Health impacts of 12 vs 15 round title fights?

Getting rid of the same day weigh ins improved the safety of the fighters more imo

 

I'm curious, how would you prove that?

 

too many were sweating off the weight on fight day and had little to no time to rehydrate properly...thats not safe imo

 

When you remove too much liquid from the body, it can effect fluid around the brain which massively effects the risk of brain trauma. Think doing that for potentially years then getting punched in the head. Being dehydrated also can completely sap the energy and strength from a person and make them listless in a fight and a KTFO waiting to happen, like Valdez vs Berchelt.

There's also genetic advantages where some can successfully remove more water weight and/or suffer less downsides while dehydrated. In a world where nobody can rehydrate massively, there's no ridiculous 20lbs weight advantages come fight night. And there's no 'weight bullies', just fighters who are big for the weight - like Donaire. Less huge size advantages and less chance of brain damage.

 

One day isn’t enough to rehydrate properly, both are dangerous and there should be a rehydration ban. It sounds crazy but hitting a dehydrated brain is horrible for a fighters long term health

 

OK but what about boxer X who makes weight at day before fight weigh in without dehydrating self ie his natural weight, then facing a fighter who cut weight big time to make weight, but rehydrates etc to being much heavier than his opponent on fight night, is there not a safety issue then.

I am of the view that same day weigh ins should be used, we are dealing with adults, if those adults want to be foolhardy to dehydrate to make weight then that their responsibility, a boxer making weight naturally should not be at a weight disadvantage come fight night.

 

@James Hudson said same day weigh ins were worse for fighters, that the current process is safer. It sounds like you disagree (I also disagree)?

I know some fights have had multiple weigh ins a week or more before the fight to try to prevent overly drastic prefight weight cuts. I remember there was a little stir when Loma and Teofimo were both about 141 a week before the fight. Loma may have been holding the same egg weight that Fury hit Wilder with though, who knows?

I suspect 12 round fights are safer, but only in the sense that boxing less is always going to be safer once you're past a certain point. It's really not the championship level I worry about. The sad reality is that life is hard and most title contenders are getting something out of it (modulo exploitation, but that's just wrong and can happen anywhere).

It's the ones who are 9-32 with 8 KO losses and no money to show for it who need better protection.

 

15 rounds is a better workout. It's healthier than 12 I think.

 

It was a token move and a way to fit a championship fight inside an hour for the networks, plus more action pressed inside 12 instead of 15.
15x3 + 14x1 + ringwalks and introductions is well over an hour.
12x3 + 11x1 + ringwalks and introductions fits perfectly.

It hasn't been proven to be safer, and there have been many fights that probably would have gone the other way if there were 3 more rounds to go.

 

This was the reasoning behind my opinion...there has been deaths in the past that were down to the dehydrated brain being smashed around. We all know that taking punches to the head are not safe no matter if its 12 rounds or 15. Making it as safe as possible for both fighters is always what we want

 

Anyone who is 9-32 shouldnt be anywhere near a 12 round fight never mind a 15. Maybe that could be another rule when ur record has more losses than wins....ur restricted to a max number of rounds like 6 or 8. Anything that improves the boxers safety and health is good

 

I absolutely want our sport to be as safe as possible, however by saying we will give you 24+ hours to rehydrate are they not in a way of 'pandering' to those who dehydrate to get advantage on fight night?

Get these boxers to have their prefight medical straight after the weigh in, no rehydration until seen the doc, see how many of these dehydrated boxers are deemed fit to fight.

 

Maybe these guys boiling down should just fight in their proper weight class. You know, like they do in the amateurs. Instead you have guys trying to gain an unfair advantage at the expense of their health and the health of their opponent.

Don’t kid yourselves, promoters helped get rid of same day weigh ins. No fight, no money. It had nothing to do with safety. They don’t care if one fighter weighs 20 lbs more than an opponent, it’s all about the $$$.

 

Sadly some fighters are that desperate to make money they will 'boil' down to anything. Maybe just ban boxing completely then to make it safer