January 2002 - March 2004 - The Jerry Quarry Foundation

valid and seems very much bitter towards the game since seeing his heroes
ravaged by brain damage.I have read about Joe Louis' drug habit from several
sources, one being from the Liston biography by Nick Tosches. That journalistic
piece went as far as to say that Louis introduced Sonny to drugs which led to
his eventual demise. Whether this is true is subject to debate. Boxers are
victims of boxing with very few making out with all faculties in tact. The only
way to fully protect them would be to ban the game. This of course will not
happen. All boxers know the risks so, I guess the cause of their injuries lie
with themselves. They are victims of their own 'habit'.|
|1/19/03 06:51:21 PM|Kent|La Habra, Ca||oriononside@aol.com||||10|Evren, yes the
only way we can eliminate boxers from getting permanently injured in the ring
would be if boxing matches never happen again. But this is not going to happen.
If boxing were banned, then it would go underground and these illegal matches
would put the contestants at even greater risk as there would be no regulation
of the sport. American football, rugby, and similar sports also cause a lot of
permanent head trauma. Does that mean these sports should be banned also? This
is one of the times where James Quarry is sorely missed as he had some good
insight on the very subjects we are discussing now. The choice we have is to
sit and do nothing to improve boxing or we can do the best we can to try and
limit injuries as much as possible. Since boxing is not going away, then I
choose the second course of action over inaction. Forest may not believe this,
but I am glad he posted here as he made things a little more lively here again.|
|1/19/03 07:02:05 PM|Evren|London||@||||10|There has been some positive measures
to improve safety in boxing in recent years. This may help but you can't guage
long term affects by rules that are being administered now. Boxers still take
punches to the head day in and day out. The intention of a boxer is to strike
the opponent about the body or head to inflict damage.This is where it seperates
itself from other sports.I love boxing and am the biggest fan but I guess hide
myself from the real dangers. I don't have to take the punches or bleed like
they do. That the boxers are doing this sport voluntarily makes me bear it. It
is barbaric but it is the boxers choice to duel. There are both sides to this
argument but as long as there are boxers and money the game will go on. We can
only try to improve on making retirment and health funds for ex boxers.|
|1/20/03 04:12:26 PM|Steve|nj||dmmsrm@comcast.net||||10|Hi,Evren,why don't you
consider using your organizational and motivational skills in starting a new
tourniment for the alltime greatist Lightheavyweight and or middleweight
fighters,including crossovers!You did a great job on the heavywieght
tourniment!There are surely enough candidates over the years to come up with
alot of dream fights!Charles Anderson,you keep asking about a book on "The
Quarry's", and , believe me ,I share your interest.I now am aware of at least
two, and possibly three people ,who are interested in developing a story.Kent,I
disagree with your assessment of Norton's statements and attitude towards Jerry
Quarry in his book,"Going The Distance"Basically,Norton said he was concerned
that he had caused some of the damage Jerry suffered! Based on some of his later
comments in his book,this sounds distinctly like gloating.He qualifies his brief
sense of guilt by saying that it could just as easily have been himself who
suffer from the damage.Once again,however, He fails to mention that Quarry was
only carefully selected as an opponent after the fearful,career ending beating
He took at the hands of Joe Frazier only a few months earlier.Quarry at that
time was a shot fighter,He was ripe for a beating ,and Norton's people knew
it.In his book,Norton states'I freely admit that I did not like Quarry."Quarry
was the only man whom I fought in anger.""I went in to punish him." "I wanted
Quarry to be carried out on a stretcher."My point is ,Quarry, who by all
accounts I have heard,was a pretty nice guy , seems to have been hand picked ,an
acknowleged shot fighter,to be a whipping boy for Norton.I guess Norton' hard
feelings for Quarry did disapate after he nearly killed him in the ring.Norton
still comes of to me as a guy who,in that fight with Forman,was looking for a