Facts about cockfighting  
 
  A cockfight is a blood sport between two specially trained roosters held in a ring called a cockpit. The combatants, known as gamecocks or cocks, are not typical farm roosters. The cocks are specially bred and conditioned for increased stamina and strength. The comb and wattle are removed from a young gamecock because, if left intact, the tissue might encounter health issues, such as frostbite or parasites. Cocks possess inherent aggression toward all males of the same species; thus, cocks do not require fight training. Often wagers are made on the outcome of the match, and the winner is determined by various rules: not all fights are to the death. Cockfighting can be considered a traditional sporting event or an example of animal cruelty. In some regional variations, the birds are equipped with either gaffs or knives tied to the leg in the area where the bird's natural spur has been partially removed. A cockspur is a bracelet (often made of leather) with a curved, sharp spike which is attached to the leg of the bird. The spikes typically range in length from "short spurs" of just over an inch to "long spurs" almost two and a half inches long. In the highest levels of seventeenth century English cockfighting, the spikes were made of silver. In the "naked heel" variation, the bird's natural spurs are left intact and sharpened: fighting is done without gaffs or taping. Belgium, Colombia, France, Mexico, Dominican Republic, Italy, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Guam have well-established arenas with seats or bleachers for spectators surrounding the ring, similar to a wrestling or boxing arena. Fights may be held all throughout the day, with people betting on which birds will win. In many countries, the spectacle of cockfighting draws whole families, and in some countries, cockfighting is as popular as baseball and football are in the United States. Among the competitors who raise fighting cocks, there is great pride in the prowess of their birds and in winning a championship. Cockfighting was so popular at one time that in 1974 director Monte Hellman made a movie called Cockfighter based on the novel of the same name by Charles Willeford.