On March 20, 1948 Jimmy Doyle’s Makes History
1948: Several ring deaths in the past year, including Jimmy Doyle’s at the hands of welterweight champ Sugar Ray Robinson, lead to the National Boxing Association adopting a 21-point safety program designed for the protection of all fighters under its jurisdiction.
Among the new rules are more thorough physical examinations, a minimum of six weeks elapsed before a knocked-out boxer can fight again, a mandatory eight-count after knockdowns and the use of eight-ounce gloves.
In a move that would remove consistent losers and washed-up fighters from the sport, the committee decided that in case of repeated knockdowns and beatings, the boxer would be forced to retire.
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