Rabbit punches must be strictly forbidden

Boxing SA, like the World Boxing Council,  must urge referees to be vigilant and strictly apply the rules concerning rabbit punches, which are putting the lives of boxers in grave danger.

The reason a rabbit punch is terribly dangerous, is because the lower area of the neck is adjacent to the part of the brain called the medulla oblongata, which is where the spine connects to the brain stem. Punching to this area is strictly forbidden, because it can lead to paralysis as well as catastrophic brain damage.

Simon Mokadi should have acted swiftly against Tshifhiwa Munyai, who dropped Lusanda Komanisi with that punch on Saturday night. But instead, Mokadi ruled it a legitimate knockdown and conducted a count against Komanisi.

But Mokadi – a veteran of more than two decades – said: “It landed on his ear. We warn boxers when they hit behind the ear. Others even do that deliberately; we give such instructions at the dressing rooms before every fights.

“It was a close fight – there were too many fouls and that included holding a lot; that is why I thought taking a point from  each one  was going to make it more difficult.”

A recent incident in the Dominican Republic landed boxer Tomas “Gusano” Rojas in hospital, after his opponent Ranfis Encarnacion hit him with a rabbit punch. Rojas collapsed and had convulsions in the ring.  He was rushed to hospital and mercifully seems to have recovered.  The referee deducted two points from the offending fighter and then disqualified him.

In 2015 boxer Prichard Colon suffered terrible and permanent injuries in a fight against Terrell Williams, due to rabbit punches. He was unable to answer the bell for the 10th round, collapsed, had a brain bleed and went into a coma.

Although Prichard survived, his injuries are severe and permanent. He is learning how to communicate via a computer.