American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians Statement: Postpone Klitschko-Chagaev Fight "Due to Medical Safety Issues" By Eddie Goldman

It may seem incredible that they even have to do this, but the
American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians (AAPRP)
(http://aaprp.org/) issued a statement Thursday, June 18, calling for
the June 20 heavyweight title boxing match between Wladimir Klitschko
and Ruslan Chagaev to be postponed "due to medical safety issues".

Wladimir Klitschko


The reason is clear and simple, as the May 30 WBA title fight between
Ruslan Chagaev and Nikolai Valuev was cancelled because Chagaev had
tested positive for the hepatitis B antigen. That fight was scheduled
to take place in Helsinki, Finland, and most places around the world
which host major boxing events do not permit fighters with this
dangerous and infectious disease to compete.

The Klitschko-Chagaev fight, however, is scheduled to take place in
Gelsenkirchen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany, and the authorities in
charge of this fight have far less comprehensive medical requirements
for fighters than those in North America, the UK, and much of the rest
of the world do.

The AAPRP statement refutes what they say has been some of the
misinformation widely circulated in the media about the dangers of
hepatitis B, and what is being proposed for the safety measures for
this fight.

While this fight is being held in Germany, boxing is an international
sport, and the fight will be telecast in the US on ESPN Classic. It is
also for a series of heavyweight belts, including that of the American-
based The Ring magazine, whose parent company, Sports and
Entertainment Publications, LLC, is a subsidiary of Golden Boy
Enterprises, whose president is the famed boxer and now promoter,
Oscar De La Hoya. So there is much interest in this fight in America,
and especially in an organization like AAPRP.

We also discussed this issue at length on my podcast, No Holds Barred,
with Dr. Joseph Estwanik, who serves on the AAPRP Board of Directors.
You can play or download that edition of No Holds Barred at
http://nhbnews.podomatic.com/entry/2009-06-16T14_28_53-07_00. You can
also download that edition of No Holds Barred at http://www.mediafire.com/?dtanmmchmyg.

The AAPRP web site is at http://aaprp.org . Here is the full text of
their statement:

As it has been reported that Mr. Ruslan Chagaev has tested positive
for the Hepatitis B Virus, the American Association of Professional
Ringside Physicians (the “AAPRP”) is recommending that the proposed
contest between Mr. Ruslan Chagaev and Mr. Vladimir Klitschko be
postponed due to medical safety issues. The AAPRP also recommends that
this fight not take place and suggests that Mr. Chagaev not be
permitted to fight (anyone) until, and unless, he can demonstrate a
"negative hepatitis status.

In several recent media accounts, it has been stated that Mr. Chagaev
has a “low hepatitis B viral load” and therefore poses “no risk” of
transmitting this dangerous virus. The AAPRP disagrees with this
assertion. Although the risk of transmission of the Hepatitis B Virus
may be minimal, the risk is not zero. Additionally, given the fact
that Hepatitis B is a very virulent virus and easily transmitted, it
is even more important to be prudent in order to not only protect Mr.
Chagaev’s opponent, but also the referee, judges, sanctioning body
officials, cornermen, ringside physicians and ringside observers who
may be at risk of contracting this dangerous virus. As boxing is
obviously considered a “blood sport”, it is very common for blood to
splatter on the individuals immediately adjacent at ringside. The
conjunctiva (eye) route of transfer for this virus is well
documented....so any person seated at ringside, who is not immunized,
may be at risk.

Furthermore, statistics suggest that if Mr. Chagaev were to share
needles with another individual, the transmission rate of Hepatitis B
could be as high as 30%. If blood from a cut on Mr. Chagaev were to
come into direct contact with a cut on another fighter, the
transmission rate could be as high as 10%. Should blood squirt from
Mr. Chagaev and hit another individual in the eye (i.e. Judge,
referee, cornerman or media) the transmission rate could be as high as
5%. Therefore, the risk is obviously greater than zero and could put
others at ringside (beside his opponent) at risk for acquiring this
virus.

Unless everyone at ringside (Judges, referees, ringside physicians,
commission members, sanctioning body officials, trainers, cornermen,
media reporters, ring girls, television technicians, spectators and of
course the fighters opponent) has documented immunity to Hepatitis B
(a three shot hepatitis immunity vaccination series given over a 6
month period with a subsequent documented blood test confirming
immunity), protection against exposure to this dangerous virus cannot
be guaranteed. Finally, if bleeding does occur, the individuals
responsible for cleaning the ring as well as those handling the gloves
must also be immune to minimize the risk as well.

The American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians considers
safety our number one priority and will work with local and
international commissions to insure that all precautions are taken to
protect all individuals involved in professional boxing.

For more information, please contact the AAPRP.

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com

©®™2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved

Don King Files Protest on Behalf of Marco Antonio Barrera; Promoter Claims Amir Khan Won a ‘Tainted Victory’ Until a Rematch Can Be Held

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla.—Promoter Don King has filed a protest with the British Boxing Board of Control, World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association on behalf of Marco Antonio Barrera claiming his accidental clash of heads with Amir Khan during the first round of their match should have resulted in the fight being ruled no contest.


The five-time world champion Barrera and rising 22-year-old British star Khan—who had been knocked out in 54 seconds six months earlier and badly needed a win—had barely begun to fight in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,000 at M.E.N Arena on March 14 in Manchester, England, when the two boxers’ heads inadvertently slammed together while trying to land punches.

The accidental meeting of heads occurred during the second minute of the fight, opening a huge gash on the left side of Barrera’s head. The deep scalp cut began to bleed profusely and immediately caused a virtual blood waterfall to spill into Barrera’s left eye.

Photos by David Martin Warr



“Amir Khan is in possession of a tainted victory,” King said. “The referee and doctor should have stopped the fight immediately after that incredible, accidental clash of heads. That they allowed the fight to continue with Barrera competing at a huge disadvantage goes against everything that’s designed to protect the health and safety of boxers, the good of the sport and uphold the traditions emanating from the Marquis of Queensbury rules.”

Under the rules governing the bout, had the fight been stopped prior to the end of the fourth round due to the accidental headbutt, the official ruling would have been no contest requiring an immediate rematch. Barrera’s head cut had been gushing blood that flowed into his eye and impaired his vision from the first round, but referee Dave Parris waited until midway through the pivotal fourth round before asking the ringside physician to inspect the open wound for the first time.

Even though blood was visibly flooding Barrera’s eye during the inspection, literally blinding him, the doctor inexplicably ruled the fight could continue only to recommend the fight be stopped in the following round. The key difference being that the rules then allowed for the fight to go to the judges’ scorecards for a decision, which favored Kahn unanimously. After the fight, Barrera would need 33 stitches to close the massive laceration.

Khan, his promoter Frank Warren and the fight’s referee all hail from England—and almost all of the audience were there to see the Briton face the stiffest test of his career.

The English announcers for the Sky Box Office pay-per-view telecast were vivid in their descriptions during the fight.

“It was a heck of a clash, wasn’t it?” blow-by-blow announcer Ian Darke exclaimed in the first round to expert analyst Jim Watt, a former lightweight world champion. Darke later asked Watt, “What can they do?,” referring to Barrera’s cornermen after round three.



“I don’t know that any cut man can stop that,” Watt replied. “I mean that’s like something you would expect in a road accident. That’s horrendous. It’s long and it’s deep. You saw the impact when the heads clashed. That’s as bad a clash of heads as I have seen in all my years in boxing and the damage, I don’t reckon they can do anything with that.”

Darke concurred, “It’s like trying to stem a flood, really, with handkerchiefs or something, isn’t it?”

Barrera said immediately after the contest that the fight should have been stopped in the first round.

“If I’d have had both my eyes the fight wouldn’t have ended this way,” Barrera said. “I couldn’t see the guy from the first round, the blood was in my eye and I just couldn’t see with it.”

Chief Physician for the Florida Boxing Commission and Vice President of the American Association of Professional Ringside Physicians Dr. Allan Fields, who inspected Barrera prior to the fight and was in attendance at the match in Manchester, said he believes the inspection by the ringside doctor came woefully late and the contest should have been stopped earlier.

“I question why the officials waited to make this decision until the fifth round,” Fields said in a statement. “Barrera was visibly impaired by an accident for almost four rounds, placing him at unnecessary risk and certainly contributing to his subsequent decision loss.”

King is imploring the BBBC, WBO and WBA to step up and right what he perceives as a wrong.

“Marco Antonio Barrera should not lose any of his position and stature to this travesty of justice,” King added. “He should not be punished for what was beyond his control. He fought like the great Mexican champion he is with valor, courage and honor while those charged with ensuring a level field of competition failed the sport and the fighter greatly. They endangered his health and safety and every other boxer who follows him into the ring hereafter if this error in judgment is not corrected.

Photos by David Martin Warr



“Knowing the rules of the sport originated in England and are designed to create a level playing field to protect boxers from fighting at a disadvantage after an accident, the doctor’s decision to wait until the fourth round for a doctor’s inspection and the subsequent stoppage the following round certainly raises needless questions and suspicions,” King said. “Barrera needed a seeing-eye dog to make it back to his corner from the first round but the officials let it continue.”

This dangerous officiating, if not corrected, leaves a black eye on the sport. This is why I am appealing to Paco Valcarcel at the WBO; Gilberto Mendoza Jr. at the WBA; and everyone at the British Boxing Board of Control to correct this egregious error and order an immediate rematch.”

See you at the Fights.
Thanks for your time.

Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience The Video Channel Online http://www.youtube.com/ELEmpress1

EL Boxing Empress Keisha Morrisey's Myspace http://www.myspace.com/Keishadivine

Honorable Keisha Morrisey http://www.keishamorrisey.com/

©®™2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, Khris Kirkpatrick Morrisey for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved