Kratingdaenggym Tragedy: HIV / AIDS and Boxing

Kratingdaenggym Tragedy: HIV / AIDS and Boxing

By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent

 New York, NY (December 17, 2012)– According to the late former World Heavyweight champion and New York State Athletic Commissioner Floyd Patterson, “Because of the very nature of boxing, the risk of HIV transmission from blood-to-blood contact is (always) there.  We must do everything we can to protect the health and well-being of those who compete.”

On Saturday night, December 15, 2012, former World Super Bantamweight champion Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym of Thailand’s challenge for the World Boxing Association Super Bantamweight title held by Guillermo Rigondeaux at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas, got kayoed before it even began.

In a shocking revelation, Kratingdaenggym tested positive for the Human immunoedeficiency virus which causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

Say what?

The HIV / AIDS crisis has touched boxing with the misunderstandings as other sports, destroying the careers of talented boxers, taking them from us in their prime in the best years of their lives. In light of the recent Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym tragedy, it is now important for sports readers to take a careful look under the emotional microscope at the aftershock and impact the HIV / AIDS crisis has had on the boxing world in recent memory, and how it has affected the sport of boxing.

1. Paul ‘The Real’ Banke-The former World Boxing Council Super Bantamweight champion from California was diagnosed with AIDS two years after his final fight in 1995. Banke, 48, had a career record of 21-9 with 11 knockouts. Banke lost to 0-8 Juan Francisco Soto in his final bout at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood in 1993, perhaps a sign of the onset of his physical deterioration from the affects of HIV before state athletic commissions had adequate blood testing procedures in place. Long forgotten, Banke is currently the longest living acknowledged former world champion still living with the disease, a sad but unfortunately real statistic.

In an amazing turnaround, Banke kicked alcohol and drugs, remarried, became a professional trainer and his remained, like Lakers ex-basketball star Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, in relatively good health due to advances in the treatment of HIV disease.

Ray Mancini interviews Paul Banke of his life and career in 2009 on YouTube

WATCH http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_pZSlsapks

2. Esteban DeJesus (1951-1989) Also known as ‘Vita’, the Puerto Rican lightweight had a career record of 58-5 with 37 knockouts. DeJesus boxed professionally from 1969 to 1980, and is best remembered for his upset of 31-0 Roberto Duran in November 1972 at Madison Square Garden in 1972.

A Puerto Rican and NABF Lightweight champion, DeJesus was unsuccessful in his first two attempts for the World Boxing Council Lightweight title against Roberto Duran and Antonio Cervantes, but finally won the WBC title by decisioning Guts Ishumatsu in 1976. After three title defenses, DeJesus was stopped by Roberto Duran for the second time in a WBA-WBC unification bout in 1978. His final bout was an unsuccessful attempt to win the  WBC light welterweight title in July 1980 when he was stopped by Saoul Mamby in the thirteenth round in the higher weight class.  Esteban DeJesus died of AIDS in prison in Puerto Rico in May 1989 while serving a life sentence for the shooting of a teenager. DeJesus contracted the disease while shooting heroin in prison after his conviction. First world boxing champion known to have died from AIDS disease. Duran came to his prison to say goodbye.

 3. Tommy Morrison-Billed as ‘The Great White Hope’, the white successor to heavyweight Gerry Cooney, Arizona’s former costar of the Rocky V movie affectionately known as ‘The Duke’, Morrison, who will turn 44 years old on January 2, has steadfastly denied his affliction with AIDS while the ravages of the disease has turned his once muscular frame in a ravaged specter of his former self.

Morrison boxed professionally from 1988 to 1996, and won two comeback bouts in 2007 and 2008. His record went to 28-0 before World Boxing Organization heavyweight champion Ray Mercer knocked him out in the fifth round of a memorable televised bout broadcast from the Convention Center in Atlantic   City in October 1991. Morrison decisioned Big George Foreman to finally win the WBO title in June 1993, and defended it once before getting stopped by Michael Bentt in the first round of their Minnesota bout in October 1993.

Morrison topped Donavan ‘Razor’ Ruddock in June 1995 to win the International Boxing Council’s version of the heavyweight title but got stopped by Lennox Lewis in the sixth round in October 1995 in his first defense. Morrison became the first boxer with HIV allowed to fight when he stopped Marcus Rhode in the first round of his retirement bout in November 1996 bout. Between December 1996 and January 2007, Morrison retired due to his HIV status.

Alcohol and methamphetamine drug use, weapons ands assault charges kept Tommy Morrison in the public spotlight as he went in and out of jail. Morrison stopped John Castle in the second round in February 2007 at Mountaineer Casino in West Virginia, and stopped Matt Weishaar in the third round in Leon, Mexico in February 2008. Since then, he has battled with boxing commissions over which blood tests he was willing to take or submit and has been unable to fight again.

Morrison last attempted to fight in 2011 in Quebec, Canada, but was not allowed to do so when he refused to undergo private HIV testing. Since then, his deteriorating health and physical condition has remained a mystery. Known to have never taken HIV treatment medications. With skins lesions spots on his hands and arms and sagging skin, Morrison remains in denial of his AIDS disease diagnosis, a tragedy.

Morrison claimed to be related to late film star John Wayne-a fact never proven.

Final ring record 48-3 with 42 knockouts. When his career ended in 1996, despite his personal troubles, popular Morrison blew a three fight deal worth $38 million, including bouts with Arthur Weathers and Mike Tyson. “It caused my life to spiral out of control in a big way. I just think there was a misdiagnosis,” he later noted.

In a 2007 gym interview on YouTube conducted before before Morrison started to look ‘sick’, Morrison claims the reason he failed his original HIV test in 1996 was because of “all the steroids I was taking at that time. It’s not rocket science, once I got off that stuff, I started testing negative, and that’s that. it’s just a mistake. I intend to seek legal action against the Nevada Athletic Commission, and set up a pension plan for myself (with the money I’ll get in the settlement). I’m in a unique position. I can make money, but I can also make a difference.” Appearing as if he has pectoral implants in the footage, Morrison states even if he did have AIDS, it would be impossible for another fighter to contract AIDS in the ring. Train wreck.

WATCH the Tommy Morrison 2007 gym interview HERE on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MdYikSY1uYo

4. Tommy Perez-Mexican super featherweight Tommy Perez was allowed to debut at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, despite his HIV test coming back as inconclusive. Subsequent tests after he lost in the third round to Guillermo Ruiz confirmed Perez indeed was HIV positive, and Perez was indefinitely suspended by the California Athletic Commission. Perez returned to his native Mexico and was never heard from again. But the bout, which should not have been allowed, had shockwave ramifications but for the lives it endangered.

Referee Ray Corona, best known for his appearance in the Clint Eastwood movie ‘Million Dollar Baby’ subsequently sued the California Athletic Commission for allowing the bout to go forward and exposing him to unnecessary danger. Originally dismissed, the decision was reversed by the Fourth District Division 2 of the California State Court of Appeals on October 23, 2009.

Source Reference: http://caselaw.findlaw.com/ca-court-of-appeal/1499963.html

 5. Leocadio Manon-The Dominican Republic Flyweight champion fought professionally between 1997 and 2004, compiling a record of 12-4 and winning the Dominican Flyweight title in June 2004. His 2005 American debut was cancelled when he tested positive for HIV, ending his career.

 6. Lamar Parks-Born in 1970. Known by his nickname of ‘Kidfire’, the number one middleweight contender from South Carolina won the NABF title by stopping Donnie Giron in the sixth round in South Carolina in 1991. Parks lost hisonly world title opportunity, a 12 round decision to World Boxing Association champion Reggie Johnson in October 1992 in Houston, Texas.

Parks last ring appearance was a fourth round stoppage of Joaquin Velasquez at Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in November 1993. Parks diagnosis of HIV positive cost him a scheduled bout with WBC Middleweight champion Gerald McClellan in 1994. A brain injury in the ring ended McClellan’s career in 1994.

 7. Proud Kilimajaro Chinebriri (1958-1994) Known by his nickname ‘Proud Chinebriri’, the Zimbabwe and African Boxing Union Heavyweight champion had a professional record of 32-6 with 28 knockouts. His bouts were in Zimbabwe or Cote D’Ivore, with exception of two bouts fought in the United Kingdom. After knocking out Sam Sithole in February 1990 in Zimbabwe, his refusal to reveal his mandatory HIV test result cost him a bout with future heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis. Chinebriri, a professional mugger and mob money collection specialist, had fists so big they could not fit inside standard gloves. His dream was to fight Larry Holmes.

 8. Eduardo Castro-Mexican Junior Featherweight fighting out of Los Angeles who had a professional record of 0-7. Six of his opponents were unbeaten. Castro went ten rounds in only his third professional bout, losing the decision. A positive HIV diagnosis ended his ‘incredible’ boxing ‘career’ if you could call it that. Incredible?

 9. Ruben Dario Palacios (1962-2003)-Known as ‘Hurican’. Hailing from the drug capital of the world, Medellin, Columbia, Palacios compiled a ring record of 45-11-2 with 19 knockouts between 1981 and 1992. A Columbian bantamweight and featherweight champion, his first three attempts at the IBF and WBA World Super Bantamweight title against Luis Mendoza and Ji-Won Kim.  Palacios won the World Boxing Organization Featherweight title by stopping Colin McMillan in the either round in London in September 1992, before his HIV diagnosis ended his career. Later spent four years in prison in the United States after a conviction for drug trafficking. Palacios died of AIDS disease on November 14, 2003.

 10. Darrin Morris (1966-2000) Nicknamed ‘The Mongoose’, The Florida Super Middleweight was a sparring partner of  Sugar Ray Leonard. Between 1986 and 1999, he compiled a career record of 28-2-1 with 17 knockouts. An International Boxing Council Light Middleweight champion in 1994,  Morris had won 16 bouts in a row when he stopped David McCluskey in the third round in July 1999 in a Florida bout, his last before his HIV positive diagnosis. At the time his HIV positive status ended his career, defying safety logic, Morris was ranked # 7 in the World by the World Boxing Organization at time of his death from HIV-related Meningitis.

 11. Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (Chalermwong Udomna)-The 32 year old top super bantamweight contender from Thailand compiled a career record of 48-2 with 33 knockouts between 2001 and 2012. The former World Boxing Association Bantamweight and Super Bantamweight champion blew a shot at regaining his WBA Super Bantamweight title against Guillermo Rigondeaux in December 2012 when he tested HIV positive, forcing cancellation of their scheduled world title bout.

For more information, Science in Africa, Africa’s first online science magazine, has an article written in 2003 entitled ‘HIV / AIDS and Sport’ by Lloyd Leach. The article covers the sensitive topics of the risk of HIV infection, HIV prevention, and HIV and exercise in Sport and Recreation. Leach’s article can be found online at

http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2003/february/sport.htm  I highly recommend it.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle to amateur and professional boxing, and amateur and professional sports is the lack of HIV / AIDS education. We must be cognizant of the safety precautions professional sports require, while at the same time maintaining high alertness, awareness, sensitivity and understanding of the HIV / AIDS crisis.

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