Boxing is very much in the news here in Cayman. We have an experienced champion, Charles “Killa” Whittaker – ranked #2 in the World and promised a shot at a World Title in the Middleweight division. We also have a young man who is just beginning his professional boxing career, Peter “Lightning” Lewison, ranked #433. Lightning fights Sat. (26) at Camana Bay and most people reading this will have known the result.

Both their stories of how they turned to boxing are almost mirror images. They both fought and ran foul of the law in their early teens. A friend of mine (I’ll call him “Stone”) in the USA was a boxer and his early story is very similar. This is what Stone told me.

“Boxing is a very demanding sport that can bring great rewards to someone that gives it everything that they have and more. If you can stick with boxing, then you will learn many very important life skills that will help you to be a better person. Also you can make a great career out of boxing, and might even become rich and famous. However if the proper respect and effort is not given, then the sport can eat you up, and spit you back out again. I started my boxing career in the Junior Golden Gloves in my city. I believe that the lessons I was taught during this time have helped to shape me into the man that I have become today.

“During my experience in Junior Golden Gloves, I was not the best boxer of the group, but I worked hard everyday to get better and become the best boxer that I could. Boxing kept me away from drugs, gangs, and many other bad influences that some of my friends fell into during this time. I also believe that the Golden Gloves taught me the value of determination and hard work. As a boxer you can easily see what training and hard work can do for you in life. I believe that I have carried this throughout my life, and I try to let that hard work and determination translate into other things in my life.

“You should definitely try to get your kids started in boxing when they are young, because it will keep them out of trouble, and also help them learn the skills that will make them leaders for the rest of their life. Also if your child is very good then they might even be able to make boxing into a very lucrative career. Boxing will also help kids learn how to stand up for themselves, and give them confidence that they can carry with them for the rest of their lives. I really enjoyed my time in boxing, and am very appreciative of the lessons I learned while I was boxing.”

I fully endorse what Stone said and I would ‘fight’ (not physically) anyone who says it should be banned because it is brutal, causes death and brain damage, appeals to the worst and violent parts of human nature, exploits both young men and women, is the most dangerous sport, and makes violence look ‘cool.’

There are no statistics proving boxing has more injuries than any other physical (contact) sport. All sport is about testing the human body and reactions against others. Humans are naturally aggressive animals. Those in charge of boxing work hard to make it as safe as possible. All sports persons can be exploited. It channels a normally aggressive person into putting his energy into a controlled environment. I firmly believe if boxing is banned it would drive it ‘underground’ into remote barns and similar places. Men want to fight and people would still pay them (and bet) to watch them do it. It would then be uncontrolled with bare fists being used and fighting carrying on indefinitely until someone is knocked out and/or maimed. No doctors would be present to stop a fight if one of the persons suffers a cut near the eyes.

Has banning drugs, underage drinking, cock fighting, etc. stopped people doing this? No it hasn’t. And look at the cost to society in trying to police and prosecute this. Boxing is much safer when it is legal and regulated.

So good luck to Killa and to Lightning. Both of you are role models to our teenagers. Let’s get our youth into boxing and not brandishing weapons, robbing and/or becoming members of gangs. Boxing is one sport that might appeal to them.