Boxing - How much is too much?

Pigeon_Killer · 18 May 2013 at 15:26

Was randomly reading through a few boxing articles and came across Denis Lebedev who lost his WBA Cruiserweight title last night after being stopped in the 11th round. Now there's nothing wrong with that until you see a picture of his eye which was badly damaged in the very 1st round.

I know most boxers would hate to be pulled from a fight, regardless of whether they're ahead or not, but how can the ref and his corner allow him to sustain that much damage? Where was the ringside doctor?

I'm all for watching boxers batter the living daylights out of each other (Gatti v Ward etc.) but that's too much imo.

JaWalks · 18 May 2013 at 18:43

I don't think fights should be stopped just because something looks bad. It's the doctors responsibility to decide if the fighter can continue safely.

DIABLO · 18 May 2013 at 19:30

It looks worse then it actually is though, in a week or so he will look as he did before.

vonex · 19 May 2013 at 04:11

what?? looks perfectly fine to me.. go watch some ufc fights!

NokkonWud · 19 May 2013 at 04:16

vonex said:
what?? looks perfectly fine to me.. go watch some ufc fights!

MMA is a far safer sport than boxing.

It looks like that fighter has a fractured orbital, which isn't an overly threatening injury in most cases, but it is incredibly restrictive. For example, he won't be able to fly due to the pressure, he won't be able to spar for a long time which means he won't be able to prepare for another fight which essentially means that he's no longer earning money from his job. If the fight had been stopped earlier his recovery time would be quicker, but there are numerous factors for why boxing fights go on even outside of a fighters 'heart'.

Pigeon_Killer · 19 May 2013 at 12:22

I suppose my biggest issue is the fact he was cut in the 1st round, completely blind in the right eye from round 6 and repeatedly battered on that side of the face until he was dropped in round 11.

It should've been stopped at the end of round 6 after he lost his sight so his corner, the ref and ringside doctor should all be investigated imo.

Edit: That's without getting in to the discussion of his opponent refusing to take a post fight drugs test.

One More Solo · 19 May 2013 at 12:34

I'm with you on this one Pigeon, the fight should have been stopped once he lost sight in the eye. Absolute madness to continue. The other guy must have been a bit of plodder if Lebedev was still ahead on the cards after 5 rounds fighting with only one eye though.

ShortWarning · 20 May 2013 at 12:35

As someone has already said, looks like a fractured orbital which will need surgery but isn't a lasting injury.

However, I doubt he would have been able to see out of that eye a round or 2 after sustaining the injury (didn't see the fight). I was under the impression that if you couldn't see out of one of your eyes the fight was stopped as you couldn't properly defend yourself?

Doohickey · 20 May 2013 at 21:15

Agreed, he should have been pulled out and it going to the cards earlier in the fight before it was too late (I don't know how bad the cut/face was earlier). But by round 11, I dunno, maybe his corner knew he was ahead on the cards and that made them reluctant to pull him out. Gruesome.