[i]Boxer Dies From Injuries Suffered In Title Fight
POSTED: 11:00 pm EDT September 22, 2005
LAS VEGAS – Boxer Leavander Johnson has died from injuries suffered five days earlier in a lightweight title fight with Jesus Chavez.
The 35-year-old died at University Medical Center, where he had been hospitalized since being injured in the fight Saturday night at the MGM Grand hotel-casino. A hospital spokeswoman said Johnson was pronounced dead late Thursday afternoon.
Johnson was put in a medically induced coma after undergoing brain surgery less than an hour after his fight with Chavez. Doctors were initially unsure he would make it through the night, but the next day expressed cautious optimism after tests showed improvement in brain function.
Johnson was defending the IB F title he won in June against Chavez, but took a beating in the fight before finally being stopped by a flurry of punches in the 11th round.[/i] http://www.wftv.com/sports/5009894/detail.html
Imagine a sport where the object of the game is to pound the other person into unconsciousness. Brutal.
I love boxing, but the rules are brutal when it comes to the skull. Boxers are geting stronger and faster every day as well, so the risk keeps going up. I think we are going to see more ref stoppages, more standing eight counts, and fewer rounds per fight in the future.
If you guys have seen the Gatti/Ward wars, and what they have done to Mickey Ward’s vision and coordination, you know what I’m talking about. Of course there is the obvious Muhammad Ali reference, as well.
It is a sport that more or less boils down to punching someone in the head as hard and often as you can. When you factor in the padding, which allows even more blows before KO, you get a recipe for brain damage.
The results of this fight are hauntingly similiar to the Ray Mancini-Duk Koo KIm fight…brain hemmorraging, coma and death a few days later. I hope that similiar tragedies don’t follow Levander Johnson’s death as they did in the case of Duk Koo Kim (both the referee and his mother committed suicide within 5 months of the fight).
This is a problematic issue, because even the most competent ref can’t tell if a fighter’s brain is swelling or if he is suffering from internal bleeding within the confines of his skull. All he has to go on are the obvious signs and a fighter’s willingness to continue. The referee in this bout stopped the fight on a TKO in the 11th round. It seems that wasn’t soon enough.
I love this sport and always will. As for these particular circumstances, I don’t really have any suggestions as to how to change things so this doesn’t happen again. Shortening bouts from 15 to 12 rounds was the step taken after Koo Kim…do I think they should shorten the length of fights yet again?To 10 rounds?No, I can’t say that I do. Mainly because I don’t think that would make a difference, most of the punishment one receives in a bout that is 12 rounds likely occurs between the 7th and 10th round anyways.
Peace be with this man’s family and all who are affected by his untimely demise.
The thing is, even though boxing isn’t healthy, if you really love it, you’re spending your body on something you love and that is improving your quality of life. No point having a long, drawn out life without pleasure or passion - our bodies are there to be enjoyed.