Wrestlers Around the World Have Weird Ears, Ever Wondered Why?

You might notice this odd deformity in the ears of many wrestlers and boxers at the Rio Olympics. What is it?

(Photo: Reuters/Altered by The Quint)

“Has anyone ever pulled your ear? Mine has been pulled and even broken since childhood,” said Indian wrestler Babita Phogat in a recent advertisement. A sport where winning means beating others up and getting beaten yourself, wrestling and boxing are sports more rough than others.

At the ongoing Rio Olympics, you might notice an odd (read: grotesque) deformity in the ears of many wrestlers and boxers. The extra skin that you see covering the ears of athletes of these close-contact sports is the result of repeated blows and injuries.

Babita Phogat will be starting her Rio campaign on 18 August. (Photo Courtesy: Facebook/Babita Phogat)

A condition called ‘cauliflower ear’, caused by friction between wrestlers on the mat, leads to the formation of small collections of blood that clot and block the flow of blood and nutrients.

As the injury to the ear heals it can shrivel up and fold in on itself and appear pale, giving it a cauliflower-like appearance, hence the term cauliflower ear.

Also occurring in non-athletes, cauliflower ear is common among boxers, wrestlers, martial artists and even rugby players, many of who even consider it to be a badge of courage or experience.

Though the condition can be avoided by wearing proper gear, male boxers this year have been fighting without any headgear for the first time in 36 years, making the sport less safe, but attractive to a few.

(Source: MedicineNet)