Bear-Arms
Mentor
BOSTON - City officials have pulled the plug on an "ultimate fighting" event and are threatening to ban the kicking and punching bouts altogether, saying they incite crowds and threaten public safety.
Police and licensing officials blocked a competition planned for this Saturday even though ultimate fighting is legal and is regulated by the Massachusetts Boxing Commission.
"This is not something the city of Boston is going to sanction at this point," said Patricia Malone, head of the city's licensing department.
The fighting is "extremely dangerous" and "incites the crowd. It's definitely a public safety issue," she said.
Ultimate fighting features brawlers inside caged rings. Fights are won by knockout or submission, which usually occurs when a participant is trapped in a dangerous hold. It is legal in most states, but is banned in Illinois and St. Paul, Minn.
"It's basically a mix of 10 styles of fighting that are all legal," said Pat Schultz, 29, a participant from Wareham. "I think the sport might be getting a bad rap from people who don't know about it."
Six hundred tickets were sold for Saturday's event, promoter Mike Varner said. He plans to move the event to a facility in Taunton. "We're licensed. It's regulated. We have insurance," he said.
Ultimate fighting supporters say no one has died in a sanctioned bout. However, at least 10 people have died in "Toughman" amateur boxing matches since that competition started 25 years ago.
Just this weekend, Daniel Quirk, 22, was fatally injured while taking part in a pro wrestling event called Ultimate Championship Wrestling, also in Taunton. Authorities said Quirk, of Shelton, Conn., was outside the ring and attempted to catch another wrestler diving from the top rope. He was knocked off his feet and hit his head on the floor, police said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050601/ap_on_re_us/ultimate_fig hting_ban
Police and licensing officials blocked a competition planned for this Saturday even though ultimate fighting is legal and is regulated by the Massachusetts Boxing Commission.
"This is not something the city of Boston is going to sanction at this point," said Patricia Malone, head of the city's licensing department.
The fighting is "extremely dangerous" and "incites the crowd. It's definitely a public safety issue," she said.
Ultimate fighting features brawlers inside caged rings. Fights are won by knockout or submission, which usually occurs when a participant is trapped in a dangerous hold. It is legal in most states, but is banned in Illinois and St. Paul, Minn.
"It's basically a mix of 10 styles of fighting that are all legal," said Pat Schultz, 29, a participant from Wareham. "I think the sport might be getting a bad rap from people who don't know about it."
Six hundred tickets were sold for Saturday's event, promoter Mike Varner said. He plans to move the event to a facility in Taunton. "We're licensed. It's regulated. We have insurance," he said.
Ultimate fighting supporters say no one has died in a sanctioned bout. However, at least 10 people have died in "Toughman" amateur boxing matches since that competition started 25 years ago.
Just this weekend, Daniel Quirk, 22, was fatally injured while taking part in a pro wrestling event called Ultimate Championship Wrestling, also in Taunton. Authorities said Quirk, of Shelton, Conn., was outside the ring and attempted to catch another wrestler diving from the top rope. He was knocked off his feet and hit his head on the floor, police said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050601/ap_on_re_us/ultimate_fig hting_ban
