Semi-official journal of the Vatican Secreariat: professional boxing immoral.
Apart from what the journal called boxing’s violent nature, Civilta Cattolica condemned it because of the way it is run and promoted. "In reality, professional boxing is manipulated by powerful economic groups, which are often ruthless and cruel, and for whom the boxer is not a man but only a machine to make money," the journal said.
Um, that's all of pro sports and most of the business world...
There is, however, a difference between civility of competition between baseball, which has a certain level of sophistication in the elaborate rules and requirements on the players, and boxing, which requires nothing more than pummelling your opponent until he falls over. Even American football requires more subtly than boxing. And the JPtG made comments about how professional football matches (read: soccer) shouldn't be played on Sundays.