Bare Knuckle boxing may seem like it would be more violent, ruthless, and dangerous for boxers to compete in because they don't have the padded gloves that modern day boxers do - but as it turns out, those gloves do more harm than good.
When Bare Knuckle boxing was growing in popularity during t he 19th Century, boxers would very rarely punch another boxer in the head. Punching another boxer in the skull with your bare hand often resulted in a few broken bones in your hand - so it was avoided at all costs. Boxers would exchange blows to the body for as many as 75 rounds.
With the introduction of a padded glove, boxers are free to punch each other in the skull without worry of breaking their hands. According to Dr Alan J Ryan in over 100 years of bare knuckle boxing in the states - there wasn't a single fatality in the ring. In today's boxing, there are around 3 or 4 in the US alone each year and 15% of fighters end up with severe brain damage that can often leave them deaf or paralyzed!