The Business of Boxing Safety

While most armchair enthusiasts enjoy watching boxing at home, safe from the leather gloves and hard punches thrown in the sport, it is no secret that the injuries both amateur and professional boxers can sustain are very real and as professional boxing becomes more hotly contested and the crowds and punters demand more and more action and harder knocks, boxers are put closer into harm’s way.

Coming up on the 17^th of September this year, possibly one of the most anticipated professional fights of the year, Floyd Mayweather versus Victor Ortiz will be taking place.  It is a high profile bout that has received a lot of media attention and it is one that will see Victor Ortiz defend his newly crowned WBC Welterweight Championship win earlier this year.  Undoubtedly both boxers will be very intent on winning this fight and this means the danger of serious injury is present.  What precautions need to be taken into consideration for fights like this, both for the boxers and the organizers of these types of fights?

In 1996, The American Congress signed and passed an act into law that answers many of these questions – it is known as the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 and applies across the entire country.  Inside this act, many safety precautions are enforced and managers, promoters, matchmakers and boxers alike can face stiff penalties or even jail time for contravening the act.

The safety standards call for physical examinations of each boxer before the fight as well as ambulance, medical staff and all resuscitation equipment on site at the fight as well as a fully qualified physician ringside for the duration of the event.  Along with this, each boxer must provide or be provided with health insurance to safeguard against any injuries sustained during the match.

Boxing is a safe sport when done correctly but as with any other sport, the threat of injury is present and that’s why rules and regulations like these need to be enforced to ensure a safe environment for the boxers. Check Mayweather v Ortiz live and see how safe professional boxing can be!