Scottish prizefighter Mike Towell has died from injuries sustained in the ring, his manager says. The 25-year-old boxer was carried out by stretcher after going five rounds with Welsh fighter Dale Evans in Glasgow.
Image: Getty Images/M. Runnacles
Advertisement
The Scottish boxer died early Saturday after suffering severe bleeding and swelling to his brain during a televised Friday night fight at a Glasgow hotel. His St Andrews Sporting Club tweeted the tragic news early Saturday.
Towell was knocked down twice in the fight before referee Victor Loughlin stopped the bout in the fifth round. He had been undefeated prior to the fight, a British welterweight title eliminator, with 11 wins and one draw on his professional record.
His opponent has yet to comment on Towell's death but described the figher as a "true warrior" in a statement issued after he was taken to the hospital.
"The ingredients were there for an entertaining fight and it was that, we are both punchers and so sadly for Mike he came out the wrong side," Evans said. "I never wanted to see my opponent being stretchered out of the ring. Who would ever want that sight? That was so hard for his family and my heart goes out to them."
Brain-shattering: dangerous sports
Retired German soccer goalkeeper, Tim Wiese, may be about to become a wrestler. He's made his debut appearance as a guest timekeeper. But is he wise to do it? Doctors would probably advise against - here's why.
Image: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
Brain injuries: not the exception
Fancy becoming a professional wrestler? You might want to rethink that plan. There is research that shows the brains of some wrestlers have been seriously damaged - thanks to repeated head injuries. When Canadian wrestler Chris Benoit died at the age of 40, doctors found his brain was so severely damaged it resembled the brain of an 85-year-old Alzheimer's patient.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Affonso Gavinha/WWE
Punch-drunk syndrom
Doctors have a name for the illness: chronic boxer's encephalopathy - or punch-drunk symptom. This happens when a sufferer has received repeated concussive blows, resulting in irreversible damage. That's problems with memory, loss of speech, suicidal thoughts and ultimately dementia. Professional boxers are also at risk.
Image: picture alliance/dpa Marcus Brandt
A range of sports
But chronic boxer's encephalopathy is not restricted to boxers. It is very common in American Football players as well. According to the journal "Science," the average National Football League player gets more than 600 helmet hits a season. Even hard-shelled helmets can't prevent concussion under such circumstances.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/Drago Prvulovic
Full disclosure
The National Football League (NFL) used to deny the existence of the punch-drunk syndrome among its players. But times are changing. They have revised some rules to prevent head-to-head-collisions from happening too often. Meanwhile, researchers are working on palm-sized magnet inserts for helmets. Repellent forces may act to slow down collisions before they occur.
Image: picture alliance/dpa
Hard as ice
If you want to avoid brain damage, you should also avoid playing hockey: some hockey players have been diagnosed with the disease. The problem with multiple head collisions - accidental or otherwise - is that they lead to an accumulation of dangerous proteins inside the brain.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/The Canadian Press/Jason Franson
Mind your head!
You might not think of it, but even soccer players can be at risk - when they jump for a header. The forces experienced may seem harmless compared to the brutal hits during an American football or hockey game. But the problem is it all adds up.
Image: Reuters/Ina Fassbender
Somewhat unexpected
Even baseball can be a risky kind of sport. The first baseball player ever to be diagnosed with punch-drunk syndrome committed suicide at the age of 36. The syndrome, however, can only be diagnosed when the patient has died. Only an autopsy can tell how dangerous your favorite sport is for your brain.
Image: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images
7 images1 | 7
Towell's partner Chloe Ross - and mother of his child - suggested that Towell may have been suffering from a previously undiagnosed injury. "Michael had severe bleeding and swelling to his brain. He had been complaining of headaches for the last few weeks but we put it down to migraines with the stress of his fight," she wrote on Facebook. "It has been the longest 24 hours of our lives. My baby has lost his daddy. But he will be so, so proud of his dad in what he achieved."
Loughlin, the fight's referee, had also been in charge of the British middleweight title fight in March between Chris Eubank Jnr. and Nick Blackwell, which ended Blackwell's career after he suffered cranial bleeding before the fight was stopped at 10 rounds.
