What professional sport was banned in Sweden between 1970 and 2007?

Boxing is a combat sport in which two people wearing protective gloves throw punches at each other for a predetermined set of time in a boxing ring.

Knocking a person unconscious or even causing concussion may cause permanent brain damage. There is no clear division between the force required to knock a person out and the force likely to kill a person. Since 1980, more than 200 amateur boxers, professional boxers and Toughman fighters have died due to ring or training injuries. In 1983, editorials in the Journal of the American Medical Association called for a ban on boxing. The editor, Dr. George Lundberg, called boxing an "obscenity" that "should not be sanctioned by any civilized society." Since then, the British, Canadian and Australian Medical Associations have called for bans on boxing.

Professional boxing is forbidden in Iceland, Iran, Saudi Arabia and North Korea. It was banned in Sweden from 1970 until 2007 when the ban was lifted but strict restrictions, including four three-minute rounds for fights, were imposed. It was banned in Albania from 1965 till the fall of Communism in 1991; it is now legal there. Norway legalized professional boxing in December 2014.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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73 Comments

Vladimir Orozco

I'm for total banning of such barbaric "sport" besides being tragic for so many of the boxers, reducing them to lives of suffering; it's an activity where corruption is rampant.

Thomas Cole

And my question is: Why do we have this type of event whose sole purpose is to promote violence against each other to the point of knocking your opponent to unconsciousness?

Charles Nath

Boxing is indeed voluntary; I'm anxious for bullfighting to be banned in Mexico and Spain. The "sport" consists of torturing and killing an innocent animal.

Laurette Pearlman

Oh that made me laugh with derision. Boxing banned in North Korea, Iran and Saudi Arabia, presumably because its dangerous. Isn't just living there dangerous???

Sarah Wallace

With all the violence in the world today, the last thing we need is the promotion of more. I am in total agreement with those below who wish it banned.

Cedric Walters

North Korea should ban it's leader from food.

ronwellings

You pull up to an intersection. First corner there's two elderly men playing chess. Second corner children playing hopscotch. Third corner a basketball game. Fourth corner a knock down drag out fight between two individuals. Be honest, which corner will draw your attention and which corner will you spend the most time watching? Yes, it's the corner with the knock down drag out fight. That's why there's boxing.

Gwenevere

ronwellings, not I.

marilynmitri

Where's the sport in beating someone until they can't stand up?

Jackie

Boxing can keep young men out of trouble. I think headgear should be compulsory and this would protect against head blows. I think there should be an overhaul of the sport to remove criminal elements and hooky promoters as well.

koenvanosch

Vladimir Orozco, no

Meci Walsham

Ban it everywhere, it's a thug sport

david shires

Can’t believe North Korea has banned boxing. Perhaps Kim Jong Un needs his ears boxed.

Patricia Barraclough

But mhamid Ali was the greatest But There again it's a dangerous sport Look what happend to him

Carin Connolly

I personally don't like boxing but for those who enjoy it, let them be.

oldrocker

American football is MORE violent than boxing. A skilled boxer can have a pretty long career. FEW football players have long careers in a game in which players try very hard to hurt each other. Feh.