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It's one thing to hear about a boxer dying or being seriously injured iin a country you've never visited off-tv. It's still extremely sad knowing that a person and his family had to endure this terrible tragedy. It's so much worse when it's someone you know and it's being televised nationally.
I remember speaking with Oscar Diaz a few days before his fight with Delvin Rodriguez on ESPN2. We had met about a year earlier, right after his loss to Golden Johnson, and had spoken a few times on the phone and much more through *******. I was confident he would pull out the victory with Rodriguez because of his superior durability.
That durability became a double-edged sword as he absorbed tremendous punishment through ten rounds. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he ended that round, though his left eye was shut completely due to the accuracy of Rodriguez's right hand.
Then came the worst, his leg suddenly buckled and he let out a frightening yelp and clutched his head. I wasn't in San Antonio that night but was watching it live on ESPN2. I was just saying "Oh ****, Oh ****" over and over as I watched this horrifying scene unfold.
Tommy Brooks, his trainer and father figure, is known for being a strict disciplinarian and no-bull**** kind of guy. But when he saw the serious despair his fighter was in, he began to understand the severity of the situation and switched to the comforting father mode. "It's alright, it's alright" Brooks repeated over and over again, as if to convince not only his increasingly distressed fighter but himself that everything is going to be OK. That's when I realized this situation was getting out of hand and is only going to get worse.
Worst came to worse when Rodriguez slumped over and was straightened out onto the canvas. He laid there immobile for what seemed like an eternity. I texted a mutual friend who was on the scene and I still remember his update verbatim: "It's not looking good".
Thankfully Diaz survived but still to this day is recovering in a rehab center. He has regained his memory and speech but the road to a full recovery is a long and difficult one for him.
A little over a month ago I was in Philadelphia when a good friend of mine Shaun George was stopped on ESPN2. The mood was nonetheless somber but Shaun was alright, a little ****** up but hurting much moreso emotionally. I went out to drink away the sorrow with a friend I had met who happened to be Oscar's conditioning coach. I remarked in the taxi, "This is a nightmare, I can't believe this just happened." He told me "You know what's a nightmare? Going back to your fighter's hotel room and realizing he isn't there. Watching him leave on a stretcher, that's a nightmare." He had a great point.
I remember speaking with Oscar Diaz a few days before his fight with Delvin Rodriguez on ESPN2. We had met about a year earlier, right after his loss to Golden Johnson, and had spoken a few times on the phone and much more through *******. I was confident he would pull out the victory with Rodriguez because of his superior durability.
That durability became a double-edged sword as he absorbed tremendous punishment through ten rounds. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary when he ended that round, though his left eye was shut completely due to the accuracy of Rodriguez's right hand.
Then came the worst, his leg suddenly buckled and he let out a frightening yelp and clutched his head. I wasn't in San Antonio that night but was watching it live on ESPN2. I was just saying "Oh ****, Oh ****" over and over as I watched this horrifying scene unfold.
Tommy Brooks, his trainer and father figure, is known for being a strict disciplinarian and no-bull**** kind of guy. But when he saw the serious despair his fighter was in, he began to understand the severity of the situation and switched to the comforting father mode. "It's alright, it's alright" Brooks repeated over and over again, as if to convince not only his increasingly distressed fighter but himself that everything is going to be OK. That's when I realized this situation was getting out of hand and is only going to get worse.
Worst came to worse when Rodriguez slumped over and was straightened out onto the canvas. He laid there immobile for what seemed like an eternity. I texted a mutual friend who was on the scene and I still remember his update verbatim: "It's not looking good".
Thankfully Diaz survived but still to this day is recovering in a rehab center. He has regained his memory and speech but the road to a full recovery is a long and difficult one for him.
A little over a month ago I was in Philadelphia when a good friend of mine Shaun George was stopped on ESPN2. The mood was nonetheless somber but Shaun was alright, a little ****** up but hurting much moreso emotionally. I went out to drink away the sorrow with a friend I had met who happened to be Oscar's conditioning coach. I remarked in the taxi, "This is a nightmare, I can't believe this just happened." He told me "You know what's a nightmare? Going back to your fighter's hotel room and realizing he isn't there. Watching him leave on a stretcher, that's a nightmare." He had a great point.
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