"Fighters Helping Fighters" is for REAL! Ice Scully worried about Andrew Maynard’s depression and the Bronx Bomber makes the call! Depression is on a long list of disorders that retired professional fighters suffer from and there may be a good reason!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 3, 2003

[Simi Valley, CA] One year ago, Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos, Founder and President of the Retired Boxers Foundation, received several emails from former professional boxer Ice John Scully. Scully had spoken to his stable mate, Andrew Maynard, and he was worried about him. Andrew seemed very depressed and very isolated in Santa Maria, California. Santa Maria is a long way from where Andrew grew up in Palmer Park, Maryland, but it is where his wife Susan and three children live. Santa Maria and the lifestyle Andrew now lives is also a far cry from the life of an Olympic Gold Medallist and former pro boxer who fought the likes of Mathew Saad Muhammad, Frank Tate and Thomas Hearns and was managed and trained by boxing icon, Sugar Ray Leonard.

Ice Scully had every reason to worry about Andrew. It has been said that the only thing bigger than Andrew Maynard’s smile is his heart. Andrew always had a way of "digging deep" in that warrior’s heart to overcome whatever obstacles were in his path–whether it was growing up in poverty in a drug and crime infested neighborhood or pursuing impressive athletic feats like winning the Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympics with little or no boxing experience prior to enlisting in the United States Army. In fact, Andrew decided to win an Olympic Gold Medal to honor his father, Theodore "Slim" Maynard. Andrew’s mother was a "dance hall girl" who died tragically during a home abortion and his father remarried. He cared for 12 children and never neglected his paternal responsibility. Andrew visited Sugar Ray Leonard at his home to tell him of his intention of winning the Gold to honor his dad, asking Leonard for advice. Leonard was blunt, telling Andrew Maynard that boxers start around age 10 or 11 and that it was too late for Andrew to think about boxing in the Olympics or as a career. That did not deter Andrew and he simply had more to prove–that he would win the gold and that Ray Leonard would take him seriously.

Three years after joining the Army, Andrew became the United States National Amateur Light Heavyweight Boxing Champion in 1987 an 1988. He was one of only two Americans to defeat his Cuban opponent in a special international competition held between the two countries. Interestingly enough, Alex Ramos also found victory over the Cubans when he fought in 1979. In the Olympic Tryouts, Maynard first lost to Al Cole, then beat him on two consecutive nights in the Olympic Box offs, securing him a pace on the 1988 United States Boxing Team. In Seoul, Korea, Maynard went on to capture the Olympic Gold Medal as a Light Heavyweight defeating the Soviet Union’s Nourmagomed Chanavazov by score of 5-0. Andrew Maynard averaged 150 punches per round on his way to achieving the highest honor in amateur boxing. In addition to teammate Ice John Scully, Andrew also fought with Roy Jones, Jr., who lost in a controversial bout just prior to Andrew’s bout. Ice Scully and Andrew became friends at the Olympic Training camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ice told Alex Ramos that he was the only Caucasian in the 1988 Olympic Boxing training camp and if Andrew had not befriended him, he would have remained an outsider. Andrew was "The Man" in those days and Ice Scully was taken back by his openness and his friendship. It is something he never forgot.

After winning the Gold Medal, Andrew convinced Sugar Ray Leonard that he was a young man with potential and he signed with Sugar Ray Leonard and moved to Laurel, Maryland. As a professional boxer, Andrew Maynard won his first 12 fights, including 10 by knockout. His classic "KO" of Arthur Hall in 1989 is featured on "Boxing’s Greatest Hits." In his 10^th bout, he won the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) Light Heavyweight Title by a decision against Mike Sedillo, defending the NABF Title three times.

Andrew fought for the World Boxing Council (WBC) World Cruiserweight Title in October 1992 in Paris, France where he lost an extremely close decision to veteran champion, Anaclet Wamba. It was an exciting fight with Andrew getting up from a first round knock-down to fight eleven more rounds giving Wamba a real fight to retain his belt. After that fight, the French fans warmly embraced Andrew even while Wamba was taken to the hospital with broken ribs. Andrew ended his professional career with 25 wins–21 knockouts, 13 losses and one draw.

Alex Ramos & Andrew Maynard at Scully Corporate Plaza in Oxnard, CA.

Andrew retired to Santa Maria, California, where he lives with his wife Susan and three children. He works as a janitor at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Andrew has had a couple of invitations back into the ring–a place he should not go because of obvious signs of damage–and his wife doesn’t like it one bit. She prefers that he keep a low profile. Andrew says, "How can a 6’5" black man keep a low profile in a town like Santa Maria!" He misses the sport and he misses the action, but he is deeply devoted to his family. He knows that it would be a disaster to go back to his neighborhood in Palmer Park, Maryland because many of his friends are dead or incarcerated. Drugs are still rampant in the old neighborhood and Andrew is the kind of guy who would befriend anyone–the kind of guy who could unwittingly be dragged where he shouldn’t go. Being "safe" is fine with Andrew, but over a period of time, a boxer of his magnitude cannot help but reminisce and maybe even regret some things. Andrew tells Alex Ramos that he thinks he retired "5 years too early. I never got to reach my peak!" Talk like this is reserved for his boxing friends because it upsets his wife. Ice Scully and Alex Ramos, along with Patrick Panella, the Executive Director of the Maryland Athletic Commission and Andrew’s Best Man at his wedding, care about Andrew enough to discourage him. Nonetheless, Andrew’s thoughts turn to what "woulda, coulda, shoulda been" and it gets him down.

Boxing and Depression

Depression is a fairly common disorder suffered by many retired professional boxers–especially those who may have undiagnosed damage to their brain caused by untreated and chronic brain injuries. In fact, the Retired Boxers Foundation gets a lot of phone calls from friends and family members of retired professional boxers and a significant number of those calls are about the athlete’s depression. Some of them are about other problems that are either loosely or directly associated with depression, including: rage disorders, anxiety, alcoholism, substance abuse and subsequent problems with the law. Too many retired fighters also have trouble with domestic violence and assault, drugs, alcohol and obvious problems dealing with authority, i.e., law enforcement. While the uneducated, casual observer would link some of these social ills to the neighborhoods the fighters come from, including Palmer Park where Andrew grew up and the South Bronx where Alex Ramos grew up, where these "symptoms and misdemeanors" are the way of the ‘hood, the truth of the matter is that the athletes are more likely to be suffering from varying levels of damage caused by untreated head injuries.

Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos and Andrew Maynard at ESPN Fight in Pismo Beach, CA, July 22, 2003

While Ramos had nearly 300 fights in his career and Maynard had 40 fights, both have some symptoms of frontal lobe damage to their brains. Ramos concluded an extensive year-long examination, including a complete neurological examination and was stunned to learn of the damage to his frontal and temporal lobes of his brain. For several years, Alex struggled with a balance problem–one that makes him look as if he is intoxicated even though he has been sober for four years. He also has a neck tremor that crops up when he is stressed, and depression that grips him in spite of all the positive things that are happening in his life. Andrew suffers from the darkness of depression, along with a "gait" problem that makes his walk look like a giant toddler taking his first steps. Andrew also has some speech problems and fears that he is an embarrassment to his family.

Jacquie Richardson, the Executive Director of the Retired Boxers Foundation is the first to say, "The Retired Boxers Foundation cannot work miracles and we are not medical professionals, BUT, we are totally literate about the symptoms of brain injuries and the affect it has on the fighter and his family. What we CAN do is make the appropriate referral to medical specialists and find a way for the athlete to get the treatment he needs–insurance or not. Alex has been the "poster child" and through his courageous journey through the medical system, we have learned that there are new drugs out there that can slow the process and improve the quality of life for the athlete."

The Retired Boxers Foundation uses a "case management" model in which the athlete is casually assessed to determine what the problems are, in the words of the athlete. While the athlete may not be ready to communicate with a psychiatrist or medical professional, they are very open when they speak to Alex Ramos. "There is a brotherhood among the fighters that is like military veterans who have suffered through a traumatic war time experience," noted Jacquie Richardson of the RBF. She continued, "When the fighters are injured, whether emotionally, physically or otherwise, they seem to open up to Alex. I think they can relate to where Alex has been and his stories about his years in "the darkness of alcoholism, drugs and homelessness" and they are inspired by his recovery. Alex tells them about his neurological damage and how he endured the probing of the medical specialists. He also talks to the fighters, who all seem to have an underlying fear of dementia pugilistica–the medical term for "punch drunk"–and how it can be delayed or maybe even prevented if the fighters take care of the problems when they occur. He talks to them about the drug "Depakote" which has shown great promise in controlling the misfires of the neurotransmitters that cause what feels like total chaos in the brain of a damaged fighter. The fighters listen and wait for his counsel." After the initial consultation, the athletes are given their options, most of which are low cost or no cost, and if there are immediate needs–financial or housing–the RBF helps close in the gaps with whatever resources are needed. For Juan Antonio Lopez, it was $140 a month to cover the cost of chemotherapy, until the World Boxing Council took over the expenses and helped him get the equivalent of Social Security in Mexico.

For Andrew Maynard, the assistance came from an obvious source–the Veterans Administration. Because Andrew began his boxing career in the United States Army and because some of his injuries were documented during his active duty, Retired Boxers Foundation Veterans Advisor, Richie Roberts–himself retired military–arranged for Andrew to meet with the Veterans Advocate in Oxnard, a service provided through the County of Ventura. Ramos and Richardson of the Retired Boxers Foundation met Andrew and took him for his first visit. Ironically, that office was located at "Scully Plaza." Paul Calcaterra, the Advocate assigned to Andrew, helped Andrew complete an application for Disability Benefits, including arranging the required doctors evaluations. Richie Roberts spoke to Andrew regularly to explain what was happening and to make sure that Andrew followed the orders. After only a few months, Andrew was notified that he would be receiving a "20% Disability" based only on the current examinations, and because of that, he would receive a check for $204 each month. In addition, Andrew’s children will be able to attend any California college, tuition free. The Retired Boxers Foundation, under the guidance of Richie Roberts, is working to locate Andrew’s medical records from his Army days to investigate the possibility of a higher percentage of disability, which will provide Andrew with medical care and additional benefits for his family.

While this fairly long process was going on, Alex Ramos also worked on his friend’s emotional state, getting the word out to other fighters that Andrew Maynard needed a phone call to cheer him up. Fighters like Michael Bentt, William Guthrie, Michael Carbajal and others called him, along with Olympic team coach, Alton Merkeson (who now trains Roy Jones, Jr.) and teammate, Ice Scully, make sure he has a regular phone call. Alex talks to him at least 2 or 4 times a week. On July 22, 2003, Andrew was the special guest of promoter George Chung at an n ESPN televised fight in Pismo Beach, CA. Alex told George about Andrew Maynard and how it would be good for Andrew to attend this fight, which was just 15 minutes from his home in Santa Maria. Chung gladly welcomed Maynard and not only introduced him from the center ring, also made sure he got to see 2000 Olympian, Brian Viloria. Their meeting was touching, with the kind of "brotherhood" of the fighters–one Olympian to another. It was also a little sad for Andrew. He had his moment with his brothers in boxing and with the fans, and he said, "This makes me feel alive again!" He also had to acknowledge that this part of his life is best left as a memory.

Chronic Brain Injury in Professional Boxers

As the American Medical Associations Council on Scientific Affairs, (1989) reported,

"Most studies of sports related head injury have focused on boxing because it stands alone among other contact sports in having as its goal rendering opponents unconscious and helpless through successive blows to the head." You may be surprised to learn that boxing is not estimated to be the number one sport with regard to rate of concussion, as noted by Ruchinskas et al (1997). Equestrian sports actually top the list," followed by Soccer, Rugby, Football and Ice Hockey.

Professional Boxers: Knowing When to Say When!

The scary thing about boxing is that the athlete has no idea whether or not he will be a victim of brain damage until long after his career has ended. "Brain damage" is a coarse description of what happens to professional boxers who are subject to repetitive blows to the head over a period of time. While some brain damage reverses itself--as in the recovery from a mild concussion--some athletes experience a progressive deterioration that leaves them completely debilitated when their careers are over. It is interesting to note that some of the symptoms of chronic brain injury actually end boxing careers long before the onset of dementia pugilistica–the medical term for being "punch drunk"–is diagnosed.

A history of untreated brain injuries, including concussions, chronic headaches, eye (ocular) injuries, etc., have a cumulative effect that begins with subtle yet noticeable changes in personality and escalate to physical changes that signal brain injury. The more advanced changes include changes in speech, gait, and startling behavior changes. Advanced neurological symptoms also include head and neck tremors, and tremors in the limbs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON CHRONIC BRAIN INJURIES, VISIT http://www.braininjury.com/symptoms.html

Following are some symptoms of chronic brain injuries from the Brain Injury website:

Frontal Lobe: Forehead

• Inability to plan a sequence of complex movements needed to complete multi-stepped tasks, such as making coffee (Sequencing).
• Loss of spontaneity in interacting with others.
• Loss of flexibility in thinking.
• Persistence of a single thought (Perseveration).
• Inability to focus on task (Attending).
• Mood changes (Emotionally Labile).
• Changes in social behavior.
• Changes in personality.
• Difficulty with problem solving.
• Inability to express language

Temporal Lobes: side of head above ears

• Difficulty in recognizing faces
• Difficulty in understanding spoken words (Wernicke's Aphasia).
• Disturbance with selective attention to what we see and hear.
• Difficulty with identification of, and verbalization about objects.
• Short term memory loss.
• Interference with long term memory.
• Increased and decreased interest in sexual behavior.
• Inability to categorize objects (Categorization).
• Right lobe damage can cause persistent talking.
• Increased aggressive behavior.

The Retired Boxers Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation started by 1984 USBA Middleweight Champion, Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos in 1995 to help fighters in need, is leading a campaign called "Fighters Helping Fighters" to inspire other fighters to help. Ramos started the Retired Boxers Foundation because of what happens to professional boxers once their careers are over. Because boxing is the only sport that does not provide adequate pensions to fighters once they retire, too many of them suffer in the transition from their glorious days in the ring to a dignified retirement. If you want more information about the Retired Boxers Foundation, please visit their website at http://www.retiredboxers.org. You can email Alex Ramos at JaxFacts@ix.netcom.com.