Is Boxing just a sport - Essay Example

Insert Boxing can be defined as a fighting sport where two individuals engage in a competition of reflexes, strength, endurance, speed and will, by hurling punches with hands that are gloved against each other. This sport is supervised by a referee in a series of one to three minutes intervals known as rounds. The outcome is determined when an opponent is considered to be unable to fight by the referee, is banned for breaking a rule, quits by throwing in a tower or when he is pronounced a winner or loser according to the scorecards of the referees at the finish of the fight (Hoffer, 38). It may be the origin of boxing is its acceptance by the early Greeks as an Olympic game. Boxing evolved from the 16 to the 18 century prizefights, mostly in Great Britain, to the forerunner of today’s boxing in the middle of the 19 century, also in Great Britain and then in the United States. Professional boxing should however, not be taken as just a sport, as it is not even close to being a sport. Boxing can be said to be an exhibition that has more common characteristics with professional wrestling than with legitimate sports (Thomas, 358) Considering a sport like tennis, which is thought of in a particular manner, is a sport almost like boxing. Tennis and boxing are both a one-on-one match, where the object tricks the opponent into a weaker point therefore, being able to score. Both of these sports need lightning fast reflexes, strong concentration and the capacity to move around rapidly (Hoffer, 38). Even though there are similarities in the two sports, there are also differences. The tennis players hit balls whereas the boxers hit each other, and of course the two differ in many other ways. However, none is as conspicuous as what takes place outside the ring and the court. That is, where there is real difference that makes one a sport and the other more than a sport (Thomas, 358) The greatest difference boxing has from other sports like tennis is in the manner in which players are compensated. In tennis, the winner in the tournament gets the most amount of money, pure and simple just as it is expected (Hoffer, 38). Whereas in boxing a win, lose or draw, the participants are compensated in an amount that is according to an agreement prior to the match. As far as reward is concerned, the results of the match are not considered. And this is America, a land of business where the most crucial goal in any venture is to be rewarded the most. How can an individual be serious in a “sport” when it’s most vital result is predetermined? Even though it is true that boxers are motivated to perform well, as winning raises their market worth, helping them in negotiating for better compensation for the their next fight. However, it is not in the interest of fans what the boxers are worth. It is the match that they watch that matters and not an event that may take place in about six months (Thomas, 360) The reality that the result of boxing is irrelevant is a reason adequate to make it not just a sport. However, there is more, another great divergence that is between whatever boxing is and the actual thing. Boxing requires referees, which is okay as most sports do. Sports such as Olympic, skating, high diving and gymnastics all use judges who determine the winner. This is also true with base ball and tennis, which would turn out to be chaotic without the representation of judgments by their referees. Thus, the fact that boxing requires a referee is not an issue. It is the manner that those referees work that disqualifies boxing as just a sport (Thomas, 361) The judges of all justifiable sports render their judgment as soon as possible. For instance, the tennis referee states that the ball is out of bounds as soon as it strikes the pavement. He yells, “Strike One” the moment the ball hits the mitt of the catcher. The gymnast is always aware of the score he gets for the balance beam prior to proceeding to the parallel bars. Boxing however, is not like that. The referees are quiet until the whole match is over. Round after round the boxing fans await anxiously while the referees have the knowledge of what the scores are. There is no sport judgment that behaves like that. In the past, there was a good reason to withhold the judgment until the end of a match. This is because boxing was corrupt. Whenever a fight was fixed, the judges would be in problems concealing their complicity. They would have to endure the accusations of the fans following every round rather than just once at the finish of a match (Hoffer, 38). Nevertheless, unless there is still corruption in boxing, there ought to be no reason why the players and fans should wait to know the score after the whole match. Knowing score after every round would make the match better to everybody in many ways. In sports, the fans are more involved than they are in boxing. They do not seem to enjoy the match as they are anxious throughout. The fans would be more involved than they are. They would scream at the judges when there was unfairness. That happens in other sports like base ball every time and it does not result to problems. It also happens in football and basketball, as it is part of the match. It is usually fun and it would be the same in boxing. However, boxing fans are denied this (Hoffer, 38). In sports, participants are able to know their stand by knowing their scores often. The boxers also would be able to know their score if they were announced after every round. This would alter their strategy. One who was leading would be cautious while his opponent would do the opposite and try his best for a knockout. Withholding boxing scores affects the outcome of the match, which ought not to happen in sports (Hoffer, 38). Boxing is also the most challenging sport of all. This is because a boxer needs to have a unique blend of strength, speed and endurance. Moreover, he has to withstand to the punishment that caused by an opponent who is equally matched. To be able to withstand the unavoidable fatigue and pain, a boxer has to have a mind that has toughness the same as his body. Thus, boxing is not just a sport, it involves ones mind (Mendez, 249). Boxing does not just involve getting into shape and knowing the tools of the sweet science. An element that is equally vital of the fight match is posing a mental determination of succeeding. Boxing is unique from other sports, as a participant has to stand alone in the ring. Even well known trainers like Angelo Dundee and Eddie Futch would get out of the ring during rounds. In spite of the ability of a boxer, there comes a time when he has to fight fatigue. One has to hurt or be injured, yet forced to go on. Boxing is different from other sports where a participant can look to the referee to call timeout. Instead, a boxer has to fight until the bell rings. He has the option to resign; however, real boxers will never do that. They fight in spite of the hardship faced in the ring (Mendez, 251). Having a strong mind is important in these hardships, as the mind is a strong tool that some have not learned to control. For instance, all boxers understand it is important to run, watch their diet and do hard training in the gym. Why then do some boxers have amazing shapes while others are just mediocre? Why do some of them experience hardships making weights, whereas others weigh flawlessly every time? The answers to this question are in the mental discipline of a boxer. It is easy for one not to follow their diet and easy to skip roadwork, and thus mental discipline is required (Mendez, 251). When a boxer decides in his heart, that he want to succeed, his mind takes over his body. He starts to make boxing his only purpose in life. He sleeps, eats and dreams boxing to become the best. This is not a sport that one plays (Mendez, 252). This is a sport where one can get hurt. It is a sport for warriors, the ones that are powerful both physically and mentally. Every body experiences fear and doubts. However, with experience and dedicated training, one learns to repress those feelings. The wait that one takes in the locker room is adequate to break an average human being. Most people have never been engrossed in a fair one-one-one battle. Many have never been punched on the face. Thus, most cannot understand the feeling of sitting and waiting to battle with another person, whose only aim is to knock one out. This is a challenge that is face alone (Mendez, 256). The mind may play tricks on an individual. It may convince him to have doubts on himself and the training acquired. Therefore, the mind has to be trained to work for and not against an individual. The only manner to attain this state of mind is by experience and hard work, where experience can just be out of real competition. One has to fight and go on learning. Whereas in other sports such as football or basketball can be risky and at times cause injuries and even death, it is only in boxing where the main point is to cause injuries on a rival. In a study it was estimated that about 400 boxers died as a result of injuries they suffered in the ring between 198 and 1981. In another study, it was established that boxing resulted to 21 deaths in a year between 1970 and 1978 (Mikičić, Dušan, and Vlado, 297). This makes boxing the most risky sport. For most of the boxers, the glory of the ring is short lived after which is a lifetime of dealing with resulting health issues. Some of the common issues that are experienced by former boxers are blindness, mental impairment, loss of hearing, difficulties in speech, paralysis and respiratory problems. An example is Mohammed Ali, whose Parkinson syndrome is likely to be out of the repeated blows on the head that he took in his career (Wilcockson, 23). One of the latest sad outcomes of boxing is the one involving middleweight Gerald McClellan. He received a lot of injuries that were life threatening in a small fight against Nigel Benn in 1995. Following the fight, immediately McClellan underwent an emergency surgery to get rid of a six-inch clot of blood from his brain. He is now 30 years and he is not able walk or take care of himself and is almost deaf and blind (Smit, Carryn, and Johann, 119). Another final reason why boxing is not just a sport is that the sport does not have a season or any other type of set procedure in which a boxer advances. Instead, it is two promoters that come together and negotiate a deal for a match that they deem that will make most money for them. This means that it does not matter how skilled a boxer is, it is not possible for him to progress to the top without the approval of the promoter. Conclusion Boxing is a sport that involves a lot more than what a sports may require. This is from both the participants and the fans. Both the participants have to observe the rules and the requirements of the sport so as to enjoy it. Boxing also takes more than the physical participation. The mind of a boxer is also involved in so many ways. Boxing as a sport also involves a lot of risks. Every time risks happen, there is a call to abolish boxing or at least reform the institution. However, due to the money involved and the on going interest of the fans, boxing still has many participants who are willing to take the risks. Work Cited Hoffer, Richard. "Boxing: Fight-Game Inferno - Boxing Is in a Hell of a State, with Fading Stars and a Fragmented Fan Base, but Dont Count Out the Not-so-Sweet Science Just yet." Sports Illustrated. 98.10 (2003): 38. Print. Mendez, MF. "The Neuropsychiatric Aspects of Boxing." International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. 25.3 (1995): 249-62. Print. Mikičić, Dušan, and Vlado Savanović. "Mechanical Injury of the Head Caused by Exterior Force." Facta Universitatis. Series Mechanics, Automatic Control and Robotics. 3.11 (2001): 295-300. Print. Smit, Carryn, and Johann Louw. "The Hurt Business: Psychological Aspects of Boxing." South African Journal for Research in Sport, Physical Education and Recreation. 33.2 (2011): 117-126. Print. Thomas, Damion. "Is It Really Ever Just a Game?" Journal of Sport & Social Issues. 29.3 (2005): 358-363. Print. Wilcockson, A. "Boxing Is a Dangerous and Brutal Sport." Journal of the Royal Naval Medical Service. 90.3 (2004). Print. Read More