Editorial: Can boxing be made safer?

Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2005 | 10:34 a.m.

This week a special panel appointed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission will begin a six-month investigation to see what steps can be taken to make boxing safer. As the Sun's Steve Kanigher reported Sunday, the panel's inquiry comes in the wake of the deaths of two fighters from head injuries that occurred in the ring and two others who suffered career-ending brain injuries. The last time two fighters died in the same year in Nevada was 1933.

We have all seen the lasting, debilitating toll experienced by fighters who stayed in the game too long. It's amazing that more fighters aren't hurt when this chilling statistic is considered: The American Association of Neurological Surgeons estimates that the force of a professional boxer's punch is the same as being struck by a 13-pound bowling ball traveling 20 mph.

Among the proposals that are under consideration by the Nevada State Athletic Commission's panel are stricter medical exams such as MRIs before and after fights, shorter fights, heavier gloves and wearing headgear as is done by amateur fighters.

Other sports have improved safety for their athletes. NHL players must wear helmets. Hitters in baseball for decades have worn helmets to avoid getting beaned by pitchers. NASCAR recently required drivers to wear head-and-neck restraints to protect them in the event of a crash. But these safety measures often have been slow to come; it usually requires a horrific injury or death to create change.

What makes it difficult to make boxing safer is the nature of the sport itself -- winning occurs automatically if your opponent is knocked out. The whole point of boxing is to inflict as much damage to your opponent's brain as possible. Doing so in any other sport would undoubtedly trigger a suspension, but in boxing you get credit for a victory.

Another factor contributing to serious injuries is a reluctance by some trainers to throw in the towel when their fighter is suffering from a serious beating.

Nevada has been viewed favorably when it comes to regulating boxing. For example, after Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in a 1997 heavyweight title fight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission revoked Tyson's license and fined him $3 million -- a tougher stance than other state boxing regulators took against Tyson.

And, unlike many other states that permit boxing, Nevada has usually been at the forefront in making sure that ill-prepared fighters, including those who are long past their prime, aren't allowed in the ring.

That is why we hope the Nevada State Athletic Commission's panel seriously considers all options available to make the sport safer.