Osbot,

On the boxing subject...

The broken knuckles came from bare knuckle fights before I started boxing amateur. With adrenaline flowing I didn't really feel the damage until after the fight. All it takes is hitting something hard (like a forehead) at a less than perfect angle. Folks don't stand stationary for that... Most boxers I know won't hit someone bare knuckle if they can avoid it, because of the tendency to screw up their hands. Even with gloves and wraps it is easy to get hand injuries--happens to the pro's all the time. I hit so much harder now than I did back in pre-boxing days that I really don't want to risk a hand injury. I've noticed the same increase in power when coaching new boxers, their hitting power improves several fold as they learn how to shift their weight and drive into the punch.

The serious amateurs are better boxers than most of the pro's. The biggest difference I see is that most pro's can take more punishment. Durability vs. technique. Boxing as a sport is much better in the amateurs.