Boxing on the ropes

No fights on home soil for Norway's Ole Klemetsen (r)

By BBC Sport Online's Mark Barden.

How easy would it be to outlaw boxing in Britain?

The serious injuries suffered by Paul Ingle in his bout against Mbulelo Botile in Sheffield at the weekend have once again sparked debate over whether the sport should be made illegal.

There are precedents for banning the 'noble art'.

Professional boxing has been illegal in Sweden since 1970, and in Norway since 1981. Fighters from those countries are forced to ply their trade abroad.

A spokesman for Norway's Royal Ministry of Culture said: "There was not much public discussion or criticism about the legislation in 1981, but it has since been challenged.

"These challenges are on the grounds that the law restricts consenting individuals' freedom to take part in an activity.

"But the government views the health concerns which led to the legislation being introduced as the most important factor."

Nearly 20 years on, Norwegian legislators are currently revisiting the issue.

The spokesman said: "The rise in popularity of what can be called 'knockout sports' has led to more debate, and Parliament is considering a ban on professional kick boxing."

Public pressure

Dr Jeremy Moon, head of law at the University of North London, believes if the UK government was determined to ban boxing, the sport's supporters could not stop it.

He said: "If the will to do so is there, governments can push bills through very quickly.

Health Secretary Alan Milburn is against a ban

"But this is the kind of issue which any administration would only legislate on if it was under a lot of public pressure, where it believed the move towards any such ban was inexorable.

"I imagine the main anxiety would be about driving boxing underground, where there would be fewer controls and safeguards."

Professor Moon added that MPs would probably be allowed to make up their own minds if any anti-boxing laws come before Parliament.

"Governments like to look in control, but any legislation to ban boxing could well be subject to a free vote as with other 'conscience votes' on issues such abortion and the age of consent for gays."

New legislation is not, however, the only way in which boxing - certainly at professional level - could be wiped off the sporting map.

Co-operation

Two years ago, the possibility of doctors taking matters into their own hands by withdrawing their co-operation from boxing promotions was raised in the British Medical Journal.

Professor Hugh Brayne of Sunderland University floated the idea in a discussion paper examining the case law surrounding boxing.

Ringside medical assistance is a legal requirement at all promotions.

So could the British Medical Association make its opposition to boxing even more plain by asking members not to make their expertise available?

BMA spokeswoman Linda Millington said: "We are, in essence, a trade union, but this is not the sort of issue we could call industrial action over.

"It would basically amount to a withdrawal of labour which, by the nature of their profession, many doctors would not countenance.

"Boxing also has its supporters within the profession, so any attempt to end all co-operation between doctors and the sport would be unenforcible."

It seems that only a massive swing of public opinion against boxing will set in motion the moves which would consign it to the history books.