Informed Opinions on Today’s Topics : After Tragedy, Experts Debate Boxing Safety

Last Friday, boxer Jimmy Garcia lost his second fight in two weeks. This one cost him his life.

Garcia had been in a coma since he took repeated blows to the head from super-featherweight champion Gabriel Ruelas during their May 6 title fight in Las Vegas.

His death once again demonstrates the brutality of the sport and may trigger another effort to ban boxing or, at least, introduce measures to make it less dangerous.

Already, one of the most famous names in boxing, heavyweight champion George Foreman, has called for headgear to be mandatory. Foreman says it would be “for the betterment of the sport.”

What can be done to make boxing safer?

Stan Ward, trainer/manager, North Hollywood

“We need a little extra schooling for a lot of the referees because only the referee can stop a fight. Richard Steele has been booed tremendously because people think he stops fights too soon, but his main objective is the protection of the athlete, which is what it should be. “Also, Garcia had to lose 30 pounds to make weight for that fight--that’s a tremendous amount of weight in two months to lose to perform at the optimum performance level. The boxing commission should look very seriously at a doctor’s physical examination report of the fighter, because those type of elements contribute to injuries. They should have the option to give further preparation time for this individual to get ready. Also, maybe they should increase the weight of the gloves by making them 10 ounces instead of eight ounces. It would give you a little added support. There would be more padding and cushion in the gloves.”

Pat Goossen, trainer/manager, North Hollywood and Palmdale

“Getting hurt is an occupational hazard. A policeman gets shot every day. I don’t think headgear is the answer. Some doctor made a study that when you get punched, it’s more weight for your neck to hold up. Headgear is there for only one reason, so you won’t get cut from head butts. . . . It’s easy for guys like Foreman to make these blanket statements. . . . . Where do you draw the line? A suit of armor? The next thing they’ll be talking about is a chest protector.”

Rocky Pepeli, heavyweight boxer, Simi Valley

“There is nothing you can really do except make sure the fighters are in shape when they fight and make sure that the people matched together are equally matched. You don’t want to put a world-class fighter against someone who isn’t.

“There are pilots who get killed in airplanes, and they do millions of dollars in research to make sure it doesn’t happen, and yet it still happens. All they can do is to make sure the airplane is mechanically sound and make sure the pilot knows how to fly the plane. Headgear was not intended to stop the impact of a punch. . . . It was designed for training purposes.”

Zane Frazier, heavyweight boxer, North Hollywood

“The corner has to start throwing in the towel a lot earlier. If they are not going to throw in the towel and the referee isn’t quite sure whether to stop it, then someone on the boxing commission should automatically throw in the towel and say this guy is getting some punishment.

“I think they should check the qualifications of some of these boxers because some of these guys aren’t good enough to step in the ring. There are many fighters who assume different names, who misrepresent their qualifications and fight records, and subsequently get in the ring to make a good buck.”