Should boxing be made illegal?

In the July, 2023 issue of Psychology Today magazine there is an article entitled “Pulling No Punches” by Tyler Woods which is an interview he does with Deontary Wilder who held the heavyweight boxing title from 2015 - 2020.

Here are some disturbing quotes from the article:

It’s rare to see a boxer cry out of compassion after a match. What were you feeling after the Helenius fight? 

Being a fighter, you go in there and put your life on the line for others’ entertainment. I was speaking also of another fighter, Prichard Colon. [Colon is currently in a vegetative state after an injury suffered in the ring.] Prichard was the breadwinner of his family. Now, he can’t feed himself. To see this young man, his life all of a sudden changed, seemingly in the snap of a finger, that saddened me. Doctors always tell me, “The head is not meant to be hit.” This is a cold business.

Editor’s note - It is more than just a “cold business.” It is immoral. In this sport one person is deliberately trying to injure their opponent by concussing them. If this happened anywhere outside of the sport it would be considered criminal.

You’ve said that the mental health of boxers is visible only behind the scenes. What should people know that they don’t know?

A lot of fighters don’t want to reveal what’s going on with them. They try to be tough, to keep that persona up. But PTSD is very common among fighters. Mental illness is a big thing in boxing. I think a lot of fighters should get checked out.

Editor’s note - To engage in a sport where the object is to concuss an opponent is immoral, and requires an immature thought system which valorizes this kind of egocentric behavior which some might say is psychopathic.

In a mature society that has achieved a higher level of spiritual intelligence, gladiatorial combat would no longer be acceptable for any reason let alone entertainment. As Wilder says “you go in there and you put your life on the line for other’s entertainment.” Who are those “others” who pay for such a spectacle? Is this enjoyment a form of sadistic schadenfreude? Should such entertainment be made illegal?