Beards Provide No Cushion

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Every so often I hear commentators debate if it’s fair that a fighter has a beard because beards provide cushion. Apparently some states don’t even allow them. This is the stupidest debate in boxing. It must be made by people that can’t grow beards. Beards provide protection from maybe food on your chin, but they provide 0 protection from a fist punching it.

KOs are caused by the head rotating and the brain shaking in the skull. The beard does nothing to stop either. Please don’t believe beards provide any protection in boxing, because that’s sooooo stupid.
 
I doubt they make much difference in punch resistance but I wouldn't want some dudes beard rubbing into a cut or my eye.
 
It might help hide the chin a little. Also its possible it would cause the glove to slip off the chin more in one of those borderline glancing blows.

I don't think it's a powerful tool as much as a tiny little edge or annoyance that some fighter doesn't want another fighter to have.
 
i never thought so either but guys who i grew up listening to like Gil Clancy used to mention it. But back in those days, they used to speak of everything like it would make the difference between winning and losing and truth is, there was less margin for error for top fighters then.
 
Seano said:
I doubt they make much difference in punch resistance but I wouldn't want some dudes beard rubbing into a cut or my eye.
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This is exactly it. It is to prevent skin irritation when clinching and whatnot, same reason they make you shave in high school and college wrestling.

The stuff about punch resistance was probably started by someone talking out their ads, because they didn't know reasoning behind the rules
 
I sincerely doubt it helps punch resistance, in fact if anything it might make it worse. That is after all why they dropped head guards from the amateur code.

It's a stupid rule anyway. I remember a pre-fight doctor refused to let me fight unless I went and had a shave because I had a 2 day stubble. I had to quickly hop to the local shop and buy razors and some shaving gel.
 
aries said:
I sincerely doubt it helps punch resistance, in fact if anything it might make it worse. That is after all why they dropped head guards from the amateur code.

It's a stupid rule anyway. I remember a pre-fight doctor refused to let me fight unless I went and had a shave because I had a 2 day stubble. I had to quickly hop to the local shop and buy razors and some shaving gel.
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nasty fucker
 
cottagecheesefan said:
This is exactly it. It is to prevent skin irritation when clinching and whatnot, same reason they make you shave in high school and college wrestling.

The stuff about punch resistance was probably started by someone talking out their ads, because they didn't know reasoning behind the rules
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You know, I forgot about that but when I wrestled in high school, you couldn't have too much facial hair. Totally forgot that until you just said it.
 
Seano said:
You know, I forgot about that but when I wrestled in high school, you couldn't have too much facial hair. Totally forgot that until you just said it.
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Could you not shower in a month and turn up looking like Nicolai valuev?
 
aries said:
I sincerely doubt it helps punch resistance, in fact if anything it might make it worse. That is after all why they dropped head guards from the amateur code.

It's a stupid rule anyway. I remember a pre-fight doctor refused to let me fight unless I went and had a shave because I had a 2 day stubble. I had to quickly hop to the local shop and buy razors and some shaving gel.
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I've had that occur twice and it was 1 day stubble. It felt like a presentation thing.
Though I agree with no beards in boxing, I'm against anything that shrouds the chin. I can only think of one example in MMA, Tank Abbot.
 
I remember Calzaghe's team requesting successfully for Lacy to shave his beard before their fight.
 
hiphopnazi said:
I've had that occur twice and it was 1 day stubble. It felt like a presentation thing.
Though I agree with no beards in boxing, I'm against anything that shrouds the chin. I can only think of one example in MMA, Tank Abbot.
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There are actually quite a few examples. Just to name two, this guy finished a very old and washed up but always dangerous Tank when they fought (RIP Kimbo).
Kimbo-Slice.jpg


Roy Nelson
20140729080337_1MG_4006.JPG

Edit. Woodley as well.
 
Kovalev's "Man Bag" said:
There are actually quite a few examples. Just to name two, this guy finished a very old and washed up but always dangerous Tank when they fought (RIP Kimbo).
Kimbo-Slice.jpg


Roy Nelson
20140729080337_1MG_4006.JPG
Click to expand...

Just a horrible look for boxing or MMA. Thankfully Broner shaved before the Garcia fight.

weigh_in_0006.0.jpg
 
I also had to shave when I wrestled in high school. We had some guys that would rock a mustache or short sideburns but most were clean shaven. Some of them had to be anyway because of the ROTC program's requirements.
 
Seano said:
You know, I forgot about that but when I wrestled in high school, you couldn't have too much facial hair. Totally forgot that until you just said it.
Click to expand...

As someone who has had a beard since 7th grade, there were a lot of wrasslin weigh ins where the ref gave me a random razor with no shaving cream. Very irritating
 
Prime Tyson reportedly attended a ZZ Top show around 1989 and landed clean shots solidly on Billy Gibbons with no effect

billy-gibbons.jpg
 
If you have a full beard it is harder to examine facial cuts as easily
 
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