I got clipped by a perfect cross last week. An absolutely clean shot which resulted in a bloody lip and that temporary white spark when your brain tries to process what had happened. I still sparred a few more rounds and got hit some more, although not as clean as that cross.
My logical mind tells me to stop sparring. It’s not worth it. I know those clean shots, although not as severe as a knockout, will have repercussions when I get older. There has to be. The research is already clear on CTE. I could argue that mine is “milder” but those cumulative hits might take a toll on the brain.
The only reason I am still sparring is because I love boxing. I enjoy experimenting different feints, angles, footwork, and tactics to score some points. But the brutal truth is that no matter how careful and strategic I am, getting hit is inevitable. It’s part of the game.
I have also noticed that whenever there is a small crowd that gathers to watch us spar, I tend to take more risks than I need to. My ego wants to entertain the crowd. My ego wants to prove something. That’s not good.
Prevention is better than cure, so I’m calling it quits on sparring before I regret it later. I’ll stick to pad work and the heavy bag. Goodbye sparring—it was super fun.