brain damage has always been an obvious risk of boxing. the participants were usually under no illusion there. we used to call old boxers “punchy” and now we use a more scientific term.

it’s a poor man’s sport but the opportunities have dwindled as a result of promoter fragmentation, the lack of (free) televising, and rise of other safer or more popular sports. outside of the top few, you’re fighting for peanuts. so i reckon those who’d ever given it a shot have their sights elsewhere, even mma.

i miss the good-old days of well-matched world-class talent but we’ll never see it again. and that’s probably a good thing. my entertainment is not worth the hurt and exploitation.