Danny Garcia vs. Lucas Matthysse was the co-main event on the Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez card. Danny Garcia was undefeated going into the fight, but was an underdog to the hard hitting Lucas Matthysse.
The non-televised Bradley-Marquez undercard fights and star-studded red carpet show.
HBO Pay-Per-View will broadcast at 9 p.m. ET/6p.m. PT Oct. 12 from the Thomas & Mack Center welterweight champion TIMOTHY BRADLEY versus Mexican legend JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ. Also on the card: In a highly unusual move, featherweight VASYL LOMACHENKO will make his Pro Debut in a 10-round fight against JOSE RAMIREZ (25-3, 15 KOs), of Mexicali.
You can also purchase the fight online via www.TopRank.TV to watch multi-camera views and language support, as well as a special bird's eye view.
Major Leaguer Ryan Freel Suffered from CTE Before His Suicide
MLB player who committed suicide suffered from brain disease CTE
Ryan Freel, who had 10 concussions throughout his career, suffered from disease common in athletes
Former Major League Baseball player Ryan Freel was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a brain disease often associated with frequent concussions — when he committed suicide last year, according to his family. Freel, who reportedly suffered 10 concussions during his career, is the first professional baseball player shown to have had CTE.
The disease has been tied to repeated hits to the head, and it more commonly affects football players, hockey players and boxers. Freel's family said they obtained his results from the Boston University Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy and Sports Legacy Institute.
Several former football and hockey players in recent years have been found to have been suffering from CTE after committing suicide. Earlier this month, five former football players filed a lawsuit against the Kansas City Chiefs, claiming the team’s management hid information and even lied to players about the risks of head injuries.
CTE, which has been linked to dementia and loss of decision-making
control, can be diagnosed only by examining a person's brain after
death. However, researchers with the National Institutes of Health (NIH)
hope to develop tests to detect and treat CTE while the patient is
alive.
"This is a public health problem," Walter Koroshetz, deputy director
of the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders, told Reuters.
"We don't know the mechanics of the head injuries that lead to this,
the number and severity that is required to get this. We don't know
whether certain people based on their genes are more susceptible or not. There are a lot of questions to be answered."
Freel, who was 36 at the time of his death in December 2012, died
from a self-inflicted shotgun wound. A Boston University report
confirmed that Freel, who retired in 2010 after eight seasons in the
major leagues, had been suffering from Stage II CTE at the time he died,the Florida Times-Union reported. Freel's mother, Norma Vargas, told the paper that the report would
serve as some semblance of "closure" for Freel's three children.
"It could help them understand why he did what he did. Maybe not now, but one day they will," she said.
Great fight and Marcos finally gets his due. He clearly won but the big box office star Broner did not steal the fight even though it went to a decision on the judges part. Congratulations to the new champion Maidana.
The repetitive punches that a boxer throws during training sessions can lead to injuries of the shoulder involving muscles, ligaments and tendons. Ignoring the pain or "playing through" a shoulder injury and treating it as second nature to your sport can lead to further degeneration of the injured tissues. Orthopaedic surgeons group shoulder problems into two groups; those caused by the instability or dislocation of one or more of the joints of the shoulder or impingement, the result of excessive rubbing of the shoulder muscle against the top part of the shoulder blade.
TYPES
While impingement issues plague boxers, the most common types of shoulder injuries are due to instability or weakness of the muscles that compose the rotator cuff. In 2007 Maj. Brett D. Owens, MD, published a study on the frequency of subluxation or partial dislocations and full dislocations of a joint. The study involving 4,000 athletic participants at West Point Military Academy in West Point, New York, found that incidence of shoulder subluxations was more than five times higher than that of dislocations. The sport of boxing was found to cause the most non-contact injuries -- 14.5 percent -- with missed punches being the most frequent factor in an anterior shoulder subluxation.
SYMPTOMS
When a boxer experiences an injury of the rotator cuff whether instability or impingement related, the ability to hold the hands up, throw or block a punch will be affected. As you participate in drills you may feel as though the joint is slipping out of place and can suffer from pain in the shoulder, inflammation as well as a greatly reduced range of motion. TREATMENT
Immediately after sustaining a shoulder injury you should rest the shoulder, and immobilize the arm and apply ice to the area. Anti-inflammatory medications are often suggested to reduce any swelling. Seek the advice of a medical professional before returning to boxing to avoid any further injury to the shoulder joint.
PREVENTION
Stretching the shoulder can help prevent shoulder injuries in boxing. To stretch the shoulder and rotator cuff, muscles cross the right arm over the chest and hold in place with the left arm by bending the arm up at the elbow. Strengthening of the rotator cuff is used during a rehabilitation program as well as being used to prevent shoulder injuries as well. Common exercises are internal or external rotations of the shoulder using resistance bands. To perform an internal rotation, bend the arm of the injured shoulder to a 90 degree, and angle and rotate the shoulder inward while holding a band.
Concussion is the most common form of head injury for athletes. It is associated with disorientation, and sometimes with loss of consciousness (LOC) followed by amnesia (forgetting) of what happened both immediately before and after the injury. However, it is important to note that it is not necessary to lose consciousness to have a concussion. Mild confusion or disorientation about who or where you are, what the time or date is, what you were doing when the injury happened, or a persistent headache can be signs of concussion.
II. How do concussions occur?
Our brains are protected inside a hard outer covering of bone, the skull, which is our own natural helmet. Between the skull and the brain is a layer of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that suspends the brain inside the skull. The CSF acts as a shock absorber, allowing for some movement of the brain before it bumps into the bone. There are two common types of injury to the brain in sports: Acceleration-Deceleration and Rotational. Acceleration-Deceleration Injury usually happens when the athlete's head is traveling at a certain speed and then abruptly stops. When this happens, the brain can hit the inside of the skull and brush against bony structures damaging delicate brain tissue. Rotational Injury happens because the brain is attached at its base where it joins the spinal column. Hits to the head or body may cause rotational motion of the brain within the CSF. This type of injury often leads to shearing of the brain nerve cells. So, you don’t have to hit your head to sustain a concussion.
III. Second Impact Syndrome
A rare, yet serious and possibly fatal, disorder, Second Impact Syndrome, occurs when a young athlete has not yet recovered from a concussion and then within a short period of time (usually within one week) receives a second blow to the head. In such cases, it is possible for rapid brain deterioration and even death to occur as the brain is not yet fully recovered from the first injury and the second injury causes rapid swelling in the skull.
IV. Post Concussion Syndrome
Following a concussion, especially repeated or successive concussions, the athlete may experience many different kinds of symptoms, which may last for days, weeks, months, or longer. These are generally problems with thinking, sense of well-being, and mood. Headaches are a frequent complaint, as well as difficulty with memory, poor concentration and attention, fatigue, dizziness, anxiety, depression, and irritability. Sometimes, symptoms include "not feeling as quick or clear- thinking" as usual.
V. Evaluation of the Effects of Concussion
When concussion is suspected, medical evaluation and treatment should be sought as soon as possible. If there are continued complaints of attention/concentration/memory difficulties, irritability, fatigue, lowered performance in school, headache, dizziness, emotional or other symptoms, it is highly recommended that the athlete receive a neuropsychological examination. A neuropsychological examination can measure brain functioning in ways that a neurological exam, MRI, CT scan cannot. In cases of mild concussion and post-concussion syndrome, it is very common for results of neurological exams and tests to be normal. whereas the neuropsychological evaluation is able to identify the brain dysfunction. The neuropsychologist can help determine a plan of treatment and identify when the athlete is ready to return to sports.
VI. What can parents and athletes do to prevent the lasting effects of concussion? Youth are the most vulnerable to concussion and often don’t recognize that they have experienced one. Immediate removal from physical activity and plenty of rest after a concussion is crucial until all symptoms are gone. As is now mandatory in the NHL and NFL, we recommend that athletes receive preseason baseline cognitive testing before concussions occur. Then, if an athlete sustains a concussion, his/her progress can be followed by re-testing, comparing post concussion test results to baseline results, to help make the proper decision about when to return to sports.
By BRUCE SCHREINER (Associated Press) | The Associated Press – Tue, 27 Aug, 2013
FILE - In this Jan. 14, 2012 file photo, boxing great Muhammad Ali, with his wife, Lonnie, right, waves to friends attending a celebration for his 70th …
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- Boxing great Muhammad Ali wants to recognize the greatness of people waging their own fights for social justice.
The former three-time heavyweight champion plans to be in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., for the presentation of the first-ever Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards on Oct. 3.
The award winners were not immediately identified but include people who have fought for gender equity in Afghanistan, started a school for orphaned children in Uganda and has provided shoes for the homeless in the U.S., the Muhammad Ali Center said Tuesday.
The awards revolve around core principles espoused by Ali, with an emphasis on the humanitarian works of young adults, the center said.
Ali's wife said the awards embody her husband's efforts to inspire good deeds by others.
''Of course he is proud of his accomplishments in the ring, but Muhammad's proudest moments are those where he is able to touch the lives of others in positive and sometimes profound ways,'' Lonnie Ali said in a statement. ''Muhammad is a living example of how one person can inspire and improve the lives of others.''
A half-dozen awards will honor people ages 35 and under for making significant contributions to the causes of peace, social justice and other humanitarian janeefforts, the center said. Awards will be given for exemplifying each principle - confidence, conviction, dedication, giving, respect and spirituality.
''The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards is his opportunity to formally recognize some of these young people for the good works they do and to encourage them and others to begin and continue to do good in their own communities and hopefully extend that good to the global community,'' Lonnie Ali said.
One winner has fought for gender equality in Afghanistan by promoting women's sports, the Ali Center said. Another started a community school in Uganda that educates orphans and children from families touched by HIV and AIDS. Another co-founded a nonprofit group that offers free sports clinics for special-needs children and sensitivity training to help other students understand the challenges they face.
Other presentations will be for a Humanitarian of the Year Award, a Lifetime Achievement Award and a Kentucky Humanitarian of the Year Award.
Ali and his wife are members of the selection committee.
Award presenters will include Ali's daughter Laila Ali, a boxing champion herself, the center said.
The awards ceremony will be at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville. It will be part of a three-day celebration at the Ali Center.
On Oct. 2, the Ali Center said, it will host the U.S. premiere of the HBO Films presentation of ''Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight.'' The film looks at Ali's historic Supreme Court battle from behind closed doors. Ali was stripped of his heavyweight crown in 1967 for refusing to be drafted for military service during the Vietnam War. He cited his religious beliefs as the reason for his refusal. His decision resulted
He never lost this one!His team is too good at picking weaker opponents for him to vanquish.
By Eric Raskin on
Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesOn June 16, 2012, a week after the Tim Bradley–Manny Pacquiao decision that launched every conspiracy theory short of a fourth judge on the grassy knoll, HBO broadcaster Larry Merchant uttered possibly the most perfect quote I’ve heard in my 16 years covering the sport: “Nothing will kill boxing, and nothing can save it.” It’s unfortunate that those who insist on offering opinions about boxing despite never watching boxing didn’t hear Merchant deliver the line. In nine words, he rejected all of the dead-sport-in-need-of-saving rhetoric that ironically surfaces most on those nights when the sport is at its healthiest.
This Saturday is just such a night. In the buildup to boxing’s biggest event in six years, Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, mainstream media outlets have informed the world that Mayweather is boxing’s last superstar, that this is the sport’s final moment of relevance, that all the fans are dying off or moving over to MMA. If it sounds familiar, it’s because it’s exactly what we heard and read when Mayweather took on Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 in the so-called "Fight to Save Boxing."
Enjoy the last major fight ever, folks. Nobody will replace De La Hoya. Oh, but pay no attention to those 10 pay-per-view fights over the next six years that will break the million-buy barrier.
Nothing will kill boxing. And nothing can save it. But it does need at least a household name or two in order to continue producing these crossover events that make pugilism’s elite filthy rich and inspire the contradictory doomsday rhetoric. Boxing will always survive. But the superstars are essential to making it thrive.
And in that sense, maybe Mayweather–De La Hoya really was the fight to save boxing — and maybe Mayweather-Canelo is the fight to save it again. Because maybe the question shouldn’t be “What becomes of boxing if its last superstar, Mayweather, loses?” Maybe it’s “What could possibly be better for boxing than Mayweather losing to this particular opponent?”
As a teenager reading the August 1990 issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, a phrase in a caption referring to the Ultimate Warrior’s victory over Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania VI has always stuck in my head: “the smoothest transfer of world title power the sport has ever seen.” Never mind that pro wrestling isn’t a sport — Hogan lost directly and cleanly to Warrior, giving his successor an aura of authenticity.
The same happened in boxing in 2007 and 2008. De La Hoya, by far the most bankable star of his era, suffered two defeats in 19 months, at the hands of Mayweather and Pacquiao. Both pound-for-pounders were attracting in the neighborhood of 400,000 PPV buys before taking on Oscar. Since beating De La Hoya, Mayweather’s six fights have averaged 1.17 million buys, while Pacquiao’s eight have averaged 1.06 million. Beating The Man doesn’t always make you The Man, but in these cases it did because the requisite charisma (in one form or another) and elite talent were in place.
De La Hoya lost, twice, but the story wasn’t the death of boxing’s last great star. It was the birth of boxing’s next great stars. And if Mayweather loses on Saturday night, same deal. The 23-year-old Alvarez is the most popular young fighter in North America by a wide margin, even if there’s some debate over just how popular he is. The bigger questions about him concern not his marketability but his ability. Is he actually a special fighter? If it turns out Canelo is special enough to topple Mayweather, he instantly becomes boxing’s newest million-buy superstar, with the erasure of Floyd’s self-ballyhooed undefeated record giving him that final push to the top.
Not to fuel the boxing-is-dying lobby, but there is cause for some concern if Alvarez doesn’t win and isn’t the next big thing. Who are the other candidates right now? Maybe Adrien Broner, but there’s a lot of work to be done there. Almost certainly not Andre Ward, magnificent as he is from a skill perspective. Possibly Gennady Golovkin, but he’s already in his 30s and still rather unproven. Perhaps it's somebody just hitting the pro ranks who we've barely even heard of.
For the moment, Canelo is by far the top candidate. And the timing is right for a passing of the torch, because Pacquiao is undeniably slowing down and Mayweather, at age 36 and with a couple of temporary retirements already in his rearview, is likely to be gone within another few years. It’s not a case of boxing needing Alvarez to win this fight — but if he doesn’t, boxing’s best chance for a direct transfer of power from one generation to the next passes the sport by. It would mean the next PPV superstar has to grind his way there without the exponential bump that comes from dethroning the king.
And whenever you start talking about what’s in boxing’s best interest, the conversation leads to conspiracy theories. Look at this fight from the perspective of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Alvarez but doesn’t technically promote Mayweather (rather, it partners with Mayweather Promotions on a fight-by-fight basis). Financially, isn’t using Mayweather to launch the 13-years-younger Canelo the best long-term play for Golden Boy? Or look at the short term, for Golden Boy, and for Showtime, which is in the second fight of a six-fight contract with Mayweather and is widely believed to have lost money on the first fight of that deal, Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero. If Alvarez beats Mayweather, then Floyd’s next fight is a rematch that’s an even bigger financial bonanza than tomorrow’s fight will be. If Mayweather beats Alvarez — specifically, if he beats him conclusively — then there is no rematch, and Floyd is probably looking at a Guerrero-level opponent next.
The idea of a “fixed” fight in modern boxing is something of a myth, but the same theories about David Stern’s office communicating to referees which NBA team they’d like to see advance can apply to boxing. The conspiracy theorists will say that judges know what’s preferable for the business, that they know who the “house fighter” is, and that they will often score close rounds accordingly. It’s not a “fix,” exactly. But nor is it a level playing field. And if this fight goes 12 rounds and is remotely close, Mayweather might be on the wrong end of that tilted plane. Hell, all three judges found a way to give Guerrero three rounds against him. Going back to the confounding decision that inspired Merchant’s perfect quote, if Pacquiao could get jobbed against Bradley, then anything is possible.
Again, much hinges on whether Canelo is transcendent as a boxing talent or only as a ticket seller. But if he is the former, and if he can defeat Mayweather, we’re talking about a cathedral ceiling for his earning potential. Mayweather was 30 when he defeated De La Hoya to become a household name. Pacquiao was two weeks shy of his 30th birthday when he beat Oscar. Not since Mike Tyson has someone in his early 20s been the biggest star in the sport. If Canelo becomes a million-buy A-side at 23, that puts him on a path to shatter all the PPV records that Tyson, then De La Hoya, and then Mayweather set.
It’s a tantalizing proposition for a sport that isn’t dying and isn’t in need of saving, but will soon be in need of a new face to connect it to the mainstream. Canelo has the right face for the role. Unless, of course, Mayweather rearranges it.
Eric Raskin (@EricRaskin) is a former managing editor of The Ring magazine and former editor-in-chief of ALL IN magazine. He co-hosts the twice-monthly boxing podcast Ring Theory.
HBO boxing analyst Max Kellerman conducted a fascinating interview with Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez about their Oct. 12 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas. An edited, shortened version of that interview appears above.
In the full version, which is still available via HBO GO, Bradley makes several startling admissions, conceding that he was slurring his words and having trouble with his memory months after his scintillating March 16 victory over Ruslan Provodnikov.
That bout is one of the front-runners to be named 2013 Fight of the Year, and is one of the defining moments of Bradley's career.
During the 12-minute segment, he makes several startling admissions.
A few weeks after the fight, I was still affected by the damage that was done. My speech was a little bit off and I was slurring a little bit. After about two months, I got my speech back and I got my wits about me.
.
Timothy Bradley (L) poses with trainer Joel Diaz (Chris Farina/Top Rank)
Bradley goes on to repeatedly say he'll pay any price to win, even if it is harmful to him. He attributes his incredible competitive streak and desire to win to his father.
Kellerman said, "How do you talk, not casually but matter-of-factly, about the fact that you were fighting unconsciously [against Provodnikov]? ... How do you reconcile what's happening to you physically in those situation in your own mind?"
Bradley shrugged.
I don't really think about that. Boxing is the hurt business. You have to deal with the consequences later. I'm willing to go into the devil's mouth and do what I have to do, or even dive into the deepest part of the ocean if need be to win. I'll deal with the consequences later.
Kellerman seemed startled by Bradley's brutally honest answer. Nearly every boxer refers to himself as a warrior and says those kinds of things, but Bradley says it with a conviction that few others do.
It's just my competitive nature. I guess it's something you're born with. My Dad possibly instilled it in me. I just got a will man, an unbelievable will. I'm almost like a rooster. You ever seen a rooster fight, when he's dead on the floor and he's still pecking. That's me. I'm dead on the floor and I'm still pecking, baby.
Bradley talks in the first episode of HBO's 24/7: Bradley/Marquez about his concussion he suffered in the Provodnikov fight and how he went to see a series of doctors to make certain he's fine. He talked about the risks of fighting and said he keeps a small entourage because he knows that boxing is so dangerous, any career can end quickly. He doesn't want to be indebted to anyone.
I don't need anyone to come around and tell me I'm this and tell me I'm that. It don't get as pricey, either. It only takes one punch to end that money train for you.
Hopefully, Bradley is fine and isn't at a greater risk than the average boxer. He's one of the sport's true good guys, a complete professional and a total class act in good times and in bad. He's fiercely devoted to his family and sees boxing as the vehicle to help it.
It was eerie to hear him talk so casually and laugh so easily about his concussion and its symptoms.
No one wants to see anyone leave the business with serious head trauma, and particularly not a person of Bradley's caliber. When the time finally comes that enough is enough, here's hoping that Bradley realizes it or that there is someone around him whom he listens to who will tell him the truth.
Bank hits Tountong with his fst in the face. Both boys are 7 years old. A minimum age for the fighters does not exist.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Photographer Sandra Hoyn was on vacation in Thailand in 2011 when she happened upon a Muay Thai competition near Bangkok. Known as “the art of eight limbs” where almost everything on the body is used including elbows, knees, and fists, Muay Thai is a full-contact sport and one that is considered extremely difficult. Professional fighters often deal with broken bones and concussions.
What shocked Hoyn the most wasn’t the sport as much as the competitors: Children as young as 6 years old were in the ring. She immediately contacted the coaches and children to photograph the fights for a series she titled “Die Kampfkinder,” or “Fighting Kids.”
Although at first Hoyn found it difficult to work on the project because of language barriers, she eventually was able to spend four weeks accompanying the children at home, during training sessions, and during competitions.
Bank has lost the boxing match against Tountong and is lying unconscious on the ground. For many poor people, Muay Thai boxing secures their livelihood. For a pittance, they reach their mental and physical limits two or three times a month with boxing matches.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Fanta, 6 years old, after winning a boxing match.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
A boxing match between two boys.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Hoyn studied photography at the University of Applied Sciences in Hamburg, Germany, and began developing her craft roughly 10 years ago while traveling. She said she tries to get close to the local culture and has created many series around Southeast Asia, including one about human trafficking and another about a young punk living in Burma.
“I feel the urgency to show what is happening in the world, in which circumstances people are living,” she wrote via email. “Sometimes it is difficult to keep the journalistic difference. With many protagonists of my stories, I develop a friendship, so on one side it is good for the story, while on the other hand it’s hard to stay neutral and remind myself I’m not just a friend, I’m also a photojournalist.”
A Muay Thai fighter in the boxing ring during the break.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
The coach shouts at a boy during the break of the fight.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Although Hoyn said many people were shocked by her images of children fighting, she said in Thailand it isn’t really unusual, and it is common to see young children training, often as a way to escape poverty.
Although her photographs make it seem like a very rough sport for the children, Hoyn wrote that she didn’t see many of them seriously hurt since they aren’t as powerful as adults. “Few of these children boxers will be rewarded with fame, glory, or money,” Hoyn wrote, noting that although money bets are illegal in Thailand, they don’t seem to be enforced.
“The most shocking thing for me was to see the pressure on these children. They are the instrument for the parents to earn money, and they have to win the fight because the parents bet a lot of money on them. A lot of people lose all their money in one night,” she said.
A child fighter with money in his mouth. The victor collects money from tourists and spectators after the match. The money is divided, and the coach gets the largest share.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
A girl, 6 years old, in the boxing ring.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Spectators at a boxing match.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Boys wait for the upcoming boxing match.
Sandra Hoyn/laif
Left: The coach binds a boy into the boxing gloves. Right: Tountong with a trophy after he won the boxing match against Bank.
Along with the
braggadocio of his boasts and rhymes, Cassius Clay brought a balletic
elegance to the boxing ring. "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,"
was how he described his moves.
Muhammad Ali's simultaneous defiance of
gravity and convention, coupled with his invisible right and left hooks
and relentless taunts gave credence to his claim, "I Am The Greatest!"
On his Columbia Records album, Cassius Clay laid out, in graphic detail,
a blow-by-blow description of his future bout with Sonny Liston. The
album climaxed with "Round 8: The Knockout." In this photographic
portrait, by Hank Parker, of Cassius Clay in formal black tails in
August 1963, the future champ holds out a defiant and prescient 8
fingers, a reminder to the world that "knockout n 8" rhymes with "I Am
The Greatest!"
Sizes: 16x20 20x24 30X40 Color: Black and White Type: Archival Digital Print Edition of: Limited Edition
Sports concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Thursday 5 December 2013
It's been widely reported that football and other contact sports
increase the risk of a debilitating neurological condition called
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
But in the journal Neuropsychology Review, researchers are reporting only limited evidence showing a link between sports concussions and an increased risk of late-life cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairments.
Loyola University Medical Center clinical neuropsychologist Christopher
Randolph, PhD, is a co-author of the paper. First author is Stella
Karantzoulis, PhD, of New York University School of Medicine.
CTE is believed to be the cause of behavioral symptoms including irritability, anger, aggression, depression
and suicidality; and cognitive symptoms including impaired learning,
memory, language, information-processing speed and executive
functioning. CTE is said to be linked to concussions and characterized
by the buildup of abnormal substances in the brain called tau proteins.
But so far there is only limited evidence to support this CTE theory,
Karantzoulis and Randolph write. These are among the limitations of the
evidence:
So far CTE cases have been reported following the autopsies of athletes'
brains that were donated from families concerned about the players'
cognitive and behavioral symptoms before dying. But such non-random
"samples of convenience" can bias findings because the samples may not
be representative of the entire population of retired players.
The largest epidemiological study of retired NFL athletes,
which included 3,439 players, found that suicide rates were actually
substantially lower among these athletes than among the general
population. "Given that suicidality is described as a key feature of
CTE, this finding is difficult to reconcile with the high rates of CTE
that have been speculated to occur in these retired athletes . . . ,"
Karantzoulis and Randolph write. "It is likely that there are a diverse
set of risk factors for suicidality (e.g. life stress, financial difficulty, depression, chronic pain, drug abuse) in retired athletes . . ."
Two previous studies, including one by Randolph and
colleagues, examined symptoms of retired NFL players who had mild
cognitive impairment, a precursor to Alzheimer's disease.
In both studies, symptoms seen in the retired players were virtually
the same as those observed in non-athletes diagnosed with mild cognitive
impairment. These findings cast doubt on the notion that CTE is a novel
condition unique to athletes who have experienced concussions.
The presence of abnormal tau proteins in the brain may not
be a reliable indicator of CTE. For example, various case studies have
found that between 20 percent and 50 percent of subjects who had
abnormal tau deposits nevertheless did not have any symptoms. "Older
persons without dementia
can accumulate Alzheimer's disease pathology (including tau deposition)
without any associated cognitive or clinical symptoms," Karantzoulis
and Randolph write. "The actual clinical significance of 'abnormal' tau
deposition in the brains of retired athletes therefore remains unclear."
The authors detail how CTE originally was identified in 1928 as "punch
drunk" syndrome in boxers. There is a striking parallel between the
controversy over CTE today and punch drunk syndrome decades ago. In
1965, for example, a skeptic argued that punch drunk syndrome symptoms
seen in boxers could have been due to alcoholism and venereal diseases, which were common in boxers at the time.
"One cannot deny that boxing and other contact sports can potentially
result in some type of injury to the brain," Karantzoulis and Randolph
write. "There currently are no carefully controlled data, however, to
indicate a definitive association between sport-related concussion and
increased risk for late-life cognitive and neuropsychiatric impairment
of any form."
The authors say more rigorous and definitive studies are needed than the
case reports and samples of convenience that have been done to date.
The study is titled “Modern Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Retired Athletes: What is the Evidence?"
Randolph is a professor in the Department of Neurology of Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.
Loyola University Health System
Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click 'references' tab above for source.
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Sports concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy
AP Photo/Sergei ChuzavkovVitali
Klitschko helped form the Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reforms in
2010 in an effort to clean up government corruption.
* Wladimir Klitschko, centre, stands in front of riot police during
clashes between cops and pro-European Union activists in Kiev, Ukraine.
Picture: AP
Vitali Klitschko was elected to the parliament last fall and is planning a presidential run.
AFP/Getty Images
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) --
Vitali Klitschko, a heavyweight boxing champion and top Ukrainian opposition leader, says he will run for the ex-Soviet nation's presidency in 2015. The 42-year-old was elected to parliament last fall as the head of his pro-Western party Udar ("Punch" in English).
Since then, Klitschko, the reigning WBC heavyweight champion, has campaigned against what he calls authoritarian moves by President Viktor Yanukovych.
Due to his reformist agenda and national celebrity status,
Klitschko has become one of the country's most popular opposition
leaders.
Magomed Abdusalamov absorbs one of many heavy punches from Mike Perez.
Photo: Al Bello/Getty Images
Why Was a Brain-Damaged Fighter NOT Attended to by Doctors at Madison Square Garden?
The fight was one of the more brutal and exciting heavyweight fights in recent memory. Now, the bout has taken on the full proportions of a public tragedy, with the Dagestani boxer in a coma at St. Luke’s Hospital and his family wondering why state boxing officials let the severely injured athlete walk out of the arena under his own power. Magomed Abdusalamov was a bloody mess after ten punishing rounds against the faster, more skillful Cuban fighter.
The fighters' purses were meager: $30,000 each, perhaps just enough to cover expenses for the months of nonstop training it takes to prepare for a bout.
Abdusalamov was taken in for surgery after doctors detected swelling and a blood clot in his brain. They removed part of his skull to relieve pressure from the brain swelling and placed the fighter in an induced coma, in hopes that his condition will improve in coming days.
The mounting medical bills, which will far exceed the minimum $10,000 insurance policy that the state requires promoters to carry for fighters.....
Laz Benitez, a spokesman for the
commission, which regulates all boxing matches in the state, said
officials are in the process of reviewing every aspect of the fight —
including the quality of the medical treatment Abdusalamov received.
After the fight, Abdusalamov complained of a headache. A scan revealed he was suffering from a blood clot in his brain
Heavyweight boxer in a coma after losing brutal Madison Square Garden fight that broke his nose and hand
A
Russian heavyweight boxer is in a medically-induced coma in critical
condition after losing a brutal fight at Madison Square Garden on
Saturday. Magomed Abdusalamov ...
November 20, 2013
Reconciling a Sport’s Violent Appeal as a Fighter Lies in a Coma
Abdusalamov fought Mike Perez at the Theater at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 2. He expected a tough bout, perhaps even a bloody one, the kind of televised fight that could propel him to greater heights.
The fight lasted 10 rounds, and Abdusalamov took the worst of the exchanges. Blood dripped from his nose and from cuts above his left eyelid. He fought most of the match with a broken hand. He kept asking his team, in Russian, how his face looked.
The consensus: great, action-packed fight.
Magomed Abdusalamov left the arena, vomited on the curb and took a cab to the hospital. ... members of Abdusalamov’s team said they
still did not understand why Abdusalamov did not leave the Garden in an
ambulance.
A brain scan showed swelling and a blood clot. Doctors induced a coma and removed a portion of his skull. While in the coma, Abdusalamov had a stroke.
Boxing is a brutal sport, in which combatants can end up dead or impaired neurologically- brain damaged!
“I don’t expect you to understand,” Bernard Hopkins said. “I mean, how many people go to work and say, literally say, ‘I might die tonight.’ But that’s boxing. Whenever there’s a fight, there’s a possibility of death.”
Hopkins tells fighters to take out insurance, above what promoters are required to by commissions, which varies from state to state. He says that networks and promoters should take 3 percent of the gross revenue for televised and pay-per-view events and start a fund for boxers who incur severe injuries or worse.
“I may have an eighth-grade education, but I’m around more lawyers, more Harvard and Yale guys in boxing that never take a punch and make plenty of money,” Hopkins said. “I can’t understand that.”
Hopkins says that the culture of boxing has grown even coarser in recent years, celebrating savage blood baths over technical skill.He described the mind-set as, “if you don’t duck, you might get back on TV, you might get a bigger fight, and we’ll enhance your purse.”
He added, “The great Sugar Ray Robinson, the greatest fighter that ever wore gloves, would be seen as boring today in the mentality of the string pullers.”
Boxers get maimed and even killed in the Ring — not as often as they used to, thanks to more stringent safety regulations and medical supervision, and shorter careers and fewer rounds. They die nonetheless.
More than 230 boxers died in the 1920s, and 103 died in the 2000s, according to Joseph Svinth’s 2011 study in the Journal of Combative Sport’s Manuel Velazquez Collection.
Six boxers died in 2010 and three in 2011, the study said. Since the 1890s, some 1,865 boxers have died — more than half in the United States, according to the study.
Joyce Carol Oates once described boxing as a metaphor for life, with its “beauty, vulnerability, despair, incalculable and often self-destructive courage.” Boxing is unlike any other sport in that way. It is more individualized than football: two people with nowhere to hide.
The most electrifying 30 seconds in sport are right before a big prizefight.
Such arguments circle around an unassailable truth:
Violence is not simply a part of boxing, it is the best part, the most visceral part, the backbone of the sport. It is what people pay to see.
Professional wrestling (often shortened pro wrestling, or simply wrestling) is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.[1] It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport. The unique form of sport portrayed is fundamentally based on classical and "catch" wrestling, with modern additions of striking attacks, strength-based holds and throws, and acrobatic maneuvers; much of these derive from the influence of various international martial arts. An additional aspect of combat with improvised weaponry is sometimes included to varying degrees.The matches have predetermined outcomes in order to heighten entertainment value, and all combative maneuvers are executed with the full cooperation of those involved and carefully performed in specific manners intended to lessen the chance of actual injury.[2] These facts were once kept highly secretive but are now a widely accepted open secret. In the United States, this is due to the coerced public admission by Vince McMahon as the result of threatened government regulatory initiatives. By and large, the true nature of the performance is not discussed by the performing company in order to sustain and promote the willing suspension of disbelief for the audience by maintaining an aura of verisimilitude.Originating as a popular form of entertainment in 19th-century Europe[3] and later as a sideshow exhibition in North American traveling carnivals and vaudeville halls, professional wrestling grew into a standalone genre of entertainment with many diverse variations in cultures around the globe, and is now considered a multi-million dollar entertainment industry. In North America, it has experienced several different periods of prominent cultural popularity during its century and a half of existence. The advent of television gave professional wrestling a new outlet, and wrestling (along with boxing) was instrumental in making pay-per-view a viable method of content delivery.
Bank hits Tountong with his fst in the face. Both boys are 7 years old. A minimum age for the fighters does not exist. 
Bank has lost the boxing match against Tountong and is lying unconscious on the ground. For many poor people, Muay Thai boxing secures their livelihood. For a pittance, they reach their mental and physical limits two or three times a month with boxing matches. 
Fanta, 6 years old, after winning a boxing match. 
A boxing match between two boys. 
A Muay Thai fighter in the boxing ring during the break. 
The coach shouts at a boy during the break of the fight. 
A child fighter with money in his mouth. The victor collects money from tourists and spectators after the match. The money is divided, and the coach gets the largest share. 
A girl, 6 years old, in the boxing ring. 
Spectators at a boxing match. 
Boys wait for the upcoming boxing match. 
Left: The coach binds a boy into the boxing gloves. Right: Tountong with a trophy after he won the boxing match against Bank. 
