Worst pre-existing injuries fighters entered fights with?

[_Rexy_]

Povetkin in the Whyte rematch was bad. He was stumbling to the ring like he should have been wearing a medical gown with an IV hookup. Gamboa tearing his Achilles and Jack Reiss not letting him quit was pretty bad. Vitali tearing his shoulder against Byrd. Then there's the ****ing Axe Would in Badou Jack's forehead against Marcus Browne. More will come to me, I'm sure.

[_Rexy_]

He didn't have brain damage before the fight.

Yes he did.

[_Rexy_]

Can you post that workout?

If this is true, the BBBofC should have had a massive courtcase against them Surely this should have been noted during the pre-fight medical and a heavy burden would also fall upon McClellan's family, team and himself for allowing the fight to go ahead. All the resentment and grudge towards Benn carried by the McClellan family in the years after the fight looks very bad if they indeed knew their fighter had a braininjury BEFORE the fight!! I find this very hard to believe tbh.

That's what I was thinking as well. Aren't there usually CT scans before world championship fights, or am I mistaken?

Tarick Salmaci, a Kronk Gym fighter, claimed later in an interview that he had sparred with McClellan over a year before the Benn fight, and that after McClellan was hit by a jab thrown by Salmaci, McClellan started to blink hard and the session had to be stopped. McClellan initially claimed that he was thumbed, but later admitted to Salmaci in the locker room that he was in fact seriously hurt. Salmaci said that he found it strange that a fighter with McClellan's chin wearing headgear was being hurt by a jab, and that when he noticed McClellan blinking during the Benn fight in the same way, Salmaci was immediately aware that McClellan was in serious trouble. Also notable in hindsight was McClellan complaining of getting regular headaches after his first fight with Julian Jackson in May 1993. In the fight, McClellan's chin resisted Jackson's formidable punching power before McClellan won the fight in Round 5, but Jackson's punches may have done some damage to McClellan's brain, such as concussions, that weren't noticed at the time.


Also, the prefight medicals back then and today are SIGNIFICANTLY different.

[MAK212]

Can you post that workout?

If this is true, the BBBofC should have had a massive courtcase against them Surely this should have been noted during the pre-fight medical and a heavy burden would also fall upon McClellan's family, team and himself for allowing the fight to go ahead. All the resentment and grudge towards Benn carried by the McClellan family in the years after the fight looks very bad if they indeed knew their fighter had a braininjury BEFORE the fight!! I find this very hard to believe tbh.

Go to the fight of their lives documentary at about 25 mins you can see it. Its the workout at the pea**** gym.

[MAK212]

That's what I was thinking as well. Aren't there usually CT scans before world championship fights, or am I mistaken?

Not back then, the medical checkups were a joke, I doubt they would do anymore than check your eyesight, heart health and other things like that. They definitely wouldn’t do CT scans. A lot more importance was put on those things after what happened to Watson and McClellan though.

[JAB5239]

Go to the fight of their lives documentary at about 25 mins you can see it. Its the workout at the pea**** gym.

Thanks for the info. I was under the impression the Benn fight caused the damage. I learn something new everyday day.

[MAK212]

Thanks for the info. I was under the impression the Benn fight caused the damage. I learn something new everyday day.

McClellan was unfortunately too tough for his own good, he was my favourite fighter. The shots he took from Jackson would knock anyone else spark out.

[BattlingNelson]

Tarick Salmaci, a Kronk Gym fighter, claimed later in an interview that he had sparred with McClellan over a year before the Benn fight, and that after McClellan was hit by a jab thrown by Salmaci, McClellan started to blink hard and the session had to be stopped. McClellan initially claimed that he was thumbed, but later admitted to Salmaci in the locker room that he was in fact seriously hurt. Salmaci said that he found it strange that a fighter with McClellan's chin wearing headgear was being hurt by a jab, and that when he noticed McClellan blinking during the Benn fight in the same way, Salmaci was immediately aware that McClellan was in serious trouble. Also notable in hindsight was McClellan complaining of getting regular headaches after his first fight with Julian Jackson in May 1993. In the fight, McClellan's chin resisted Jackson's formidable punching power before McClellan won the fight in Round 5, but Jackson's punches may have done some damage to McClellan's brain, such as concussions, that weren't noticed at the time.


Also, the prefight medicals back then and today are SIGNIFICANTLY different.

But was he carrying the injury into the ring vs Benn? If so a lot of people apparently have blood on their hands. If all the accounts you mention are true, it’s appalling that nobody on his team took to a neurologist way before a Benn fight was discussed. It’s sickening.

I saw the fight live back then. I’ve never seen it again, but I remember clearly that Benn connected with so many rabbit punches that I was thinking the referee was a real hometowner. In my mind those illegal blows contributed and maybe even caused the tragedy along with the accidental headbutt. We will never know and even without these incidents, the fight was brutal enough to give them both long term damage.

[BattlingNelson]

Povetkin in the Whyte rematch was bad. He was stumbling to the ring like he should have been wearing a medical gown with an IV hookup. Gamboa tearing his Achilles and Jack Reiss not letting him quit was pretty bad. Vitali tearing his shoulder against Byrd. Then there's the ****ing Axe Would in Badou Jack's forehead against Marcus Browne. More will come to me, I'm sure.

Most of those mentioned are not preflight injuries bro.

[_Rexy_]

Most of those mentioned are not preflight injuries bro.

True enough lol. Povetkin was, and I stand by that Gerald had the injury going in. Pre fight medicals were a joke back then, so unless he reported headaches and such they would have just done flashlight in the eye bull****. He reports headaches, and he loses a purse. Things have changed big time since that fight. I won't even watch that fight again.