Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Strange Famous
2 - There is no dispute that there have been, and will be again, death's resulting from any martial art. However, I would struggle to find an instance in boxing were an unconscious man was pounded 14 times in the back of the neck as the crowd cheered and chanted for his death.
3 - I know that a boxer was only forced to go to the neutral corner after a knockdown in recent history, I think most people with some knowledge of the sport know about Dempsey's "Long count". But it is always the case that a man who was down could not be hit. You could hit as he got back to his feet, but not while he was sprawled on the floor and vulnerable - only when he was ready to rise and to some degree protect himself.
|
Re: 2 - Strange, that's cultural not an issue of the sport per se. People chanting "kill him"? Ever been to a bloody football match in the 70s and 80s in England? Maybe you're too young to remember. It still happens in other parts of the world, wars have been started over football matches.
Equally, people have certainly chanted "kill him" at boxing matches. I know, I've been there and seen it. Man, I saw a fight in Mexico that would have made you puke - a defenseless fighter, obviously unable to defend himself, staying upright only because he was draped over the ropes, getting pummeled while the crowd screamed for blood. God knows, I might have even participated (not at that fight but at others). People probably yelled it at me while I fought in the ring while racking up a pretty decent amateur record.
Equally, referees have made poor decisions in boxing as in MMA - those decisions have allowed people to get hurt in the ring, and have resulted in deaths. I'd bet next year's pay that more will have died in the boxing ring over the course of 100 years than will ever die in MMA over a similar period. Due entirely to the way you win a MMA fight - i.e., submissions are as or more important than strikes. I would bet the same paycheque that more boxers will suffer long term health effects - whether the brain damage that many have incurred or detached retinas, like Sugar Ray Leonard (whose speech has also gone downhill) - than MMA fighters will suffer. You might get more rotator cuff injuries in MMA, but that's about it.
3 - As to this, you don't know what you're talking about and honestly, I'm a little angry at your wilful disregard for the opinions and expertise of many people posting here who know a great deal more about both subjects than you do. A man who has been stunned is in no position to protect himself as he staggers to his feet. That's why that rule about the neutral corner came into effect, as even people of the 1920s realized that hitting a man in that position is savage. It is savage to hit a man in that position, but all the boxing greats you have brought up did it. I (and anyone else who has fought) will tell you - an MMA fighter, like a Gracie, is in an immenely better position to defend himself on the ground than a hurt boxer is getting to his feet, largely because guys like Gracie deliberately go to ground knowing their ability to defend and attack from that position.