The most common boxing injuries are cuts and bruises. Stitches for the skin and dental work to repair busted teeth are the result of devastating hits. Terrible body blows can lead to broken ribs and internal bleeding. Eyes can be darkened by a direct hit. Noses are easily broken by a fist landing at the correct angle.

In the ring, cuts are staunched quickly and noses are set between rounds. A trainer resets the boxer's nose bones back to their original position, packing the nostrils with gauze to hold it in place. Only after the match does a doctor investigate the extent to which the nose has been broken.

The most dangerous and frightening injury is Dementia Pugilistica (DP). This happens when boxers have suffered repeated blows to the head. DP shows up as dementia, declining mental ability, problems with memory, parkinsonism, tremors and lack of coordination. Boxers who suffered DP are called "Punchy" or "punch-drunk."

Source: BBC Health: Boxing