JN2053 blog: The rise of British boxing

The past year has seen British boxers rise to the top of the public’s attention in the

. 50,000 fans were in the Millennium stadium in Cardiff to see Joe Calzaghe defeat Mikkel Kessler last November, and over 1 million people purchased the Ricky Hatton v Floyd Mayweather fight on Sky pay per view last December. With other top fighters such as David Haye, Amir Khan and Enzo Maccarinelli, boxing is really booming here.

The success looks set to continue this summer, with 7 fighters already guaranteed a place in the Beijing Olympics, and potentially up to 11 qualifying. The Olympics provide a great platform to shine in front of television viewers that may not have seen the sport before or been sceptical about its quality. The Athens Games saw the emergence of a 17 year old Amir Khan who caught the public’s imagination, and a similar star may rise in the Far East.

Boxing is not without its detractors though. Clearly there are ever present risks of serious injury, and to many the violent nature of the sport makes it a barbaric past time for thugs and hooligans. Risks exist in many sports though. Downhill skiing, the luge, motor racing to name but a few where competitors participate knowing that one false move can result in serious injury, even death. With a professional referee, and sensible trainers a fighter in trouble should be stopped before serious damage is done.

Boxing though has proved the undoubted benefits it can have in run down communities. Many rough areas have seen boxing gyms save youngsters from turning to a life of drugs and crime. Boxing can channel the energy and anger of children who may have had a hard upbringing or fallen in with bad influences. It also has the benefit of providing a place to go, meet friends and interact with others for young children whose only meeting place otherwise is a street corner.