One of the more unusual tricks in a boxer’s toolkit is Vaseline. Before and during fights, it’s very common to see cutmen or trainers applying dollops of this semi-solid gunk to their boxer’s face. This simple strategy can actually make all the difference in a fight…
Boxers use Vaseline on their face as a way to reduce the friction between an opponent’s gloves and the skin on a fighter’s face. This helps to minimize the chance of bad cuts when punched in the face. By applying Vaseline the punch hopefully will slide off the face of the fighter rather than tearing it.
Why do boxers use Vaseline? 🥊
1. To prevent nasty cuts
Have a feel of the skin on your face. Go on. Your eyebrows, your cheeks. Quite thin eh? Now imagine a 200lb boxer punching you with some dry leather gloves. It’s not just the impact you have to worry about: that leather on your opponent’s glove will literally grip your skin and tear it right open. Ooof nasty.
This is where humble Vaseline comes in. You’re still going to feel the force of the punch but, with Vaseline acting as a lubricant, the glove will hopefully slide right off your face rather than cutting it wide open.
Cuts that boxers sustain to their face due to this tearing effect can be really nasty indeed. Just ask Tyson Fury (see pic below). And fights are regularly stopped by the referee if a cut is too bad and all the blood is blocking the boxer’s vision, preventing him from being able to defend himself.
2. To reduce the blood flow of a cut
If you have a huge gash on your eyebrow that’s spewing blood, the chances are it will be blocking your vision. This is clearly quite problematic in boxing and the boxer’s cutman will have to get to work in between rounds to try and deal with it! Or the fight may be stopped.
In this instance Vaseline, which has a sealant-like effect, is used to literally dam the cut to try and stem the flow of blood. Sometimes Vaseline will be mixed with a coagulant that helps thicken the blood to further limit its flow.
You may have also seen cutmen use what looks like a mini iron. These are actually called enswells and are small, smooth pieces of stainless steel that are kept in ice buckets during the fight. Cutmen apply the enswells to a cut or swollen area of the fighter’s face as the ice-cold metal constricts the vessels, and therefore the flow of blood, in the affected area
Of course, this is a quick and flimsy fix and one more punch to this area will cause the blood to flow again. Boxing is a brutal sport so, if a boxer has a bad cut, then the opponent will very likely press home the advantage and keep targeting that area. Keep your hands up!
Where and how is Vaseline applied to boxers? 😐
Trainers or cutmen apply the Vaseline to various parts of the boxer’s face including the eyebrows, nose, lips, cheekbones, and jawbone. They will usually just use their fingers or sometimes cotton buds and will apply as necessary between rounds.
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- Why do boxers hug? (Clinching explained)
- Why do boxers jump rope? (5 reasons)
What actually is Vaseline? ❓
Vaseline is just a brand of petroleum jelly that has been around since 1870 and has barely changed since then! As the name petroleum jelly suggests, it’s core ingredient comes from crude oil, and it was first discovered by oil workers who noticed it accumulating on machinery and in the bottom of empty oil barrels.
Over the years, this semisolid substance has become ubiquitous in hospitals, factories and households all around the world for its healing and lubricant properties!
Is it legal to for boxers to use Vaseline? ✅
Yep it sure is, at least with all the major governing bodies. Every cutman worth his salt will have some with him during a fight. However, it is at the referee’s discretion. If a boxer comes out absolutely caked in the stuff then the referee can require the fighter to remove some before the fight can continue (have a look at the video above for an example of this).
Besides, it’s not in your interest to have too much on your face in case it ends up in your eyes and blocks your vision or causes irritation.
What else do cutmen have in their bags? 🧰
Adrenaline Chloride or epinephrine: this is the coagulant substance that is often mixed with Vaseline to help stem the flow of blood. Epinephrine is more commonly known as adrenaline and is the key substance used in EpiPens to treat serious allergic reactions. But not enough is used on a boxer’s cut to give him a burst of adrenaline during a fight!
Cotton buds: used to help apply the Vaseline and coagulant to areas of the boxers face, particularly into an open cut
Ice pack: these help the boxer keep cool and lower their body temperature in between rounds. You’ll often see a trainer apply an ice pack to his fighter’s neck, head or chest. Overheating can lead to reduce performance and can also be dangerous.
Enswells: the cold steel plates that I mentioned above that help reduce swelling and blood flow.
Bottled water: used to help wipe down the fighters during rounds, for cleaning out and dampening their mouths, a little drinking but not much!
12th round 🔔
Vaseline is your friend when you step into the ring – don’t forget it! You’re gonna get hit, lets face it, and Vaseline will help prevent your skin from tearing and causing nasty cuts that will bleed fast and take a looooong time to heal.
Happy fighting!🥊🥊
“The three toughest fighters I ever fought were Sugar Ray Robinson, Sugar Ray Robinson and Sugar Ray Robinson. I fought Sugar so many times, I’m surprised I’m not diabetic.” — Jake LaMotta
