How to Make Boxing a Safer Sport

Oleksandr Gvozdyk knocking out Adonis Stevenson 

I enjoyed watching the boxing match this past weekend between Adonis Stevenson and Oleksandr Gvozdyk.  Unfortunately, my enjoyment quickly turned to sadness when I found out that Stevenson suffered severe brain trauma from the fight and is now is now lying in a hospital bed in critical condition.  Stevenson's nickname in the ring is "Superman."  But even Superman had his kryptonite.  The one thing that could take away his superpowers.  For boxers, brain damage is kryptonite.

I received my first pair of boxing gloves when I was about 12 years old.  My stepfather actually bought me two pairs.  I could not wait to put them on and convince one of my cousins to box with me.  We went all out.  No headgear, no mouthpiece, and no cup.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have been much more careful.  Now I am a boxing trainer and I never let my boxers go all out in sparring matches.  I watch over them like a mother hen.  My favorite phrase is "Alright … alright … calm it down."  My caution is not misplaced.

It is one thing to control the level of aggression in a boxing gym.  What about in an amateur or professional competitive bout?  That is a different story.  The goal in a match is to win by any legal means necessary.  The knockout is the most efficient way to win.  Occasionally, you will see a fighter knocked out by a punch to the liver.  However, the vast majority of TKOs and KO's result from blows to the head.

I watched my hero Muhammad Ali suffer from Parkinson's Disease.  No doubt brought on by repeated blows to the head over a long boxing career.  The disease robbed him of his ability to walk and speak.  The great trainer and former boxer Freddie Roach is currently suffering from the same disease.  He believes his boxing career caused his condition.  In the old days, they did not have terms like Parkinson's Disease or Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy ("CTE").  Boxers with impaired movement or slurred speech were referred to as being "punch drunk."   The dangers of boxing have been well-known since the beginning of the sport.

Contrary to popular belief, headgear and boxing gloves have minimal impact on reducing the occurrence of brain injuries in boxing.  As a matter of fact, some amateur boxing organizations believe that the use of headgear makes the problem worse.  It is moral hazard in the ring.  If boxers wear headgear, it makes them feel more invincible and actually punch harder to the head!  As far as boxing gloves, they only protect a boxer's hands not their brains from a possible concussion.

I have thought about the issue of boxer safety quite a bit.  There are no easy solutions.   In the amateur boxing arena, I believe the Pee Wee and Bantam divisions in USA Boxing should be abandoned immediately.  There is no good reason why kids as young as eight years old should take the risks of fighting competitively.  In addition, the use of headgear in competitive amateur fights should be discontinued.  Headgear does indeed make boxers feel more fearless and less cautious in the ring.  I also think serious consideration should be given to banning hook punches.  Punches that land on the side of the head have a greater potential to cause concussions than straight punches.  Alternatively, the landing of straight punches can be given more weight by judges in scoring than the landing of hook punches.

The issue of boxer safety is more complicated on the pro side.  If the sport is changed too much, it will lose the support of fans. A potential knockout is a big selling point for the sport. Indeed, top boxers are paid big bucks to take risks in the ring. However, the sport does owe an obligation to its fighters. It hurts the sport when boxers suffer horrific brain injuries in the ring like Adonis Stevenson or suffer from degenerative brain diseases.


The first step is to end gym wars. It makes no sense for pro boxers to endure endless hard sparring matches during training camp. Thankfully, trainers have become more enlightened on the subject of sparring. It is also well-known that the longer you box, the more susceptible you are to suffering brain damage. Therefore, the sanctioning bodies should consider a "mandatory" retirement age for pro boxers. It is very difficult for pro boxers to hang up the gloves on their own. Some come out of retirement numerous times during the latter stages of their career. Often to their detriment!


At the end of the day, it will take a major effort by everyone involved in the sport of boxing to make it safer. My fear is that if the sport does not do a better job at protecting its fighters, the government may eventually step in and do the job. No one wants to see the sport of boxing banned. Boxers are not supermen. They have a fragile brain just like us mere mortals. It is way past time to get serious about reducing the risk of brain injury in the sport.