The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1962-04-13
SPORTS of TIMES
Another
Black Eye
By LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

The sick and smelly activity called boxing sui
fered another kingsized black eye when Benny KID
Paret died last week - 10 days after he was beaten
senseless in a televised world WelterWeight title fight.
AS expected, the tragedy spanked a storm of pro,
test. While Paret laid in a hospital unconscious and
in critical condition, a probe was ordered by the new
York governor; around the world, public officials, med
ical authorities, church officials, sports writers ana
others demanded prizefighting be banned.
At the same time, there were some defenders OF
professional boxing. Rapping the alarmists, Sports
Illustrated said I'VE believe there is noDlnty III
reasonable risk for gain and glory"
AFTER INVESTIGATING THE FIGHT, the New
York State Athletic Commission predictably exonera-
ted all officials concerned with the Paret tlgnt, lncluo-
ing veteran Referee Ruby GoldStein, who was subJec-
ted to especially scathing criticism for not stopping
the bloody battle sooner.
When Paret lost his final bout this one with
death itself a fresh and more bitter attack was I'M
leashed against boxing.
Osservator Romano, the Vatican newspaper said
'Evil is in the very nature of boxing Boxing
cannot be acquitted" Boxing, said one legislator is
not a sport, but something outdated and outmoded.
A sports columnist for a Diocesan weekly said some
where along the way (boxingl was handed over to the
barbarians." A Catholic priest in Boston land many
echoed his words said boxing should be condemned
on both medical and moral grounds.
THERE'S LITTLE CHANCE, HOWEVER, that box
ing will be outlaWed. Similar uproars over boxing
have resulted before in similar circumstances. Inter
est in boxing, however, has decreased considerably III
recent years. Quite frankly, we couldn't care less II
DUAlHRG EdSGu " EAlol LOIu6b'
Boxing often has been referred to as the manly
art of self-defense." 1t might have been in the days OF
John L. Sullivan but that 18th century description is as
obsolete today as the horse and carriage.
DEPRESSING a moment, we're inclined to think that
someone was trying to give boxing an aura of respec-
liability by referring to it as an art" We have 10
admit that "skill' doesn't sound as refined as "art."
WHILE sELF-DEFENsE MAY HAVE BEEN the
primary object of boxing at the turn of the century,
it certainly isn't so today. They just don't award
many points for defense in determining a winner in
prize fighting today. You win by offense - by land
ing blows - heavy ones on your opponent.
Carried TO extremes which is the rule rather
than the exception today - you try your best to knock
out YOUR opponent. Knockouts look good on your rec
ord and is a step towards bigger fights and bigger
prize money. Furthermore, you satisfy the fans, who,
caught by the emotion of battle, are reused by knock
down, drag-out fights.
Paret's death, of course, raised the old issue OF
boxing and morality. Although the Church has taken
no official stand on the matter, a large number of
theologians hold that modern prize fighting is defin-
itely questionable from a moral standpoint. One of
these is Father George Bernard, sc, a vice presi-
dent at the University of Notre Dame.
REFERRING TO THE RULES OF THE New York
State Athletic Commission which say that judging and
awarding of points for blows are made sin proportion
to the damaging effects" Father Bernard said "judg-
ing from those rules and taking into consideration
other background facts prize fighting) is, of itself, inn
moral"
The Rev. Francis ]. Connell, C.SSR, said sit is
difficult to reconcile prize fighting as we have it to-
day with Catholic principles of morality" Father Con
nell is former dean of the School of Sacred Theology
at the Catholic University of America.
AS we said earlier, boxing probably won't be out
lawed. 1t is certain, however, that something must be
done to prevent it from degenerating any further and
becoming a blot on our civilized society.