Readers Say the Death of Garcia Should Lead to the Demise of Boxing

Well, you’ve done it again.

For a week before the May 6 championship fight in Las Vegas, you ran a series of stories in effect advertising the brain-damaging sport of boxing. They were hardly news stories, mostly just puff.

Then came the brutal fight itself. Our reporter almost got delirious describing the head punches. Zim, zam, zoom, whoopie!

Only trouble was, right below the big story, you were obliged to run another story about a guy who was mortally injured by head punches in the same ring only a few minutes before the main event. It was one of the natural consequences of the sport. The boxer was kept alive for two weeks, until he was declared brain dead.

Are you proud of promoting a sport whose abolition has been urged by the American Medical Assn. and other leading medical groups?

FRAN FROELICHER

Santa Barbara

*

Years ago, Benny (Kid) Paret died as a result of a terrible beating in a boxing ring to the cheers of a pitiless, bloodthirsty audience, and it left an indelible impact on me. Every boxing match injures both participants and degrades humanity. Boxing is an anachronistic throwback to gladiators fighting to the death to the lustful delight of decadent ancients, and has no place in a modern society that is based on respect for human life.

H. ANTHONY MEDLEY

Marina Del Rey

*

In Jimmy Garcia’s next-to-last fight, he lost a 12-round decision to World Boxing Assn. champion Genaro Hernandez last November. This loss inexplicably earned Garcia a chance to fight World Boxing Council title-holder Gabriel Ruelas for a second chance at the 130-pound belt.

For a boxer to lose and then fight for the championship makes no sense, except to Jose Sulaiman and his WBC.

RALPH LLAMAS

Pacoima