KNOCK OUT BOXING

Acouple thousand years ago, in a generally less civilized time, enthusiastic spectators used to gather in Roman arenas to watch gladiators battle, often to the death. Eventually, the rise of Christianity put a stop to the barbaric, murderous “sport.” Society has not advanced quite as far as we might think. Today, we have boxing. There is nothing sweet about the sweet science. While there may be fewer lives taken in boxing rings than in the arenas of old, the sport is a fundamentally brutal one, the objective being to pummel one’s opponent into submission, with punches to the head if possible. Yes, football and hockey can be violent, too, but the violence is secondary to the main objective. What happened to Montreal boxer Adonis Stevenson last Saturday in Quebec City, as he sought to defend his WBC light-heavyweight title, was not the result of any dirty tactic by his opponent or any apparent mistake by the referee. The punches to the head that Stevenson absorbed were part of the game. Now, he lies in a hospital bed, with a “severe traumatic brain injury,” breathing with mechanical assistance and in deep sedation. His prognosis is unclear. Within the last two years, two Canadian boxers have died as a direct result of fights. There is now also increasing awareness of the long-term toll taken by repeated blows to the head: chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) can include memory loss and bouts of rage. Is entertainment more important than a human life? Defenders of boxing will point out that it involves consenting adults; that boxers at most amateur levels wear protective headgear; that the “sport” promotes physical fitness and has allowed troubled youth to focus their energies on a legal, and sometimes lucrative, pursuit. Those arguments are not persuasive. Consent is not a blank cheque: in Canada, there are legal limits to how much harm consent can excuse. Protective headgear does not offer sufficient protection. There are any number of other ways to get fit. Likewise, outlets can be found in less harmful martial arts or other pursuits. There is simply no excuse for boxing. It should be banned by law — along with mixed martial arts, which is arguably worse. As for sports like football and hockey, while awareness of CTE has increased and better concussion protocols are in place, much more remains to be done to make those sports safer. There should be nothing entertaining about people doing serious bodily harm to each other. Not two millenniums ago. Not now.