The death of Colombian boxer Luis Quiñones, on the sixth day of hospitalization in Barranquilla, after being knocked out by José Muñoz in Barranquilla, last Saturday, reopened the old controversy covers whether boxing, as a combat discipline, should be banned.
An argument that always occurs when a fighter dies. There is no official or reliable record to determine the number of deaths of punchers, in a discipline that is considered ‘risky’.
Should boxing be banned?
Estéwil Quesada Fernández, editor of the ADN newspaper in Barraquilla, correspondent and expert analyst and boxing commentator for EL TIEMPO, gave his opinion:
“Boxing must not end. I think everyone needs to be made aware of the risks of being in direct contact. Excellent preparation and medical checks are required, not only in the fight, but from the gym. And work, more in the gym itself, in defense”.
And he added: “That is, controls to know that the boxer has been well prepared for at least a month before. Follow-up on the scale so as not to lose weight in the last week. In other words don’t go rummagingas usually happens in many cases.
He, who was in the fateful Quiñones fight eight days ago, pointed out that the fight, on the surface, was normal.
“In this fight with Luis Quiñones there was nothing abnormal. Maybe it could come with the problem from before. He could have won by knockout in the sixth and seventh, but it was going to collapse anyway, as he fell in the eighth without a hit. Was he already injured? From when? Perhaps medicine and experts will be able to determine it.”
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The discussion is old…
Emilio Marquiegui, one of the most renowned boxing commentators in Europe, in addition to being a trainer, wrote some time ago about this always controversial topic in his column for the Madrid newspaper Marca:
“Banning was easier than thinking”sentenced.
“Boxing is one of the oldest sports, risky, without a doubt, but increasingly respected and, due to the best medical controls, less harmful. When a boxer sadly dies, fortunately less frequently, the debate on the boxing ban is reopened. Similarly, when several mountaineers, cyclists or motorcyclists die, do we reopen the debate on banning mountaineering, cycling or motorcycling? When runners die in popular races, do we ban running? When we see an overweight person, Do we forbid dessert because it puts your health at risk?
Marquiegui assured that solutions must be sought to minimize risks and that the thought that it must be prohibited must be left behind.
“Boxers are free, they choose their sport and if they can win fame and money, much better. Let’s look for solutions to minimize risks and forget about banning. When politicians or some opinion-makers don’t give more of themselves, they solve everything by prohibiting, which is easier than thinking “, commented.
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The debate, as is known, is old. In 1991, after the fall into a deep coma of the Nigerian boxer, naturalized American Kim Akeem Anifowoshe, the representative to the House of Texas, Henry B. González, asked the Congress of that country to approve a law that would prohibit professional boxing.
That was his fourth failed attempt in 29 years of legislative activity. That time González pointed out: “Some say that other sports also cause injuries and deaths, but they are not conceived so that this is the objective if you want to be the winner, as it happens with boxing”.
However, the millionaire industry, tradition, the sportsmanship of some and the need of many to get out of misery at the point of blows have prevented it.
And the protective helmet?
The issue of whether a protective headgear should be worn in professional boxing as concussion prevention measureas it happens in the amateur, received a heavy blow when, last year, the International Olympic Committee supported the decision that the International Amateur Boxing Federation (Aiba) took in 2013 on the elimination of the male protector, keeping it for women and young people. .
“In agreement with the expert panel of the fourth international congress on concussion and health in sport, we found no evidence that head protectors protect against concussions”explained, at the time, the sports specialist Sinc Abdelhamid Khadri, president of the Aiba medical committee.
Boxers who have died after leaving everything in the ring
Buthelezi, in Africa
Simiso Buthelezi, who was winning, died days later after taking heavy blows from his rival, Siphesihle Mntungwa, in a lightweight bout in Africa.
Zacharias, in Canada
In 2001, the Mexican Jeanette Zacarías lost against the Canadian Marie-Pier Houle and minutes later she had a seizure and was taken to a clinic. She died days later.
An Argentinian
Hugo Alfredo Santillán (Argentina) died after collapsing on the canvas in the fight against Uruguayan Eduardo Abreu in super featherweight, in 2019.
Loyal, in Mexico
Francisco Leal participated in a fight against his colleague Raúl Hilares in 2013 and in the eighth round he fainted and died from blood clots in his brain.
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