982 when Ray Mancini hit South Korean
challenger Duk Koo Kim with a crushing right hand that would send
him into a coma and end his life 5 days later?
Another common head trauma boxing injury involves receiving a
blow that causes a detached retina. Having a detached retina involves
surgical repair to the eye and abstinence from boxing. The most
famous case is that of "Sugar" Ray Leonard who decided
to continue boxing despite having eye surgery and risk blindness
with every bout. Some other boxing injuries involving the head
include broken cheekbone, jaw, eye sockets and cauliflower ear.
Boxing injuries related to the abdomen are also quite common
with professional boxers. Broken ribs, ruptured spleens and damaged
livers are all more common than one would think. Besides being
extremely painful and taking a long time to heal, a broken rib
can be quite dangerous, in that, it can actually puncture a lung.
Having a ruptured spleen is also quite dangerous since the spleen
will bleed quite profusely when damaged and can lead to a quick
death if not attended to promptly. The liver is a more robust
organ than the spleen, but a direct hit can cause internal bleeding
as well. It is important that immediate medical attention be sought
if liver damage is suspected.
Shoulder, hand and wrist injuries often occur to boxers inside
the ring and while training. A heavy bag injury or injury due
to a sparing partner can cause a significant setback to a boxer's
career. In addition, freak accidents to these prone areas can
lead to premature termination of a boxing career.
Boxing injuries come in many different varieties. From cuts,
scrapes and bruises to brain damage and death and everything in-between,
boxing by its very nature is the most violent of sports. Every
precaution needs to be taken to make sure that boxing injuries
don't occur and when they do, that they receive immediate medical
attention to lessen the severity as much as possible.
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