Detached Retina Perspectives: RCM Historical Boxing Takes A Look At What It Means
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Professional boxers with eye injuries, in most cases, face the end of their careers almost immediately. George Kandelaki, Calvin Brock, Rick Folstad, Michael Olajide, Leotis Martin, Jeff Chandler, John Henry Lewis, Leotis Martin, Sandy Saddler, Sam Langford (The Boston Tar Baby), Gypsy Joe Harris,Corey (T-Rex) Sanders, Horacio ‘Truck’ Robinson, and Servilio De Oliveira are some examples of name fighters past and present whose careers ended abruptly due to a detached retina, with loss of vision in one eye. Amateur boxer and future United States President Theodore ‘Teddy’ Roosevelt saw his amateur boxing career end due to a detached left retina in the boxing ring.
Others fought on with or without surgery.
Sugar Ray Seales memorized eye charts and fought for blind for 18 months with two detached retinas, and years later had an operation to restore sight in right eye long after he retired. Ruben (Hurricane) Carter was rumored to have sustained a detached retina in his right eye from his loss to Jose (Monon) Gonzalez at Madison Square Garden in 1963, and fought on for another three years with the condition. An operation to correct the detached retina while he was in prison later on failed, and Carter went blind in his right eye. Stanley Ketchel, Earnie Shavers, Iran Barkley, Aaron Pryor, Lamon Brewster, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Julian Jackson are examples of world champions who came back from detached retina surgery. Comedian Bob Hope, known by fighting name of Packy East, also underwent successful surgery to repair a detached retina after his boxing career ended. Harry Greb, ‘The Human Windmill’, fought for five years with only one good eye.
In today’s boxing and MMA world, the prognosis is good for repairing detached retinas in the eye. More than ninety percent of detached retinas can be repairs successfully. Vision is likely to return to normal if the retina in question is treated and repairs within seven days of the injury. However, some blurring may still occur in people who have detachments which involve the macula of central vision.
A modern day mixed martial artist, wrestler, football player, soccer player, hockeyplayer, kickboxer, boxer, or bungee jumper, whether amateur or professional, can in most cases make a successful return to their sport if their detached retina is treated immediately in time, and corrective surgery is completely successful. However, when dealing with athletes, who are physically violent by nature in the give and take of the above listed sports, there are no long term guarantees. Even with a successful recuperation and recovery, a repeat of the detached retina in the same eye is a greater possibility and a risky chance these recovering athletes must take, as well as risking cataracts and further future eye problems by reinjuring the healed eye.
Taking all factors into account, each American state and territory has its own rules, regulations and standards. Each foreign country around the world has its own athletic commissions and rules, regulations and standards. Some jurisdictions have more stringent policies than others. The better the safety requirements, and the more qualified medical personnel are present at sporting events of all kinds, so much the better in my view.
I personally know of undefeated boxers today who have overcome detached retina surgery, but the eye defect as a birth occurrence not related to boxing which was later corrected. I also know of boxers who are blind in one eye and have vision problems (like Antonio Margarito) who will return to the ring in one place or another, come hell or high water. All I can say is the issue of vision injuries requires-like all physical injuries in all sports-the present of qualified licensed physicians at all times. They also have to be able to do their job and evaluate the athletes correctly for necessary medical treatment as required.
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