I would like to take a moment to tell you about a fascinating documentary film I participated in called After the Last Round. The film exposes the not-so-sweet side of the sport known as the “sweet science” — boxing. It reveals the serious and often irreparable damage boxing can do to the brain.
Among the many boxers featured in the film are former junior middleweight champion Denny Moyer and his brother Phil, who both fought in the 1950s and 1960s. Like so many boxers, the Moyer brothers sustained long-term brain injuries that have changed their lives forever. Their injuries weren’t the result of a devastating knock-out punch, but rather the cumulative effect of years of blows in the ring.
Once agile and athletic, Phil is now wheelchair-bound while Denny uses a walker to help him shuffle ever so slowly through the halls of a nursing home. The pair, who are barely able to communicate, appear to be ghostly shells of the vibrant men they once were.
Phil and Denny aren’t alone. I’ve scanned the brains of several champion boxers, and I can tell you that their brains are a mess. What else would you expect when you’ve spent your life taking repeated blows to the head? Boxers are susceptible to a particular form of severe brain injury called dementia pugilistica. This results in impaired mental and physical abilities, including dementia and Parkinson’s disease.
Despite the fact that boxing is a bad brain sport, it continues to fascinate audiences and entice athletes to enter the ring in spite of the risk.
After the Last Round is currently making the rounds at film festivals and is earning tremendous accolades. You can check out the trailer at www.afterthelastround.com or at www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcZPxFQlxvg. Stay tuned for screenings to be announced.
