New York State Athletic Commission chief medical officer and practicing neurologist Dr. Sethi published an article in the latest edition of the South African Journal of Sports Medicine addressing best practices for medical stoppages of boxing bouts with the sensible conclusion that it is better to err on the side of safety.
In the article, titled “Good versus bad medical stoppages in boxing: Stopping a fight in time” Dr. Sethi reaches the following conclusion after addressing what he believes to be considerations ringside physicians should keep in mind when stopping a bout –
It is recommended that the above proposed best practice guidelines be debated vigorously by ringside physicians and the wider scientific community and that evidence-based guidelines on medical stoppages be developed by the medical community in conjunction with the professional boxing governing bodies. Boxing can be made safer but it shall be foolhardy to forget that frequently there is a very fine line between a good medical stoppage (i.e. medical stoppage done at the right time during the bout and for the right indication) versus a bad medical stoppage (i.e. medical stoppage done either too late, too prematurely, or for the wrong indication). It is far better to stop a fight early rather than too late. A ringside physician should never forget that in boxing one punch can change everything.
The full article can be found here – Dr. Sethi Artilce re Medical Stoppages of Boxing Bouts
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