The Olympic powers that be – and no I don’t mean Zeus and his band of amorous gods, but the International Olympic Committee have for the first time in history approved Women’s boxing as an event in the 2012 London Olympics.
Feminists around the world rejoiced when the IOC dropped one of the 11 men’s weight classes in favour of including three women’s classes in the upcoming Olympics.
This has met with a lot of criticism, surprisingly (NOT) mainly by men, such as the British boxer Amir Khan saying that people don’t want to see women fighting: “Boxing is a violent sport, you can get hurt and I don’t think women should be a part of that. I think women should stick to something like tennis.”
So female WBC are not hot?
Hmm, I wonder if the big man is feeling intimidated? After all his comment is very reminiscent of men saying: “Women are frail creatures and do not understand politics, that’s why they shouldn’t vote.”
On the lighter side News Arse ran an article effectively saying that nobody wants to watch manly women with violent streaks punching each other in the face and if there has to be this type of sport in the Olympics it should be seriously hot women clawing at each other in a paddling pool filled with transparent lubricant.
Well now, the hackles of the feminist in me rise, but on the other hand the deviant in me is interested! Very interested!
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) has been lobbying to ban boxing outright
These two ladies beg to differ!
as a sport because of the danger it poses to the competitors, to them this is a set back as they believe a sport where the primary intention is to harm the opponent is not something to aspire to, however Olympic medallists are seen as role-models and will encourage more girls to take up this violent sport.
Slightly off topic, but what I think is an interesting fact is that boxing is the only combative sport that modern day development has made more dangerous and has more serious injuries and fatalities than in the past. This is down to the introduction of boxing gloves, in the good old days of bare knuckle fighting a blow to the opponents face and head would lead to the combatant injuring his hands, thus punches would be aimed at each other’s bodies, still resulting in injuries but avoiding brain damage and broken knuckles.
Personally I do think that the inclusion of women’s boxing is another positive move regarding equality, but I tend to support the AMA and would rather see boxing, male and female, banned or at least the rules changed.
I just can’t see the attraction in donning heavy bulky gloves and lobbing them at another person trying to knock them unconscious, where as watching women or even men grappling with each other in a well greased pool is an entirely different story.
It can be sexy and hilarious at the same time both for spectators and participants and any injuries are accidental – and I can say this from experience as a contender in the first World Gravy Wrestling Championships in 2007 in Lancaster.
What ever the sport, move over lads, cos HERE COME THE GIRLS!
Bread roll that is;