Magomed Abdusalamov-The 22 Million Dollar Man
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
With a significant number of boxing deaths and career-ending injuries in professional boxing, the story of Magomed Abdusalamov is not a new tune. Benny Kid Paret, Willie Classen, Greg Page, Sam Baraudi, Jimmy Doyle, and Beethoven Scottland were among better-known boxers whose careers ended due to significant injury, or who died from those injuries.
On November 2, 2013, Magomed Abdusalamov, 18-0 with 18 knockouts, a Russian living in Hallendale, Florida, suffered permanent brain injuries losing his WBC USNBC heavyweight title by 10 round decision to Cuba’s Mike Perez, then 19-0 with 16 knockouts, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Referee Benjy Esteves Jr. did not declare a No Contest during the first round when Perez landed an illegal left forearm to Abdusalamov’s nose and broke it, impeding his breathing and his neurological response foe remainder of the 10 rounder.
As this reporter argued to then New York State athletic Commissioner Melvina Lathan, the brain damage to Abdusalamov could have also come from a previous bout with Victor Bisbal, then 21-1 with 15 knockouts, Salinas, Puerto Rico, at Resorts Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 8, 2013. Bisbal went kamikaze, emptying his offensive guns with nonstop head power shot for two rounds to take Abdusalamov out. Bibal, out of gas in the third round, stuck around until Abdusalamov cleared his head and stopped him in the fifth round.
On September 8, 2017, the family of Abdusalamov received a 22 million dollar settlement from New York State. After Abdusalamov’s fight, his family filed a lawsuit alleging recklessness, gross negligence and medical malpractice by the New York State Athletic Commission, its staff and the doctors at the MSG event. The complaint said improper care crucially delayed diagnosis and treatment of a developing blood clot in Abdusalamov’s brain. Abdusalamov had blood in his urine, yet was not ordered by a physician in his dressing room or a fight inspector to mediately go to the hospital in an ambulance, even though he complained after the bout to the doctor observing him postfight in the dressing room that his head hurt. Abdusalamov underwent emergency brain surgery, had part of his skull removed, suffered multiple strokes, was in a coma for weeks, was hospitalized for more than 10 months, and remained in rehabilitation at Helen Hayes Hospital’s rehabilitation facility in West Haverstraw, N.Y. Now 38 ½ years old, Abdusalamov can speak in short sentences, but remains paralyzed on his right side and unable to walk. According to his attorney Paul Edelstein, Abdusalamov was scheduled to leave Helen Hayes in favor of a homecare system or an outpatient clinic at the end of this past summer, though more details have not been released.
In February 2019, in a separate lawsuit case in New York State Supreme Court, a lawsuit previously dismissed was reversed on appeal, and is now proceeding against now proceeding against Dr. Gerard Varlotta, ring doctor for the 2013 bout which left heavyweight boxer Magomed Abdusalamov with permanent brain damage, as well as proceeding against two other physicians at The Garden when Abdusalamov got hurt.
Judge Debra Silber reversed her previous dismissal of the lawsuit on appeal, and denied defendants Dr. Varlotta, Dr. Anthony Curreri, and Dr. Osric King summary judgment in the medical malpractice case, citing key differences in the facts presented in the depositions of the expert witnesses, sending the lawsuit back to court. At issue are the requirements involved to ensure the best possible ring safety for the combatants, both in New York State and in rings around the world, and the responsibilities of ring doctors and inspectors assigned to both ringside and the fighters themselves, in both pre and postfight medical examinations and inspector’s observations, and the role of available ambulances. Money is not the issue in the second, more significant lawsuit. Lots of times, it takes a horrific injury or fatality in professional and amateur sports to reexamine the rules and regulations in place to determine what changes and improvements have to be made.
This past the July 2019, the death of former Miami Dolphins middle linebacker Nick Buoniconti to dementia from football blows to the head at age 78 are a grim reminder that there is a great responsibility for safety in all amateur and professional sports has no timeline. Buoniconti, who won two super bowls and later became an attorney, had a great interest in medical research in professional sports. Buoniconti donated his brain to researchers at Boston University. They are now determining if his repeated head injuries as a football player caused chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease.
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