For every aspiring boxer who lusts after the glory of Mohammed Ali while he was in his prime and decides they want to be just like him, you should know that—that is not a good enough reason to be a boxer.
Boxing is a dangerous sport that should not be desired because of money or fame due to the many risks and dangers of boxing.
If the desire to be a boxer does not brood from within but hangs on external influence alone, then one should consider another career path.
It is essential to know that the body will pay back in full for every punch being delivered to the body from an opponent or on the training ground.
You might wonder, how does the body pay back? Well, the body doesn’t owe debts. Whatever that is delivered to the body, good or bad, the body pays back either with sickness or sound health.
It all depends on your daily deposits. If I must tell you, a punch deposit comes with a heftier price tag of either injuries, unhealthiness, or early death.
Below are the 15 dangers of boxing people open themselves to every time they walk into the ring:
Dangers of Boxing: Boxing Risks, Injuries, and Disadvantages You Should Know
1. Arthritis of the Hand
Records have it that many retired boxer suffers from arthritis of the hands. The reason is that a boxer’s hands have continuously been stressed over the years during boxing.
Every punch being delivered and every successful brutal hit deteriorates the cartilage surrounding the hands.
Their finger joints may begin to swell at old age, thereby causing them pain.
2. Carpal Bossing
This is an ailment that does not wait till old age. Carpal bossing is mainly experienced by boxers who practice poor punching techniques.
This has a resultant effect of a lump growing at the back of the hand. Thereby boxing becomes inconvenient.
If not correctly managed by professionals, it can lead to arthritis of the hand.
3. Head Trauma and Brain Damage
Head trauma and brain damage seem like a cultural heritage to all professional boxers.
Since they do not wear the headgear like the amateur boxers to prevent the impact of these punches, brain tissues usually get damaged, which affects the brain nerves, causing bruises, tears, and a large clot inside the brain or lesion.
Since it is the dream of an amateur boxer to become a professional, sadly, this health condition might await the person.
4. Eye Damage
Some boxers have suffered total blindness due to their chosen profession. One may wonder, how do punches affect the eyes? Well, it does lead to eye injuries.
With every heavy punch landing on the eye surrounding bones, it sends a heavy shock wave into the eye, which can damage its nerves.
The lens and retina become affected, and sometimes if the impact is so high, the retina can get detached, leading to blindness.
5. Early Death
There have been scenarios where boxers died in the ring. Some will shrug this off with the excuse that it doesn’t happen too often. While that is true, we can not rule out the chances.
Outside that, during some fights, some injuries have been sustained as minor injuries but later transformed into something big, leading some boxers to their early grave.
6. Mental Health Disorder
A continuous concussive blow to the head affects sanity and leads to what is known as the punch-drunk syndrome.
There have been several cases where boxers are known to lose their minds and drown in the depth of depression and aggressiveness.
Unfortunately, the punch-drunk syndrome is not easily cured as it eats deep into sanity to breed anxiety. In the long run, boxers may exhibit behavioral disorders.
7. Facial Injury
There have been cases where boxers had their face torn in a bout and got a simple stitched so the fight could continue.
Some had lumps that would never relapse, making them look ugly and scary. Facial injury is quite inevitable for professional boxers.
8. Body Injury
An opponent’s target while boxing is usually above the belt. This means the whole of the upper body is at risk of injury if not correctly shielded against an opponent.
It is also common knowledge that no amount of shielding can prevent specific punches.
While fighting, the common body injuries are dental issues like broken teeth and bleeding gums, body bruises, dislocated shoulder, broken ribs, internal bleeding, etc.
9. Brain Disease
Boxers are susceptible to brain diseases due to head punches sustained from years of boxing. They may be more susceptible to diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
Research has shown that The human brain becomes smaller when it suffers agonizing hits, and the grey matter becomes thinner while the ventricle is enlarged.
The bottom line is that such impacts are not conducive to the brain.
10. Concussive Symptoms
Many aged boxers suffer concussions such as dizziness and frequent headaches long after retirement.
Some suffer from memory loss which is very painful as a loved one becomes a stranger to them.
Others have complained of chronic ringing sounds in the ears resulting from hard hits over their career span.
11. Paranoia
Some boxers, not all, suffer from psychological diseases. They become paranoid and filled with insecurity from within.
Their mind always tells them they are about to be attacked. This makes them take defense against people who love them and inflict pain on others.
Just like some war soldiers have PTSD, professional boxers suffer from paranoia.
12. Shoulder Dislocation
A shoulder dislocation is a frequent injury boxers suffer from.
Shoulder dislocation is when the humerus bone gets shifted from the shoulder blade, changing the shoulders look from a regular appearance to a squared ugly look.
A shoulder dislocation causes massive pain to victims, and no one can ever get used to it.
13. Promotes Violence
Boxing can be likened to formal violence in the presence of violence-hungry spectators.
Sometimes, this violence gets escalated outside the ring, where there are no rules or governing bodies to manage it.
The violence can be among fans who have already staked a bet on a match.
In some cases, when stronger fans lose their bet, they are prone to violate the weaker person depending on the amount at stake.
Amidst boxers, there is usually bad blood between opponents. Families of both hate on each other, fans do the same, and the whole game becomes a thick cloud of impending violence.
14. Income is Directly Proportionate to Victory
This is one of the saddest truths in boxing. A boxer’s income is determined by the amount of victory they bring to the table, unlike other professions where people get paid weekly or monthly.
A boxer only earns when they fight. A repetitive loss in these fights reduces a boxer’s income and worth.
This makes them put more energy into intense training that kills the body, as they engage in frequent fights that deteriorate their health.
15. Financial Exploitation
Many boxers end up in the ring because it is their last resort. Some have no formal education as they fight their way through to success.
On getting to stardom, they need a manager to handle their affairs.
Most of these managers are exploitative, feeding on a boxer’s blind spot and making a deal that profits themselves rather than the fighter.
This has been an ongoing occurrence, and it doesn’t seem like it will be stopping soon as long as money is always involved.
Conclusion
If at all one is to follow a dream of being a professional boxer, it is only wise to be acquainted with the dangers of boxing so that such knowledge can serve as light.
Our reason for listing these disadvantages, injuries, and risks of boxing is not to deter you from chasing your passion.
However, by knowing what lies ahead, you may be able to avoid it possibly.
Boxing has come to stay; anyone who wants to make a career out of it should at least know the dangers.
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