“Since the inception of the Marquess of Queensberry rules boxing has understood the need to be safer. While there have been some rule changes through the years, many have been like applying an ‘enswell’ to reduce swelling. In his latest book, When in Doubt Stop the Bout, Mike Silver asks the hard questions and offers serious and innovative solutions that will make the sport safer without diluting its primal appeal. Anyone who cares about boxing and the fighters who put themselves at risk should read this book.”—Teddy Atlas, Hall of Fame trainer and boxing analyst In When in Doubt, Stop the Bout, renowned boxing historian Mike Silver presents a shocking exposé of the sordid underbelly of professional boxing, and uncovers the sport’s criminally flawed infrastructure and those responsible for it. From compromised referees to poorly trained ringside physicians to an insidious cartel of “sanctioning organizations” approving dangerous mismatches, Silver lays bare the corruption, the negligence, and the incompetence that has made a dangerous sport even more dangerous. But aside from unmasking the chaotic mess that afflicts boxing, this book for the first time proposes groundbreaking practical solutions that will mitigate the danger and save lives. Penetrating and persuasive, When in Doubt, Stop the Bout will change forever how you see the sport of boxing.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: A Brief History Chapter 2: The Case for Shorter Fights: Part 1 Chapter 3: The Case for Shorter Fights Part II: Learning From the Past Chapter 4: The Referee’s Dilemma   Chapter 5: Educating the Referee Chapter 6: Modifying the Rules Chapter 7– A Referee Speaks Out –Anonymously Chapter 8: Hands Up, Chin Down: Reviving a Lost Art Chapter 9: Paging the Ringside Physician: Where are you? Chapter 10: A New Scoring Protocol Chapter 11: Amateur Boxing vs. Professional Boxing and the Headguard Debate   Chapter 12: The Boxing Brain vs. The Football Brain: Name Your Poison Chapter 13: Boxing vs. Mixed Martial Arts: Which Sport is More Dangerous? Chapter 14: To Glove or Not to Glove?—That is the Question Chapter 15: Boxing’s Parasites: How the WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO Continue to Undermine Boxing Safety Chapter 16: For Whom the Bell Tolls: Analyses of 14 Boxing Related Fatalities 1990-2022 Chapter 17: The Future of Professional Boxing Chapter 18: Summary of Recommended Laws and Regulations