Marian Muhammad Should Answer for Leavander Johnson

[24karatrold]

JOHNSON FIGHT SHOULD END MANDATORIES!

19 September, 2005 by Cliff Rold

BOXER BATTLING FOR HIS LIFE!

After a rough, brutal, eleven round beating, Atlantic City’s Leavander Johnson (34-5-2, 26 KO’s) left the ring Saturday night with his IBF lightweight championship in the hands of Mexico’s Jesus Chavez (42-3, 29 KOs). When he left the building, it was on stretcher. Suffering from bleeding on the brain, Johnson was put into a drug induced coma for operation on a subdural hematoma and now all the boxing world waits, our fingers crossed, hoping for a happy ending. It was a reminder of the stakes at play anytime two men stand across the ring from each prepared for combat, and yet this one should make us more angry than usual. More angry because Johnson was put in harms way by the inequity of a sport that refuses to fix its competitive system and does not reward merit first.

[moochi]

i understand your point, but it doesn't work that way..........

we all hope johnson recovers soon and gets back on his feet, but you can't blame anyone at all for the injury........it happens in boxing, and johnson wasn't forced into fighting anyone.......he fought for the love of the sport and obvious rewards......

let's all hope johnson gets through this, and it isn't time to start blaming people......

[24karatrold]

Actually, I would say he was. By giving him a arnking he didn't deserve he was put in the path of fighters he otherwise likely would not have been fighting. These irresponsible jackasses need to be held accountable for their mis-mandatories.

[barryboy]

Sorry if this is already up but here's a report on Johnson from Sky Sports website:

JOHNSON'S CONDITION IMPROVES

Monday 19th September 2005

Leavander Johnson is in a drug-induced coma in a critical condition following his IBF lightweight title defeat to Jesus Chavez.

Johnson collapsed in his dressing room following the 11th round stoppage and was taken to hospital where he had surgery to relieve swelling around his brain.

"The amount of swelling has gone down tremendously," doctor Bill Smith told the New York Daily News.

"They had him here and in surgery about 40 minutes after the fight and if he survives it will be because of that."

Johnson will be kept in a coma for another three or four days to allow his brain to recover. A prognosis on his recovery will not be known until he is out of the coma.

"When he came in I would say his chances (of survival) were at 15%. I would have said he wasn't going to make it," Smith said, adding that Johnson's chances of survival had improved.

Chavez visited Johnson's bedside, where the fighter's family had gathered.

"My heart goes out to Leavander Johnson and his family," Chavez said.

"It's very difficult to think that something like this could happen. It's very difficult for me to think it could happen in a fight that I was involved in."

The fight had ended early in the 11th round when referee Tony Weeks intervened but not before Johnson had been on the receiving end of several unanswered punches.

A ringside doctor had checked out Johnson following the 10th round but decided to let the American fight on.

Chavez had been imperious throughout the fight with statistics indicating he had landed 409 punches compared to 148 for Johnson.

[InThisCorner]

My heart goes out to Johnson but also what is going to happen to Chavez? I don't know if he's gonna fight anymore and if he does I'm betting that he's not gonna be the same and won't put as much emphasis in knocking guys out when he has them hurt..

[barryboy]

Yeah it's a ****ty situation for everyone involved and I don't know how i'd react if I almost killed someone in the ring, sure all boxers know the risks but that doesn't make it any easier if something does happen, I just hope Johnson pulls through and Chavez can continue in his career as some guys just arent the same mentally after something like this, Chris Eubank is a perfect example, after he put Michael Watson in a coma he never went after guys when he had them hurt & would let them off the hook so hopefully Chavez can overcome this terrible situation.

[grayfist]

It is mad, but it is a safe bet that long after many more incidents of the Johnson kind shall have come and passed, the ranking, mandatory and other spurious systems of the alphabet groups will survive, as they always had. And the Marians of the boxing world will too.

[24karatrold]

Not if we can get the Government to crack down and start a) enforcing the laws in place and b)tweakig current law for improvement.

[grayfist]

It seems that every time something of this sort (and a few worse) happens, congress holds hearings.

Howard Cossel, before and after leaving the broadcast of professional boxing, testified before congress and was very vocal (as only Cossel can be about anything) of the need for dramatic changes in legislations governing boxing (e.g., federal controls, instead of state commissions).

He died, without seeing the dawn...

[24karatrold]

When is the dawn? It's a slow creep if it's coming.