(INSIDE BOXING) With the recent injuries suffered by British boxer Paul Ingle the BBBC (British Boxing Board of Control) is considering the institution of random weigh-ins for all professional boxers. Doctors consulted by the BBBC gave opinions that rapid weight loss leads to dehydration and the possibility of brain damage.

The Association of Boxing Commissions located here in the United States should immediately jump on board. The realization that rapid weight loss is unhealthy and potentially dangerous should surprise no one.

The coming of the New Year always brings a rash of resolutions. The most frequented one is to get in shape and lose weight. The first step is to visit ones physician who is consulted to determine the level of stress one should put on his/her body. The initial visit always has the conversation cover the fact that weight put on fast comes off slow. Most plans select a target date that will normally cover a period of from 3-6 months before results can be seen.

So why is it that professional boxers are frequently documented as losing anywhere from 15-20 pounds to fight in their desired weight class? This practice has become the accepted way of thinking without much concern by the powers that be.

The idea of a possible lucrative bout between fighters has been the main culprit. Boxing is a sport that relies heavily on the ability of two combatants to draw interest. With this interest comes financial gain.

Most boxers come from a poor background. The idea of having one fight that can secure the financial future of a fighter is enticing. This possibility sometimes has both the promoter and public neglecting the issue of safety.

It is not uncommon for a fighter to be issued a challenge to fight in a weight class that will provide that lucrative payday. But the issue of what is safe has to be dealt with.

Could you imagine a friend or relative arriving at your home having dropped some 20-30 pounds in a month or two? Questions would immediately surround such rapid weight loss. How can I do what he/she did…without jeopardizing my health? This is a normal question anyone would ask. So why not request the same of professional boxers?

The assumption is that boxers treat their bodies like machines. Most stay in tip-top shape and are admired for such. Others stay in relatively good condition and feel no need to press the issue…until confronted with the prospect of financial gain.

Every machine must be properly maintained. Improper maintenance leads to an inevitable breakdown that sometimes results in the machine being retired. The human body is indeed a machine. It must be properly maintained. Improper maintenance can result in the body breaking down and as a result being retired. The human body being retired means possible severe health problems or even death.

It is obvious that promoters and boxers themselves cannot be relied upon to make decisions that concentrate on health and safety issues. Whether right or wrong their issue is how much money can be made. Someone has to direct attention to the other aspects of boxing. That duty and obligation falls square in the lap of the Association of Boxing Commissions.

Mandating random weigh-ins would ensure that all "machines" were in proper working condition. Should a fighters’ weight be 10 or more pounds over his preferred weight class

he/she would automatically be moved to the upper weight division.

Weight should be no problem for a well-maintained "machine". The body is the deciding factor in weight maintenance.

Gross weight fluctuation has been medically determined to be detrimental to the human body. Problems occur when the body has it’s own decision voided.

The Association of Boxing Commissions handles problems…or do they?

Boy Wonder

01/11/00