1. Bullfighting
Archaeological evidence linked to the Minoan Civilization implies the bullfighting stretches back over 3,000 years. Flash forward to modern-day, and the show remains tremendously popular across Spain and in various other countries of the Spanish-speaking globe.
A word of warning: bullfighting is a blood sport. Not to be confused with the chop-socky movie trilogy, the battle of bulls is a brutal spectacle, including three different, crimson-flowing portions. The rites are undertaken to weaken the bull with puncture wounds inflicted by “picadors” on horseback, and “banderilleros” on foot. This preamble is deemed important; else, the huge beast would easily conquer every time.
Once the bull has been ready for the last act, the matador (Spanish for “killer”) enters the arena equipped only with a thick, scarlet cloak called a muleta and a long, curved blade. This section of the battle is when the matador must display his daring and artistry with a series of spectacular passes. Following his ‘dance with death’, he next moves in for the kill.
2. Boxing
Famed New Yorker journalist and sportswriter A.J. Liebling dubbed it “the sweet science of bruising” to graphically characterise boxing’s peak in the 1940s and 1950s. Today, scientific data presents a considerably more gloomy image of the sport requiring repetitive hits to the brain.
The brain consists of a gelatinous substance floating in cerebrospinal fluid within your skull. This protective padding helps defend against every day impacts to our noggins, but a forceful strike to the skull may cause the brain to slide back and forth, resulting in a person being temporarily unconscious – better known as a knockout.
Comprehensive research now demonstrates that even moderate concussions endured over a fighter’s career may lead to serious cumulative damage. Over time, these injuries often increase as the brain quickly deteriorates with symptoms that include disorientation, dizziness, and headaches. The misuse may also contribute to the development of Parkinson’s disease – such in the case of great boxer, Muhammad Ali.
Few sportsmen in history have ever attained the degree of international renown and affection as “The Greatest.” Ali’s domination within the ring was similarly matched outside of it as an inspiring leader in the battle against racial injustice. His three epic battles with Joe Frazier alone highlight the severe punishment he received that would eventually have huge ramifications.
In 1996, Ali’s physician, Dr. Dennis Cope, commented about the champ’s health in a 60 Minutes interview: “[Ali] has had a development of what’s called Parkinson’s syndrome. And from our tests on him, our opinion has been that it has been attributable to pugilistic brain syndrome coming from boxing,” Cope said.
3. Jai Alai
Dubbed “the fastest sport on the planet,” jai alai (pronounced, “Hi-Lie”) is that odd-looking rivalry seen mostly in countries of Hispanic influence. It’s also incredibly hazardous, resulting in catastrophic injuries and fatalities from head trauma.
The game is played similarly to racquetball on a three-story, three-sided court in which eight teams of two or four players fight round-robin style. But what makes jai alai distinctive is a hard rubber ball called a poleta that goes up to 200 miles-per-hour. The speed is attained with a long hoop worn like a glove called a cesta that creates a huge spin on the ball.
Scoring requires throwing and catching the poleta, and the first team reach 7 or 9 points wins (depending on the tournament type). The swirling action is often quicker than the human eye can follow, but the fervid betting going place in the spectators is as fierce. This deep-rooted feature helped increase jai alai’s appeal, but the corrupt character of gambling would eventually contribute to its collapse as a professional sport.
4. Skydiving
The amazing stunts in Mission: Impossible — Fallout are highlighted by Tom Cruise, pouring out of an aircraft and completing a HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) leap. But the tragic deaths of two skydivers in Georgia have placed an unpleasant spotlight on the perils of skydiving.
The fatalities, a seasoned instructor and an 18-year-old lady on her first jump, were murdered when their chutes failed to open during a tandem jump just south of Atlanta. Jeanna Triplicata and Nick Esposito perished at the site when the main parachute failed to open correctly, and an emergency parachute had only partly deployed due of the low altitude.
According to the United States Parachute Association, 15 fatal skydiving incidents happened in the United States in 2019 out of around 3.3 million jumps. Despite the odd disaster involving Triplica, tandem skydiving is generally more safer, with one student fatality per 500,000 tandem dives in the preceding decade.