Shavers cause of death

To be fair, that saved him from a whole world of pain. The obvious analogy is that would be like being one of his first round kayo victims; better to take a big bomb early doors than be broken down over time.

That sounds trite but you don't want your heroes having drawn out protracted illnesses where they spend a significant amount of time being mortal.

 

Ezzard Charles was in horrible shape when he died

 

He was. This video is haunting.

Handled it with utter grace and class, by all accounts. My favourite fighter ever. There's another video of him in camp prior to a Marciano fight and he is simply the nicest guy imaginable. Maybe he was different away from public view but alongside Michael Spinks, whose personality is just enchanting even in short interviews, he is the most likeable guy who seems to show no ego despite his achievements.

 

True, for Earnie, thank goodness the pain and suffering was mercifully shorter than it might’ve been.

For some, it’s like dropping off the edge of cliff - in so far as all is well and good with few signs if any of potential later life issues - faculties and verbal articulations fully retained before onset and quick deterioration.

Chuvalo is a one that has been dealing with same for several years now - hopefully his quality of life is still acceptable. Highly sociable and articulate Joe Bugner went quietly into care in more recent times.

The incidence of CTE across other sports is alarming - including Rugby League. Issues in that regard have driven a number to ending their lives.

Not all will be familiar with him, but League Great Wally Lewis came out recently to reveal his own CTE diagnosis - usually victims go public when it interferes with public engagements and they can no longer hide the symptoms of an insidious condition that has been identified some time earlier.

So, no matter how well one is travelling, with frequent concussive head knocks in their history, they might feel there is a ticking time bomb inside of them.

 

Dementia is one of the most horrifying things someone can go through. Honestly Shavers was fortune in a weird way.

 

there is science coming out now saying air pollution contributes to dementia, so besides the obvious getting punched in the head you also have to wonder about the "roadwork" over the long term things like vehicle exhaust and fields freshly sprayed with pesticides

 

It’s really sad that he suffered that much

 

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Even today almost 50 years later is really hard to see one of the all-time greats in this condition.

 

Truly horrible, RIP champ.

 

I don't know if boxing had anything to do with Ezzard's condition. His arch nemesis, Archie Moore, lived into his 80s still in his right mind. Walcott made it until 80 years old but died of diabetes complications. I don't think his boxing had anything to do with diabetes. Jake LaMotta made it to 95 years old and he took lots of punishment. His ex wife, Vikki LaMotta was 8 years younger than him but died 12 years before he did at age 75. I believe he did get dementia at the tail end of his life, but was it because of boxing or was it that he was really old?

 

Ezzard Charles had Lou Gehrig’s disease. Likely (almost certainly) caused by numerous concussions in the sport much like Gehrig. Gehrig suffered at least 3 concussions in football during his college career and was beaned in the head like 4 times in pro baseball career and also took a knee to the head that left him unconscious sliding into second base.

 

Our favourite sport is one nasty piece of work.

 

Yup I cut out a certain parking lot from my running route because of the dumpsters and exposure to Asbestos.

 

It is just much more likely that head trauma results in TBI & these illnesses.
The rate for the likes of boxers & especially NFL players is just so high.
Some may have gotten things like dementia anyway.

Some who smoke like chimneys never die from it.
But the odds of emphysemia cancer heart disease are many times higher.

That some are lucky-& likely happen to have very good genetic resistence-does not mean that it does not cause devastating illness & death for many more.