Boxer Abdusalamov Magomed Magomedgadzhievich: biography, fights and interesting facts. Magomed abdusalamov started talking to relatives Magomed abdusalamov what happened
Sport has given the world many talented, outstanding personalities. These are people with amazing will, fortitude and an irresistible desire to win. And Abdusalamov Magomed is one of them. His life path, achievements, victories and defeats will be discussed in the article.
The beginning of the journey and first achievements
Dagestan boxer Magomed Abdusalamov was born in 1981, on March 25, in Makhachkala. He graduated from the school and branch there. In 1999, he began to learn the basics of Thai boxing under the guidance of mentor and coach Zainalbek Zainalbekov. In 2004, Abdusalamov Magomed began his boxing career and very soon made it clear to everyone around him that he was capable of much.
For two years in a row (2005-2006), the athlete was awarded the title of Russian heavyweight champion.
Professional career
In September 2008, the boxer made his first appearance in the professional ring. Abdusalamov Magomed stood out among other athletes with his ability to hit his opponent in the early rounds. The first eight fights were not very interesting for the viewer: Magomed knocked out his opponents in the first round. Among those defeated in subsequent battles were:
- Rich Power (defeated in round 3);
- Pedro Rodriguez;
- Jason Pettaway (submitted in the 4th round);
- Maurice Byrom (the 3rd round was fatal for him).
Fight with Jamil McCline
In September 2012, in Moscow, Magomed Abdusalamov met in a duel with the famous American boxer Jamil McCline. During this fight, for the first time in his sports career, the Dagestani was knocked down.
From the first minute it was difficult not to notice that McCline had come to win. In the first minute, he knocked down Abdusalamov. But he recovered and continued the fight with great zeal.
At the end of the second round, the boxer sent his American opponent into a heavy knockdown with a straight right blow. Although McCline stood at the count of 10, the referee, looking at his exhausted appearance, decided to stop the fight.
It is interesting that Magomed entered the ring that day with an injury - he had a broken rib.
Victor Bisbal is a worthy opponent
In 2013, in March, the already famous and titled boxer Magomed Abdusalamov fought with an athlete from Puerto Rico. The forecasts were on the side of the Dagestani. Despite this, Victor Bisbal kept Magomed in suspense for the first two rounds. He won by a clear margin. This was the first boxer to make Abdusalamov nervous for two whole rounds.
The course of the fight changed during the third and fourth rounds, in the fifth Bisbal was knocked out.
Fatal fight with Mike Perez
In November 2013, two strongest boxers met in the ring - Cuban Mike Perez and Dagestani Magomed Abdusalamov. What happened after this fight that the eminent athlete, whose biography we are studying today, was forced to end his professional career?
At the beginning of the fight, the spectators held their breath. Both athletes were extremely active. And the first five rounds their strength was equal. Only in the 6th three-minute period did Perez begin to act more successfully. In the 10th round, Abdusalamov could barely stand on his feet, but still managed to reach the gong. At the end of the fight, the judges declared Kuban Mike Perez the winner. This was Abdusalamov's first serious defeat.
A few hours after the fight, Magomed began to complain of malaise - headache and dizziness. To avoid complications, it was decided to put the athlete into a state
Medical opinion
On November 6, it became known that the boxer suffered a stroke. At a medical center in New York, he had a blood clot removed from his brain and part of his skull.
Magomed was in a coma for more than two weeks and was only able to come out of it on November 22. But after a few hours, doctors were forced to put him back on life support. Only on December 6, the athlete was able to breathe on his own. On December 10, he was transferred to a regular ward from the intensive care unit.
Financial difficulties
It is known that the family of the boxer, who earned more than 40 thousand dollars for his last fight, was faced with incredible bills for treatment. The promoters created a special fund to raise funds and donations for Magomed’s treatment.
Not only his family, friends and fans helped Abdusalamov. The desire to help the boxer was personally expressed by his colleagues - Ruslan Provodnikov, the Klitschko brothers, Sergio Martinez, Sergey Kovalev, the Russian world boxing champion, in August 2014, put up for auction his boxing shorts, tapes and gloves, in which he defeated Blake Caparello, and the proceeds sent funds to Abdusalamov’s family.
Life goes on
Magomed Abdusalamov's condition is currently satisfactory; he has been able to speak since June 2015, but, unfortunately, the right side of his body still remains paralyzed.
He was and will forever remain a true champion who never gives up!
The family of Russian heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov, who received a severe traumatic brain injury in a fight with Mike Perez, filed documents with the court. The boxer's family accuses the New York State Athletic Commission of negligence and medical malpractice and demands compensation from the state in the amount of $100 million.
Let us remember that in November Abdusalamov met in the ring with Mike Perez, to whom he lost by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. In that fight, the Russian boxer missed 312 accurate punches. After the fight, the boxer underwent emergency brain surgery to remove a large blood clot that had formed in him. Abdusalamov was in a coma for several weeks, and now the boxer is in a rehabilitation facility, where he showed little activity and is able to respond to simple commands, but still remains bedridden and, according to doctors, he may never be able to walk and speak. While in the locker room after the fight, Abdusalamov, who suffered a broken upper jaw and arm during the fight, told the New York Athletic Commission doctor that he had a very bad headache. Doctors performed several simple neurological tests, diagnosing a nasal fracture and recommending that the boxer see a doctor immediately upon returning to Florida. But neither the commission nor the doctors knew that at some point bleeding began in Abdusalamov’s brain, which would probably have killed the boxer if not for the medical assistance provided.
Athletic commission inspector Matt Farrago, who was appointed as Abdusalamov's observer that evening, said that after doctors checked the boxer and left the locker room, he noticed traces of blood in Abdusalamov's urine tests, which could have been a sign of internal bleeding. Farrago, who had been a professional boxer for 8 years, advised the Russian boxer's team to take him by taxi to the hospital. But an anonymous source who was at the MGM arena that evening said that 2 ambulances were on duty at the scene, but the panel of doctors did not call any of them for the Russian boxer. In early November, acting at the request of the New York Secretary of State, who oversees the athletic commission, the State Inspector General began an investigation into the fight itself and the events that occurred after it that very evening. The end date of the investigation was never announced. Athletic commission chair Melvina Lathan, chief medical adviser Dr. Barry Jordan and referee Benji Estevez Jr., who were in the ringside that evening, declined to comment on the matter.
Paul Edelstein, the lawyer for Abdusalamov’s wife and children, said that he is planning to file a lawsuit in the near future against the commission of doctors and other participants in this incident. As practice shows, there have been more than once cases when the state helped resolve such conflicts in favor of the relatives of those who suffered a tragedy in the ring, Edelstein said. The widow of Bethaven Scottland, who died from injuries sustained in a 2001 fight with George Jones, sued, arguing that her husband was not given permission to fight and the fight should have been stopped before the injuries became fatal. 11 years after the incident, the widow was paid $150,000.
Edelstein filed a notice with the court about Abdusalamov's medical expenses, which were the result of an "unjustified and brutal beating" and "inadequate, untimely and inadequate medical care and services."
“It was a real war. The guys gave their all and showed everything they could do.”, - John David Jackson, coach of Magomed Abdusalamov, shared his thoughts about that fight.
A devout Muslim from the Russian republic of Dagestan, Magomed Abdusalamov was the WBC champion of the United States and, at the time of the fight with Perez, had a record of 18 victories, each of which was won by knockout in the 5th round or earlier. The Russian boxer was among the main contenders for the heavyweight title, and would certainly have received this fight soon, but he had not previously had to fight opponents of Perez’s caliber. As the boxer's manager Boris Grinberg said, for Magomed this was the main fight in his career. In the first round of the fight, Mike Perez struck Abdusalamov with his left forearm in the face, this gave the judge every reason to stop the fight due to an illegal blow, but the referee who was behind the Russian boxer did not consider this moment worthy of his attention. Even though no one from Abdusalamov's corner protested the incident or sought help from a doctor, at the end of the first round Magomed looked at his face on the big screen and asked his team if his nose was broken.
As the fight progressed, Abdusalamov found it increasingly difficult to breathe, and the left side of his face was severely swollen and damaged. His left eye was half-closed due to the damage, and the blood from the cut above it only made his vision worse. Despite all the hard blows and all the damage that both boxers received in this fight, not a single knockdown occurred in it. The boxer's trainer, John David Jackson, who subsequently stated that he wanted to stop the fight after the 7th round. The cause was the injuries received by the boxer, but neither Magomed himself felt in danger, nor did the doctors give any such conclusions. A little later, in the 9th round of the fight, Magomed even achieved a small feat; in this round he looked more convincing than his opponent.
Jackson also stated that throughout the entire fight there was a lack of mutual understanding in the Russian boxer’s corner. Magomed communicated only with his brother in Russian, and Greenberg was passive and did not always translate to the boxer what the coach said. This prevented Jackson from learning about the health status of his ward. Chris Jay, a friend of Abdusalamov's who helped him learn basic English, said the corner's difficulties were due to the boxer's pride and independence.
"More than once he happened to ignore the words in his corner. He did what he wanted to do.", Jay said.
“None of the doctors that evening made any hint that I should have stopped the fight. The kid wanted to fight so badly that I was completely hopeful that he would win,” said Coach Jackson.
Magomed Abdusalamov’s brother said that only after the fight they learned that Magomed had injured his hand in the first round.
“In the first round, I struck Perez with my left hand, after which I could not even clench my fist, which prevented me from working with my left the way I wanted. But the champion remains a champion and he had a great fight today,” Abdusalamov said in post-fight interview.
While doctors were in the locker room, Abdusalamov's promoter and trainer insisted that the boxer be taken to the hospital because he was complaining of a severe headache. Doctors conducted a King-Devick neurological test, which the boxer had already taken the day before the fight, where he was required to read a series of numbers.
“He made a couple of mistakes, but he mentioned all the numbers quite clearly and did it quite quickly. I was very impressed,” said Greenberg Jr., who was with the boxer during the tests.
However, Coach Jackson was distrustful of the test and protested against it, even leaving the room for a while.
"What the hell happened? He was supposed to be taken to the hospital and only tested when he got there. We had time that was wasted because they didn't do what I asked for, even though he talked about his headache more than once." pain," Jackson said.
After examining Abdusalamov’s face, the doctors determined that his nose was broken, they also stitched up the cut and advised him to visit a doctor in a couple of days, and then remove the stitches in a week.
“It seemed that everything was going according to protocol. All the necessary steps that the doctors saw in that situation were taken,” said athletic commission inspector Farrago.
After the boxer was examined and the doctors left the locker room, Farrago still had to conduct urine tests on Abdusalamov, who, by the way, was then having difficulty urinating. Only after Magomed took a shower were these tests carried out. As soon as Farrago found traces of blood in the urine, he immediately advised the boxer's team to take a taxi and head to the nearest hospital.
"I have to defend what was done, as he never showed any signs of serious brain injury. Of course, he had injuries that required emergency treatment, but no one had any idea about the bleeding in the brain. Could I have something to change then? Of course... If I knew more," Farrago said.
After doctors examined Magomed, his promoter Sampson Levkowitz returned to the arena to oversee other fights that evening. Then Greenberg informed him that Abdusalamov needed an ambulance, Levkowitz turned to the chairman of the commission about providing the boxer with an ambulance, but the chairman of the commission did not even budge and did not take any steps to help in this situation. As the boxer’s brother says, even then Abdusalamov needed help to get dressed and leave the locker room.
“He was unable to think adequately. He was on the verge of unconsciousness and kept telling me, ‘I will leave, I will leave,’” said the boxer’s brother.
When the brothers, their father and Greenberg Jr. went out into the street, where Greenberg Sr. and his wife were already waiting for them, Greenberg Jr. left everyone on the side of the road and went to catch a taxi, he even turned to a policeman for help, but everything was unsuccessful. It took them about 20 minutes to find a free taxi that evening. Upon arrival at the hospital, they were told that they would have to wait in line as there were already people in front of them. While waiting, Magomed asked to lie down, then he began to feel a dry urge to vomit.
“Only after I started cursing did the guard see what was happening to Magomed, then he said that we had better go outside and call 911 from there, because then they would immediately provide medical assistance and we wouldn’t have to wait,” Greenberg said -Jr.
Greenberg Jr. states that he left Abdusalamov with his brother in the waiting room and went outside to call 911 from his phone. According to the police department, the 911 call came in at 12:16 a.m. and lasted about five minutes. When he returned to the hall, he saw that Abdusalamov’s father, who had arrived in another taxi, had already obtained the doctors’ attention to his son. According to hospital data, Magomed was registered at 12:31 am. Greenberg Jr. said that as doctors examined him, Magomed became less and less sensitive to what was happening around him.
"He made a lot of effort to even say a few words. It was a very difficult situation.", - said Greenberg Jr.
"Based on the initial results of the CT scan, the extent of his brain damage at the time of admission to the hospital was already putting his life in doubt. At that time, we did not know whether we could save him," Dr Swarup said.
A scan carried out at 12:50 am discovered a large blood clot in the left hemisphere of Abdusalamov's brain, which was pressing on his skull, after which the boxer was taken to the operating room. Doctors began surgery at 1:33 p.m. local time, removing part of the skull on the left side to relieve pressure, removing a blood clot, and then starting therapy to reduce brain swelling. However, due to the pressure placed on the brain and the blows received, the damage was too severe.
“We saved everything we could, but we will not be able to make him the same as he was before. He is young and most likely many of his brain functions will return, but it is difficult for us to say how much he will be able to recover,” said Dr. Swarup.
Today a message came from New York that Russian boxer Magomed Abdusalamov may remain in a coma forever. On Sunday, in a protracted 10-round fight with Cuban Mike Perez, he... There is definitely no question of continuing the sports career of Abdusalamov, who was considered one of the most promising Russian heavyweights. Now the doctors’ task is to try to bring the boxer back to life.
Magomed Abdusalamov met the referee’s decision, which was offensive for any boxer, that he was awarded the first defeat in his professional career while standing inside the ring at Madison Square Garden. The Russian, who could barely stand on his feet, spent the rest of his strength congratulating his opponent, Cuban Mike Perez. To those who watched, it seemed annoying, but not fatal. In the end, Perez is the most serious opponent of Abdusalamov’s entire career. It’s rare to get by without bruises and fractures in boxing, and both heavyweights managed to give active boxing, which is rare in this weight category.
In the tenth round, the Cuban delivered a devastating right cross. What happened next was not captured by worldwide broadcasts. Immediately after the fight, Abdusalamov was taken to the hospital. Doctors at the Roosevelt Center recorded fractures of the nose and left arm, a severe cut above the left eye, and injuries to the maxillofacial apparatus. A few hours later, Abdusalamov became worse. He complained of severe headache and dizziness. Surgeons decided to put the boxer into an induced coma.
At this moment, the opponent in the ring responded with words of support. "My thoughts and prayers are with Mago now. I hope he gets better soon. He fought like a real warrior. I was happy to win, but now I only care about his health," Perez said.
Sports publications continued to report hope, almost even when news broke that Abdusalamov had had part of his skull removed. “The worst is over,” the press reported, citing the boxer’s agent. Myself . But today shocking news came from him. Abdusalamov has a stroke. He is still in a coma and whether he will ever come out of it is unclear. "Magomed has retired. We, the boxing family, cannot turn our backs on those brave people who play this sport at a time when they need us most. And we are going to do everything possible to get him back on his feet. Magomed is more won't box, but he's a good and brave man, he has a wonderful family. Every dollar will help," Levkovich said.
At 32 years old, Abdusalamov won 18 victories in the professional ring (all by knockout). A victory over Perez opened his way to the World Cup. If Abdusalamov had won, he could have competed for the title with Vitali Klitschko. World boxing has already expressed support for the Russian and sympathy for his family. It was decided to raise the money much needed for treatment through a hastily created fund.
Magomed Abdusalamov was one of the main hopes of Russian boxing in the heavyweight division. His career developed rapidly, the athlete was distinguished by a strong delivered blow, which knocked many opponents to the ring carpet ahead of schedule. However, at the very take-off, not only the boxer’s participation in big-time sports was under threat, but also his life. This happened in a duel with Cuban Mike Perez at the Madison Square Garden arena in November 2013.
Becoming
Abdusalamov Magomed Magomedgadzhievich was born in Dagestan on March 25, 1981. It was the father who instilled in his son a love of sports, since he himself was engaged in freestyle wrestling and received the title of master. Young Maga tried various types of martial arts, and came to boxing at the age of 22 due to a knee injury in the Thai interpretation of this sport, where he achieved considerable success.
The athlete’s first mentor was G. Gaziev, who later became like an older brother to him. In classical boxing, Abdusalamov Magomed began training with Evgeny Kotov. In the amateur category, the athlete managed to win the Russian Federation championship twice. However, he lacked tactics and technique due to his late arrival to this sport. In amateur boxing, Magee has fifty fights to his name, the lion's share of victories in which took place ahead of schedule.
Professional career
Boxer Magomed Abdusalamov began his professional career in the fall of 2008. The athlete was first supported by Yuri Fedorov, then Mage was promoted by the American Leon Margulies and his team. The Dagestani alternately fought in Russia and America. Soon the boxer's entire family (wife and two daughters) moved to Florida. Magomed Abdusalamov knocked out the first eight opponents in the professional ring to the canvas in the first round. In 2012, Magee’s opponent was the famous American J. McCline. In this fight, the Russian athlete managed to be knocked down, but the second round brought him an early victory.
A year later, a meeting took place between Abdusalamov and Puerto Rican V. Bisbal. This opponent made the Dagestani nervous, but in the fifth round he was also knocked out. In fights, it is noticeable that Maga has practically no control over his defense, and behaves quite openly and riskily. As the athlete himself stated, this was his tactic, which made it possible to take his opponent by surprise. The main trump cards of the domestic boxer are enormous power and high striking force.
Magomed Abdusalamov: what happened in the fatal battle?
The ill-fated fight took place on November 2, 2011. In the ring of the Madison Square Garden arena in New York, two invincible boxers at that time met - Magomed Abdusalamov and Cuban Mike Perez. Bookmakers estimated the athletes' chances at about fifty-fifty. The Dagestani was 32 years old at that time, and his opponent was 28 years old.
The opponents began the fight in an active struggle for the center of the ring. Almost from the first seconds, open “chopping” began. In his characteristic style, Maga tried to suppress the Cuban’s initiative, but he was unable to do this right away. Moreover, he missed a powerful blow to the jaw, which immediately began to swell. The coach and team did not pay attention to this until the very end of the match. As it turned out later, the Russian athlete suffered a fracture of the facial bone under the eye, and this in the first round!
Developments
Despite the injury, Magomed Abdusalamov fought the last battle like a real warrior. Actively maneuvering, he was eager to attack. Throughout the fight, the boxers alternately took the initiative into their own hands. Perez turned out to be a very persistent and nimble opponent. In addition, he repeatedly struck the Russian athlete below the belt, for which he was deprived of one point by the referee's decision.
With each round, the fight between Magomed Abdusalamov and the Cuban became tougher and more spectacular, forcing the audience to jump up from their seats every now and then. However, Maga was noticeably tired, missed several serious blows to his injured jaw and earned a couple of cuts. At the same time, Mike behaved provocatively, showing ambiguous gestures and language. As a result, the fight ended with the victory of the Cuban athlete on points by unanimous decision of the judges.
The situation after the battle
How did Magomed Abdusalamov feel during the fight? What happened in the first round and why did the coaching staff not react to a serious injury? There is no clear answer to these questions. Some consider the language barrier to be an obstacle to mutual understanding, while others claim that too much was at stake. The fact is that a few hours after the fight, the athlete was sent to the clinic with severe headaches, where he was diagnosed with a cerebral hemorrhage.
To prevent the situation from worsening, doctors put the boxer into an artificial coma. A few days later, Abdusalamov suffered a stroke. An operation was performed during which doctors removed a blood clot from the brain and also removed part of the skull to relieve swelling. Only after some time the athlete emerged from the comatose state and began to breathe on his own. Four months later he was transferred from intensive care to a regular ward.
Rehabilitation
It soon became known that the Abdusalamov family did not have the required amount of funds to complete the full course of rehabilitation and subsequent treatment. Concerned sponsors and philanthropists from the boxing community, including current and former athletes, as well as Magomed’s friends, provided all possible assistance in solving this problem. The promoters even created a special fund to collect donations for Magee’s treatment.
Abdusalamov Magomed Magomedgadzhievich was transferred to a rehabilitation center in 2014. He is going through a difficult and long period of recovery, has lost significant weight and is still unable to move independently. The athlete’s wife, Bakanay, does not leave her husband’s side and makes incredible efforts to ensure that the rehabilitation process is completed successfully. Unfortunately, the brain damage turned out to be very serious; treatment may take more than one year. Magomed has already begun to talk a little, his wife hopes that soon her husband will get on his feet and walk. Although doctors predict paralysis of the right side of the body forever.
Conclusion
Boxing is a truly dangerous sport in which more than one person has lost their health. Athletes take risks in every fight, and sometimes chance plays a fatal role. I would like to believe that boxer Magomed Abdusalamov will recover and cope with the disease, like most of his opponents in the ring. Fans remembered him as a persistent, purposeful and practically invincible athlete.
We bring to your attention a translation of a short article by the famous writer Thomas Hauser, dedicated to the former heavyweight boxer Magomed Abdusalamov.
On November 2, 2013, Russian heavyweight Magomed Abdusalamov suffered serious brain damage in a fight with Mike Perez at Madison Square Garden in New York.
People with injuries like Magomed's are usually not in the public eye. They disappear into the shadows. We sometimes receive positive feedback about their condition like “he’s in the clinic” and “he’s getting better”, etc. None of us are immune from this. None of us are promised a life that will be immune to terrible suffering.
Magomed fought to provide for his family. And he succeeded. Last year, the state of New York, which was responsible for staging the fights on its territory, agreed to pay Abdusalamov and his family $22 million after nearly four years of litigation over shoddy New York state medical protocols and their implementation.
Some of the $22 million went to lawyers. Magomed's wife, Bakanay, received a large one-time payment. The bulk of this money will be issued in annuities, which will constitute Magomed's income for the next thirty years. If he dies before that period ends, the $2 million will return to New York State and the remainder of the annuity will become Magomed's property. All of his medical expenses and related bills are paid from an annuity controlled by Charles Thomas, a former Queens County judge.
Magomed and Bakanay live in Greenwich with their three daughters, who are currently 11, 8 and 4 years old. Greenwich is part of Connecticut's Gold Coast, home to top fund managers and other financial elites. But the city also has several less expensive areas. The Abdusalamovs live in a modest house surrounded by asphalt and gravel on a small plot of land with no lawn or garden.
Every morning Bakanai bathes and shave Magomed and dresses him in clean clothes. Three days a week she takes him to Stamford Hospital for physical therapy. It is not aimed at improving his condition - only minor physical or cognitive improvements are expected - but mostly to prevent further atrophy of Magomed's muscles.
The right side of Magomed's body is completely paralyzed. On the right side of his head there is a scar in the shape and size of a horseshoe. He can control his left arm to a certain extent and the left side of his body. He gets tired quickly and suffers from cramps. He cannot walk or control his physical functions. He has a high risk of choking, so anything that goes into his mouth is carefully controlled.
His voice is weak. He tries to speak, sometimes in English and sometimes in Russian. Often what he says is not clear. At best, only a few words come out at a time. Sometimes they suit the situation. In other cases they are not suitable.
He can follow simple commands such as "take my hand."
Magomed knows that he is sick. The extent to which he understands his condition is uncertain. He responds to kindness. He recognizes familiar faces, his wife and children, and knows that they are the objects of his affection. His strongest connection is with Bakanai. When asked if he knows who she is, he replies: “Big love.”
His mind wanders. Almost always his gaze is empty.
He will never be able to take care of himself again.
But he's still Mago.
