Oscar Gonzalez suffered brain injury past weekend.. just passed away

[Ron Swanson]

Sad. Read about this yesterday. Sure seems to happen more often over the last decade or so. Could be just the law of averages because of an increased number of boxers overall but someone should look at it.

Dropping from 15 to 12 was supposed to curb the numbers but it really hasn't. I'd wager a study would actually show it to be worse. Perhaps its the gloves? Specifically Reyes and their design and then add the shaving I dont know.

I'd probably say dehydration is a major influence also. Bigger and bigger guys killing themselves to have the power advantage? Oxygen to the brain depletion or something. I think it deserves a comprehensive study and the pimps, orgs and broadcasters should be flipping the bill.

Not sure if it's a factor in this situation or not but I would bet cutting weight is a factor in most. Your brain works on water. That's why you get a headache as one of your first signs of dehydration. You can recover from being drastically dehydrated and malnourished but each and every time damage is done. And you never really know how long it will take to recover. Same day weigh ins and day before both have draw backs. I don't think we'll ever really know which is safer. Maybe neither because guys will push the limits either way.

[Spicoli]

Go easy man, be at peace. Fucked up. Didn't see the fight but in big upsets always wonder if they were just trying to get them to the bell for win where had things been reveresed the 'opponent' gets waved off well before. Way too young to go and someone needs to always scrutinize the officials and rule makers long before we do a fighter for 'not having heart' etc.

[La Cucaracha]

RIP Oscar Gonzalez. Wins over Ramos and Young showed his ability

[p4pking]

Saw this earlier, really sad stuff, he was just a kid. I'd never seen either guy fight, but still goes to show nobody is immune in boxing. Gonzalez was obviously expected to win, he'd never been stopped before, and he loses his life to a guy who is 12-7. Did anyone happen to watch it? Wondering if it should have been stopped or truly just happened. It's very likely he could have had issues with making weight, possibly taking a diuretic or anything on top of the fact would make brain injury a lot more likely though Not to accuse or anything, but the commissions are so woefully incompetent in all but a few places on earth it wouldn't surprise me if that was a big factor here.

[Beanflicker]

Not sure if it's a factor in this situation or not but I would bet cutting weight is a factor in most. Your brain works on water. That's why you get a headache as one of your first signs of dehydration. You can recover from being drastically dehydrated and malnourished but each and every time damage is done. And you never really know how long it will take to recover. Same day weigh ins and day before both have draw backs. I don't think we'll ever really know which is safer. Maybe neither because guys will push the limits either way.

You're 100% right.

We forget that our brains are floating in a thin layer of cerebrospinal fluid that protects the brain from smashing against the skull when we move our heads.

When you're draining the body of fluid and electrolytes, not only are you thinning out the brain's protective fluid, you're also reducing the brain's ability to produce the protective fluid. So while it will recover somewhat in the time from the weight in until the fight, it needs much more time to replenish to what it's supposed to be.

Add that to the fact that our cerebrospinal fluid is there to protect us from head movement and mild trauma bumps - not power punches from a trained boxer - you're looking at a recipe for disaster and the increased potential for short and long term damage.