Cases of Mental Illness in Boxers?

[luke]

Originally Posted by TBooze

Frank Bruno has had issues with mental illness. It may not be totally boxing related, but I cannot help but think, boxing has not helped his mental well being.

Sadly in recent times we have lost Tapia and Arguello due to the illness. Tapia's was not caused by boxing, indeed the sport may of helped his mental health, but Arguello's probably was related to his participation in the sport.

Mr President also had well known mental problems.

arguello was assasinated wasnt he?

[luke]

Originally Posted by RockysSplitNose

Ad Wolgast is a good shout (think the Eagles song 'Hotel California' was about the mental institution he lived out his life in) - plus Battling Nelson went the same - quite poignant when you think about the torture they went through together in the ring - (can anyone confirm whether they were in the same institution together? A friend of mine thought he'd read that somewhere but I think he's wrong?).

Another one was Johnny Honey Boy Bratton crushingly sad story his

Oh and Kirkland Laing is in a secure place now I think

johnny brattion selling the rights to all his fights for $1 cayton/jacobs done a number on a guy with mental issues, nice job guys.

[luke]

alot of these people had mental problems before boxing, boxings spotlight, and the fact you become somewhat superhuman magnifies these problems ten fold, with boxers because there are so few stand out ones make it look worse than it is, how many amature sports stars from other sports have mental problems and fall along the way and we never hear from them again with boxing you always hear about them, i think all sports are dangerous, heading a football crossed into the box at 70-120+ mph is deffinatly bad for the brain maybe worse than being hit with 700 punches in a fight, sparring also would be bad, then again how many american football players become dissabled.

all in all its just a hazzard of the job, like when im cutting lead i could slip and cut my fingers off, fall off a roof or scafold and injure myself, maybe being around certant chemicals affects my brain?

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by luke

arguello was assasinated wasnt he?

Suicide sadly.

[luke]

Originally Posted by TBooze

Suicide sadly.

his whole family say it wasnt and even the circumstances seem very strange to say the least.

[RockysSplitNose]

Originally Posted by luke

johnny brattion selling the rights to all his fights for $1 cayton/jacobs done a number on a guy with mental issues, nice job guys.

Jesus!!?? Really!?? Fckn cockroaches - haha love the sarcastic "good job guys" comment the scumbags

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by luke

his whole family say it wasnt and even the circumstances seem very strange to say the least.

It is always going to be painful when someone dies seemingly unexpectedly. Sadly Arguello had attempted to take his life previously, so it would seem he did have an issues, that he had admitted in the past to be struggling to cope with.

[red cobra]

Johnny Tapia was clearly mentally ill.

[PowerPuncher]

Monzon?

Valero most certainly

I think boxing is a recipe to make you go bat shit crazy though. Taking countless head shots for one, being encouraged to be egotistical even if you aren't, being worshiped like a rockstar, then lose in a humiliating way (usually), before being too old and ready for the scrap heap at the age of 30 with little to no life skills

[red cobra]

Originally Posted by PowerPuncher

Monzon?

Valero most certainly

I think boxing is a recipe to make you go bat shit crazy though. Taking countless head shots for one, being encouraged to be egotistical even if you aren't, being worshiped like a rockstar, then lose in a humiliating way (usually), before being too old and ready for the scrap heap at the age of 30 with little to no life skills

Yes, Monzon was sick..and it's a good thing that he became a great boxer and focused his violence throught the sport. If he had been a professional killer with the same calculating coldness he displayed in the ring he would have been an infamous killer.
And yes, it was obvious that Valero was a sick puppy.

[exocet76]

Originally Posted by The Funny Man 7

We often focus on the physical wounds that boxers suffer during their careers and after retirement. But the sport clearly takes a major phsychological toll, not just getting punched, but also the money woes, the pressures of fame, fear of losing, being abandoned by fans, and lust for long gone glory. Who were some fighters who lost their mental health to boxing?

I recall reading that Ad Wolgast spent the last decade of his life thinking he was training for a bout with Joe Gans, something like twenty years after Gans had passed away.

Terry McGovern suffered about a dozen differant nervous breakdowns, including several violent episodes directed at his family.

I met Gerry Cooney at the IBHOF. I'm glad the guy has his money still becausse talking with him it was clear that the guy has some kind of awful inferiority complex/self esteem issues probably from a combination of his abusive father, the Holmes loss, and the unwanted pressure of being a 'white hope'.

Any others?

I think there is a shit load of fighters who have suffered over the decades.

Especially when we consider that most mental illness's were not recognized until fairly recently, it means a lot of fighters would have had to cope with there shit themselves.

It is an area in science were we really do not have a clue even today, the human brain really is an enigma.

[ripcity]

Originally Posted by BillB

Cassius Clay appeared to be insane leading up to the first Liston fight.
It could have been an act, or maybe not.

There is nothing funny about Mental Illness. Go back to your hole.

[ripcity]

There is evdance that getting hit in the head, a lot over time dose long term damage.

[The Funny Man 7]

All factors considered it sometimes seems amazing that any of the old fighters, the ones with 100 plus fights made it out of the game sane and coherent, guys like Graziano, Moore, Saddler, Zale, Dempsey, etc.

[luke]

Originally Posted by The Funny Man 7

All factors considered it sometimes seems amazing that any of the old fighters, the ones with 100 plus fights made it out of the game sane and coherent, guys like Graziano, Moore, Saddler, Zale, Dempsey, etc.

You named some tough basterds there, but didn't sandy sadler god blind and deaf?