Wildly off topic now, but take a look at this:
https://www.wired.com/2016/08/olympic-boxers-arent-wearing-headgear-anymore/
Head gear is great for protecting against cuts, abrasion, sharp impacts like elbows etc, but the dull force of a ball landing repeatedly on the head, because the brain is slightly loose inside the skull, it doesn’t do anything. The ball moves the head with the headgear with the same force, and that rocks the brain.
just re-read what you said re the padding, but that reduction is so, so minimal.