Safe Boxing

Former Boxer says boxing still safe

Ryan Quigley

Journal Pioneer

Boxing is no more dangerous than any other sport, says former pro boxer Joe Borden.

In a press release on Monday the Canadian Paediatric Society, along with the American Academy of Paediatrics, have advised against allowing children and teens to participate in the sport of boxing.

The release included statistics from the Canadian Hospitals Injury Reporting and Prevention Program listing, between 1990 and 2007, boxing as the leading all combat sports in hospitals admissions. In those admissions 58 per cent were because of facial fractures and 25 per cent were sustained closed head injuries, such as concussions.

Claire Leblanc, Canadian Paediatric Society’s chair of Healthy Active Living and Sports Medicine Committee said in the press release that they want children to participate in sports and recreation but not boxing.

“We recommend young people participate in sports where the prime focus is not deliberate blows to the head.”

Borden said that if the sport is well supervised with officials it is safe.

“It’s no more dangerous than anything else,” he said. “I mean you take football, guys end up crippled for life. I strongly belief it’s safe as long as it’s run right.”

Borden also sited boxing’s importance to some community children.

“Back in the old days a lot of kids got in to boxing to keep them off the street and give them a place to go.”

He said he can understand people being worried about the sport.

“When you have people who’ve never been involved in boxing and they’re watching and they say, ‘God, there is a shot to the head and another shot to the head’ and their heart is probably in the right place but you can’t ruin a sport because of what might happen.”

Borden said he thinks problems arise from people who unsafely and improbably run boxing programs.

“When I use to watch boxing on the Olympics, you never saw anybody getting hurt,” he said. “I haven’t seen a lot of serious injuries in boxing over the years.”

He said the sport has evolved to become safe since it’s earlier days, amateur boxing especially.

“Things have changed gloves were made bigger, I remember they use to use eight ounce gloves then they went to 10 ounce gloves, and amateurs use head gear and a special mouth piece and officials are trained better to make sure if a guy gets hit and he looks hurt, it’s up to you if you thought he was hurt you stop the fight.”

Borden said he hates to hear of injuries with kids but thinks the sport is safe.

“If it keeps a kid safe, I’m all for it. But I think the sport itself is mandated to look after the kids with the proper gear and proper officials. And if they have that, I think it’s alright.”