[Jonny44]

Hi all.

I'm looking into possible TV subjects to coincide with the 2012 Paralympics. And one issue I hope to get opinions on is whether boxing should be a Paralympic sport.

Judo and Wheelchair Rugby are both in there as full-on contact sports. But where the aim is to do actual damage, would boxing be a step too far? Or is its absence a form of discrimination?

Whether you know a frustrated Team GB boxer in waiting or think boxing is barbaric in any form, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

Jonny

[JOE.M.C.]

Sorry But Dumb Idea Dude!

[mcferguson]

I vote..........no.

[allister]

Bad idea m8

[Meadowlarkmark]

Hey maybe the real question should...why "para olympics". Why are Olympian with disabilities not part of the 'real games'?

[mcferguson]

Meadowlarkmark, on 11 August 2010 - 07:07 PM, said:

Hey maybe the real question should...why "para olympics". Why are Olympian with disabilities not part of the 'real games'?

Because competition would not be fair. I saw a story where an athlete with a prosthetic lower leg was not allowed to compete with AB athletes because his prosthetic gave him an advantage. In most cases, though, I think we would be at a great disadvantage.

[BalancedInteger]

Wait a minute. So murderball is cool, but boxing...oh no! That's just too barbaric, or too rough or whatever. Puh-leez!

I vote yes. I'd pay good money to see some wheelchair boxing, even if all it would amount to is a couple of wheelchair-bounds meeting in the middle of the ring and busting the sh*t outta each other.

[gimptx]

I am a T12 para & tried it years ago with a friend of mine who wasn't disabled. I hit him right off the bat before we even started & he hit me & I flipped over backwards! That's why I hit him first b/c I knew it would be a short fight due to my balance. Try it out with some friends & let us know how it goes.
Who would have ever thought that quadriplegics ramming each other silly would catch on, but quad rugby is one of the fastest growing sports right now!

[dangerousdave]

This is a contact sport where the contestants try to score points, or beat the crap out of the oponent
Well even a 5 year old has beaten the crap out of me
I'm not happy with the thought of any contact sport where I have no protection
Yes we have rough and tumble chair games, but the chair is also the protection
Like all disabled serious sports it will have it's fair groupings....but

No..... Dumb Idea

[ajl338]

How about calling wheelchair boxing a version of Robot Wars (the TV show)

[edlee]

I wouldn't think it would be feasable, simply from the standpoint of classing the fighters. Weights would make a difference,, but not as much as level of injury,, or complete versus incomplete,,, then you get into the area of faking to get into a better classification. It's one thing to have a sport where a team ( or individual) is trying to score points,, another entirely where the goal is to knock the opponent senseless.

One could argued that if two cripples want to beat on each other,, it would be discrminatory to stop them. I think it might be offensive to televise it, tho.
ed