Re: Mundine - Green, should cheats prosper?
Reply #36 –
Most deaths in boxing have been more due to dehydration and rapid weight loss than actual knock outs.
Really? Not according to the scientific literature, for example:
There were 339 mortalities between 1950 and 2007 (mean age, 24 ± 3.8 years); 64% were associated with knockout and 15% with technical knockout. A higher percentage occurred in the lower weight classes. The preterminal event occurred in the ring (61%), in the locker room (17%), and outside the arena (22%), We evaluated for significant changes after 1983 when championship bouts were reduced from 15 to 12 rounds.
That's from an article "Mortality resulting from head injury in professional boxing" published in Neurosurgery in Nov 2010. Interestingly, the authors found a significant decline in mortality after 1983 and they hypothesise that the decline is the result of "a reduction in exposure to repetitive head trauma (shorter careers and fewer fights), along with increased medical oversight and stricter safety regulations".