NO-GO criteria in boxing

Nitin K Sethi, MD, MBBS, FAAN

Associate Professor of Neurology

New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Weill Cornell Medical Center

New York, NY 10065

Chief Medical Officer, New York State Athletic Commission

New York State, Department of State

The fight should be stopped if the boxer voices any of these complaints or displays any of these signs at any time during the course of the fight:

1. If the boxer voices complaint of headache.
2. If the boxer is displaying overt signs of a concussion and gross motor instability (GMI). These signs include but are not limited to confusion and disorientation, impaired balance and coordination.
3. If the boxer suffers any loss of consciousness after a KO. This boxer should not be allowed to continue even if he gets up at the count of 8.
4. If the boxer suffers an impact seizure or displays fencing responses at the time of a KO. This boxer should not be allowed to continue even if he gets up at the count of 8.
5. The boxer suffers loss of visual acuity during the course of a fight. This is usually on account of trauma to the eye.
6. The boxer suffers loss or restriction of visual field during the course of a fight. This may be on account of trauma to the eye, neural mechanisms which control eye-movements or due to swelling around the eye (peri-orbital swelling).
7. If the boxer becomes a physically compromised fighter during the course of a fight. This usually occurs on account of injury to the hands/shoulders or the lower extremity (knee or ankle injury) leading to inability to defend oneself from the opponent.
8. If the boxer starts to vomit during the course of the bout, the fight should be stopped (caveat is that boxers will sometime vomit after a hard body or liver shot)

Disclaimer: the views expressed above are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the New York State Athletic Commission.