The sad case of Antwun Echols

[Hulk]

That is pretty awful. It happens too often in the fight game.

The super elite really seldom have to go through any of this. But they are such a small total of all boxers.

Very true Miles. Seems not many care either...

[Master]

Iran Barclay carrying on boxing was sadder.

[CFH]

Boxing has to be one of the cruelest sports on those athletes who don't make it to the very top. I remember reading a shocking statistic about how many NFL players end up destitute, I would imagine that boxing is even worse.

[TigerFan]

I read somewhere that he has a shit load of kids(over 10) and is fighting to pay back child support.

[Spicoli]

Guys like Echols and Vivian Harris are on the road to ruins, hanging onto a couple of past matches of note and respectfully, too dumb with pride and dependent on a short check to listen to the torn body and the old man staring back in the mirror.

[Beanflicker]

Sweet jesus, what a downward spiral. I think at this point the omus is on the athletic commisions to do their jobs and stop licensing him. When you have a fighter who is 40 and hasn't won a REAL fight in 8 years, you have to do the right thing and protect that guy against himself.

[Andre]

I was so hoping he was going to beat Anything Mundane out here in Australia that time.

[killersheep]

Boxing has to be one of the cruelest sports on those athletes who don't make it to the very top. I remember reading a shocking statistic about how many NFL players end up destitute, I would imagine that boxing is even worse.

Most NFL players make way more than most boxers though, I believe when you have a lot of money and short period in your life when you can earn it, that's the problem with NFL players going broke. The average NFL player earns money (as an athlete) for 9 years (3.5 for players that don't make the first squad roster) when you consider most people live to about 82-84 that's a lot of years you are paying for with a lifestyle that tends to be overextending. With most boxers (not including the De La Hoyas, Holyfields, Mayweathers, Tysons, and Pacquiaos of the game) they don't have the means to overspend the same way on average.

Now this isn't to say that boxers aren't less responsible, they just don't have the same means to get into problems as NFL players on average.

Getting back to Hulk's original point this would be a great point for PROMOTERS or better yet MANAGERS to create a sort of trust for boxers using a portion of their take from a fight as a sort of small pension, while it wouldn't be much in most cases, in instances like Echols he could have a small income stream to keep him going for all his efforts in the ring. Boxers could also do this for themselves, but let's be honest, most don't know any better and someone should be looking out for them.

I also strongly agree that there should be a single boxing commission that can limit or eliminate a fighters ability to be sanctioned.