Protecting Professional Boxers: Federal Regulations with More Punch<\/p>\n
Melissa Neiman*
\nBio:
\n*M.D. University of Texas Medical Branch; Residency, Neurological Surgery Parkland
\nMemorial Hospital; Diplomate, American Board of Neurological Surgery; J.D.
\nUniversity of Houston Law Center.
\nI. Introduction
\nThe sport of boxing dates back more than 5000 years and was practiced by the ancient
\nGreeks, Romans and Egyptians.1 In the United States, the sport became popular in the late
\n1800\u2019s.2 The key participants in the sport include the boxer, the trainer, the manager, the
\npromoter, and the sanctioning organizations.3 Boxing is considered by many to be a brutal sport
\nand unfortunately, acute and chronic brain injuries are the most common injuries sustained by
\nboxers.4 The sport has long been regulated by state commissions and only in the last fifty years
\nhas the federal government begun to intervene.5 Eleven years ago the first federal statute
\nregulating boxing in the United States was passed.6 This statute was amended four years later7
\nand although federal regulation has brought some improvement to the overall picture, many
\nreforms are yet necessary.<\/p>\n