For some, Palookaville is a place where former Comic Strip hero Joe Palooka reigned supreme; for others it’s a place for down-and-outers. For me, it’s far worse and often takes a long and agonizing journey to get there.
On May 8, 1974, ‘Irish Jerry” Quarry showed the first signs of something being wrong as he appeared bloated and his reflexes seemed off when he fought lightly regarded Joe Alexander (8-3). Alexander shockingly decked Jerry with a well- leveraged left hook shortly before the bell ending round one, Quarry literally bounced off the floor. An emboldened Alexander then raised his hands between rounds confident that he would soon close matters. But the Bomber from Bellflower turned things around with a solid right that decked Joe who barely made it up. Then Quarry, ever the savage closer, finished Alexander off with a right, left, right combo that had the crowd up and roaring.
However, this Quarry was not the same one who slaughtered Shavers just a few months previously. Something had changed. The feints were absent, the counterpunching was not as sharp, and the punches were wild. Something was amiss, but how could anyone know that the real battle—the deadly battle within– had just begun.
It wasn’t long before witnessed the not-so-slow and frightening slide of Jerry and then his younger brother Mike—as they joined Floyd Patterson, Jimmy Ellis, the Moyer brothers, Bobo Olson, Bobby Chacon, Jimmy Young, Willie Pep and far too many others. Their early signs were the slurring of speech, blank stares, the nasal monotone, the shuffling gate. These tragedies stopped me in my tracks and gave me solemn pause. These warriors were reminders that there is a dark side– another horribly irreversible side of the risk-reward equation. And most boxers are leery of this darker side as well they should be. This is the one I call “Palookaville”—a place from which there is no return. A place where any possible feeling of invincibility is erased by the thousands of blows landed upon the skull in the gym.
Greg Page played with the risk-reward equation and lost. Jim Adams of the Louisville Courier-Journal put it this way, “It was a fight Greg Page never should have fought, in a broken-down nightclub somebody probably should have closed. The hot air stank. Blood smears stained the floor of the ring.”
The terrible damage suffered in plain sight by Magomed Abdusalamov against Mike Perez on November 2, 2013 ensured that his journey would have no stops along the way. He would never be the same.
Palookaville
“He’s living over there [in the nursing home], but really he’s dead…And nobody cares. Frankly, nobody ever will care. But I care.”—Denny Moyer’s wife Sandy Moyer
So here it is then. There is almost a sense of temporary, of “just passing through” that is unmistakable. Most inhabitants are locked in a clouded emotional prison punctuated with stares that see very little. They hear voices no one else hears, and they sometime wander at night. Some sit in wheelchairs, semi-paralyzed; others lie in bed unable to see, having to be fed and otherwise cared for. Some shuffle around without knowing their destination. Occasionally, a flash of glory is recalled, but soon the flashes cruelly evanescence and the blank stares return from eyes glazed over. Often confused, childlike, and uttering unintelligible sounds delivered by thick tongues, some have friends or relatives to help out. Eventually, they will need to be cared for like infants, for this terrible thing they have is degenerative and unforgiving and can move rapidly.
At the very end of the journey, the irreversible descent morphs into cerebral atrophy and the brain rapidly shrinks with dead cells dissolving into liquid. Finally and mercifully, the all-but-dead brain eventually begins to shut down, and a decision is made to remove life support, which in turn will result in cardiac arrest. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and the Tau cells offer a somewhat different impact on the brain but the end result is pretty much the same.
And so that’s where it all finally ends. Here, there is neither denial nor hope. No more triumphs. No romanticizing. The bulb flickers, dims, and dies away.
All becomes dark.
“I was champion of the world and there are three things that go and that’s how a fighter knows that he’s all done. First, your legs go, but if you got reflexes, you can see the punches coming, and you can bob and weave. The second thing is that your reflexes go, and the third thing is that your friends go, and you know you’re all done when there’s nobody hangin’ ‘round no more.”—Willie Pep
L.L. Cool John says
“He’s living over there [in the nursing home], but really he’s dead…And nobody cares. Frankly, nobody ever will care. But I care.”—Denny Moyer’s wife Sandy Moyer
A depressing piece, Ted. However, it’s some of your best writing.
es says
Wow. Sares knows how to hit those heart strings hard. Very sad but a poignant read. Just been flowing through some YouTube vids. Quarry vs Frazier rnd 1.
Awesome stuff Ted. Loved it.
es says
Ring magazine most popular fighter 1968-1971
Kid says
Thanks lads
Bernard Fernandez says
I have known people whose house burned down, and with it photo albums, home movies, scrapbooks — all things that could not be replaced. But at least the occupants of that house still had their memories of the good times, and that enabled them to cope with the loss of their material possessions. Palookaville is just the opposite; a fighter might still have trophies and other mementos of his boxing days, but his mind has been scrubbed clean. And that is the saddest scenario there is.
L.L. Cool John says
Nice post, Bernard. Very sad.
Kid says
Thank you so much, Berard
gordon marino says
Very apt analogy Bernie!
Kid says
Co-sign
Tom Colatosti says
Very sad to see such great warriors end up in such a sad state.
I could not see the movie Concussion.
There must be a better way.
On a lighter note i used to love Joe Palooka – i devoured his comic books when i was a kid!
Kid says
Me too
Beau Williford says
I attended the Jerry Quarry v Joe Alexander bout, at the Nassau Coliseium. Everyone expected Jerry to take Joe out when ever he got ready. But, early in round one you could see the signs of deteriation in his foot work and upper body movement. Of course Jerry knocked Joe down and then knocked him out I round two, it was there to be seen, if you looked closely. The second Frazier fight, and later the Lorenzo Zanon bout said finished! But we all know that Jerry tried again years later and wasn’t even a shadow of the JERRY QUARRY everyone loved.
Kid says
It broke my heart
bikermike says
I’ve read Ted’s books….and he has always expressed compassion for Boxers who arrive at this situation.
Great read Ted…..as ever.
Bikermike
Kid says
Thanks Mike. Appreciated
BB says
Ted, you’re the best. Great, bitter sweet and accurate article on the ‘Sweet Science’. Met the great
Willie Pep at a dinner for the Worcester County Retired Fighters Assoc. years ago and Mr. Pep said
this about why he was not rich after 250 pro fights. “Fast woman and slow horses”.
Always in Your Corner,
BOB B.
Kid says
Test
Jill Diamond says
Sad and beautiful. Well done, Ted. We need to be reminded.
Kid says
Thanks Jill
Ollie says
Excellent, thought-provoking article, Ted. A reminder of the brutal toll the sport we all love so much can take on these brave men. Couple of days ago, I watched a YouTube video of Riddick Bowe and Evander Holyfield kicking back and reminiscing about the old days. They sounded like two old drunks–words slurred and jumbled, an unintelligible assault on the ears. It was so sad and disturbing, I had to stop watching.
Kid says
It’s awful Ollie. And nobody seems to care.
es says
Ted has touched many times on %’s of fight card fees going to a fund to help ex fighters in times of need.
Kid says
The promoters just don’t want to do this. It makes all the sense in the world. California was the first state to come up with a retirement plan for boxers and while it’s not very generous, it still could provide the model or platform or other states. If you locked me in a room with a promoter, accountant, benefits administrator, and Boxing Commissioner, I could come up with a plan in two days.. It’s not rocket science.
es says
I’d bet you could Ted. Pure greed.
Kid says
Absolutely, positively. I would love such an opportunity. Maybe I’ll do a hypothetical one. And you are right, ES It’s all about milking that ticket.
Mike Silver says
Far too much damage. At this point I don’t care if the sport is abolished. Interest level very low.
Kid says
Very strong statement from the savvy and great writer great Mike Silver and plenty to think about.
es says
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=05umZBgg-2k
Kid says
Thanks es
Tex Hassler says
Jerry Quarry might have been a champion if he had fought in another era. Yes he had many loyal fans and I am one of them. Thanks Dr. Sares for bringing the dark side of boxing to the light of day. No one knows where a fighter crosses the line with one fight too many or one hard punch taken too many. Young men seldom take time to see how really dangerous boxing can be.
Kid says
Excellent post, Tex and on the money.
Gusty Williams says
Good article, Ted. Enjoyed reading it.
Kid says
Thanks Gusty. I enjoyed writing it,
Adeyinka Makinde says
Excellent piece Ted. Written with enormous compassion while remaining unsparing about the debilitative effects of a boxing career.
Kid says
Adeyinka Makinde, great to hear from you brother.
Dollar bond says
Riveting and compelling. One of your best.
Kid says
Thanks mate. Much appreciated