Amateur Boxing and Brain Damage?

This is like asking "if I box will I get my nose broke?".

Obviously it's mire likely in a contact sport but there's no way you can get an actual answer to your question.

 

No I haven't and I have been around amateur boxing around 49 years

 

Brain damage from the actual amateur bout? Very unlikely, but still possible.
During sparring? Very likely depending on how often you spar and how hard you spar.
Proper safety equipment (headguards, gloves, mouthpiece) will also play a role in mitigating damage.

 

i saw some busted faces, but no brain damage whatsoever. It depends on your boxing style, if you have no defense you could get damaged. Some guys rely on their strength and endurance so they eat shots just to put some of their own, these type of boxers could get damaged very easily.

 

Of course it's possible to get brain damage from boxing of any form. It's also possible you could die or sustain various painful injuries.

If you want to box you accept the risks. It's as simple as that.

 

I know what you're asking, it's just a pointless question.

If you want to box then box. If you're worried about brain damage then don't even try.

If you're going to base this decision on how many people have sustained brain damage, boxing isn't for you.

 

I don't know whether to be insulted by this question or not ???
Is it OK for people to box if they're not bright enough to go to university??
I'm meeting up with some old mates later this afternoon, amongst them is 6 of us, who boxed as amateurs (one went pro) with no apparent brain damage 30-40 years after we were competed.we have over 300 fights between us.
As virus says, if you havetp ask about the risks, don't do it.

 

The guys who get brain damage are the people who fight like this...
https://youtu.be/6ZRtDPrRkkk

That being said, I have not come across anyone really that displayed limited function after competing in boxing. That's from looking at younger and older fighter/coaches.

 

If you watch Dontae's Boxing Nation he has Spar Wars and a guy whose name I believe is Christian Alexander (light skin black guy) is on there. Dontae sometimes does interviews with him and he sounds like he is a bit punch drunk. He's in his early 20s and only an amateur. Literally the only time I have seen a punch drunk amateur. The thing about amateur boxing is you won't ever get into wars or blood baths so you don't have to worry.

 

It's hard to say because a lot of characters that get involved in boxing aren't operating at a high cognitive level in the first place. Then you add in the confounding variables of substance abuse etc.
It likely depends on genetics and how much punishment you take. Also nutrition and recovery is going to impact the extent of damage. There is more and more research that sub-concussive impacts cause brain damage.
I know ex amateurs who claim they have issues from boxing, but I know they also dehydrated themselves big time to make weight as well as being in gym wars regularly. To minimise damage I'd say fight in a weight class you can comfortably make, and limit hard sparring. There is always a risk you have to accept with any contact sport, and your response to head trauma is always going to be different than the next guys.

 

What amateur boxing have you been involved with/seen?
There are wars all the time as there are only three rounds to assert dominance, and there is a real problem with cuts now that the headgear is gone.
And everyone has an ego in the gym.

 

If you think that amateur referees will let a guy who has cuts and blood running down his face fight then you are dillusional. Fraud.