BoxRec

This didn't get much attention, but I have only just read of the passing of Mike Quarry, brother of Jerry Quarry.

This was the fightnews report from a few days ago.

Former light heavyweight world challenger Mike Quarry has passed away at age 55 in La Habra, California. Quarry, who was a member of the famous fighting Quarry family, compiled a pro record of 63-13-6. He is best known for his challenge to legendary 175lb king Bob Foster in 1972 on the same card where his older brother Jerry Quarry faced Muhammad Ali. Caused of death was said to be "pugilistic dementia" the same disease that Jerry passed away from in 1999.

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Very sad, if I remember rightly Mike was helping out Jerry through his dementia (especially in the early stages).... I know both had long pro careers. However, Mike's was a young 31 when he retired and if you look into his career its not nearly as hard as his brother's or several other ex fighters who live to a grand old age with good health.

I hope that medical researchers might look at a possible genetic link regarding the onset of pugilistic dementia.

http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=10872

There almost certainly is a genetic link, how else do you explain that Jake La Motta is still fully lucid, and in good health, and banging a girl 50 years his junior? My mate Ranald travelled with him recently to a book signing and said he's as randy as a goat!

We all of us have inbuilt susceptibilities to various diseases and varying capacities for enduring physical traumas.

It's also possible that the two Quarry's conditions were attributed incorrectly to boxing, and that they in fact suffered from some other form of dementia, there are many forms of dementia, which is a catch all term for degenerative brain conditions which impair mental and/or physical functions.

The medical profession often attribute brain function loss to the trauma suffered in the ring, but it's partly because they know that someone was a fighter, and it's therefore easy to make that diagnosis. Dementia is a very complicated medical condition, the causes are not always known, and very little is really known about it.

agree entirely James!!!!

jamesmcdonnell wrote:There almost certainly is a genetic link, how else do you explain that Jake La Motta is still fully lucid, and in good health, and banging a girl 50 years his junior? My mate Ranald travelled with him recently to a book signing and said he's as randy as a goat!

We all of us have inbuilt susceptibilities to various diseases and varying capacities for enduring physical traumas.

It's also possible that the two Quarry's conditions were attributed incorrectly to boxing, and that they in fact suffered from some other form of dementia, there are many forms of dementia, which is a catch all term for degenerative brain conditions which impair mental and/or physical functions.

The medical profession often attribute brain function loss to the trauma suffered in the ring, but it's partly because they know that someone was a fighter, and it's therefore easy to make that diagnosis. Dementia is a very complicated medical condition, the causes are not always known, and very little is really known about it.

They may have been predeposed to it James, but boxing almost certainly aggravated it.

Boxing does a lot of good but as I get older with a family I wonder sometimes, particularly when a fighter gets hurt, if the sport id justified.

RIP mike quarry - very brave fighter. top man, sad day.

By accounts I have read over the years Mike and Jerry Quarry had countless brutal sparring sessions together. Over the years these heated sparring sessions must have added many a mile to the clocks of the bodies of both brothers.

I am of the strong belief that sparring sessions are often just as much to blame for damaging Boxers as the fights themselves. Ali is a case in point, he would often 'look' awfull in sparring sessions and let his sparring partners to unload inhuman amounts of punishment on him at times.

Both Mike & Jerry Quarry were tough, brave fighters who had long tough careers both taking shots off some huge punchers. Add that to years of hard, vicious sparring together, countless bar fights and the damage adds up. Plus Jerry was a very heavy drinker which wouldn't have helped matters, not sure if Mike also shared that problem.

From a Boxing point of view bothe Mike and Jerry deserved a much longer and happier retirement.

R.I.P. Mike Quarry.