| Rabbit Punch | |
|---|---|
 A depiction of a rabbit punch, an illegal strike to the back of the head. | |
| Martial art | Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) |
A rabbit punch is a blow delivered to the back of the head or to the base of the skull, notorious for its potential to cause severe and irreversible injuries, including spinal cord injury or even instant death.
The term "rabbit punch" dates back to the early 20th century, [1] which derives from a hunting technique where a quick, sharp strike to the back of a rabbit's head was used to ensure a swift kill without damaging the fur, considered a humane method for killing injured or trapped rabbits. [2]
Rabbit punches are illegal across all major combat sports, including boxing, [3] MMA, [4] and other combat sports [5] that involve striking due to the significant risk they pose to the spinal cord and brain stem. Such strikes can lead to catastrophic injuries, including paralysis, severe brain damage, or death, due to the vulnerability of the back of the head and neck area. The only exceptions are no-holds-barred events such as the International Vale Tudo Championship (prior to rule changes in mid-2012). [6]
Several high-profile incidents have underscored the dangers of rabbit punches:
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Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing punches at each other for a predetermined amount of time.
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Jerry Quarry, nicknamed "Irish" or "The Bellflower Bomber", was an American professional boxer. During the peak of his career from 1968 to 1971, Quarry was rated by The Ring magazine as the most popular fighter in the sport. His most famous bouts were against Muhammad Ali. He is regarded as being one of the best heavyweight boxers never to win a title. He beat former world heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson and top contenders Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Brian London, Thad Spencer, Buster Mathis, Randy Neumann, Jack Bodell, Mac Foster and Eduardo Corletti. The damage he accumulated from lack of attention to defense against larger men at the top level, no head guard sparring, and attempted comebacks in 1977, 1983, and 1992 resulted in Quarry developing an unusually severe case of dementia pugilistica.
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Prichard Colón Meléndez is an American/Puerto Rican former professional boxer, honorary WBC World Champion, and gold medal winner at the 2010 Pan American Youth Championship in the 64 kg category. After a 2015 match with Terrel Williams, in which he was repeatedly struck in the back of his head, Colón collapsed in the dressing room and remained in a coma for 221 days due to a brain hemorrhage. He was then in a persistent vegetative state and unable to speak. He was eventually released from the hospital, and is currently receiving physiotherapy and is now able to communicate through the use of a computer.
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