Jake LaMotta...

[bradlee180]

George Chuvalo, The-Hard-Rock-From-Canada, is 76 years of age, and released a book a few months ago, Oct, 2013. Has been out promoting it, "Chuvalo: A Fighter's Life."

[Beanflicker]

George is another freak of nature. There are a lot of guys who took less punishment than him that ended up with dementia in their 40s. Jerry Quarry was a walking vegetable when he finally died at 53. And here Chuvalo is, 76 years old, still carrying on a conversation like any other 76 year old would.

Guys like Chuvalo and Lamotta are just built to be fighters.

[Master]

I can see Roberto Duran live to a ripe old age.

[Beanflicker]

It'd be great if they could pinpoint or isolate whatever the fuck it is that lets guys like Lamotta and Chuvalo have long boxing careers where they take a ton of damage, and then live to a ripe old age with seemingly no consequence.

It's not just a matter of having a great chin: Jerry Quarry also had a great chin. I wonder what it is.

[Master]

It'd be great if they could pinpoint or isolate whatever the fuck it is that lets guys like Lamotta and Chuvalo have long boxing careers where they take a ton of damage, and then live to a ripe old age with seemingly no consequence.

It's not just a matter of having a great chin: Jerry Quarry also had a great chin. I wonder what it is.

Genetics.

[Beanflicker]

For sure, but what is it structurally? Thicker layer of cerebral spinal fluid around the brain? Thicker skull? Or maybe the brain just doesn't go crazy and overproduce tau protein when it's concussed? Who knows.

It'd be nice if they knew, then if someone is at a high risk of developing pugilistic dementia they could be notified.

[greynotsoold]

While LaMotta certainly did take some serious punches in his career, he was far from a punching bag. In fact, most of his opponents said he was pretty hard to hit clean. I forget who it was, but one of them said that he was only easy to hit with jabs, which, of course is a strategy. If he lands the jab, he'll commit to a right hand or a hook, then you make him miss and counter.
It is like Carmen Basilio said, if he'd really taken all the punches people thought hetook, he wouldn't have lived long enough to get punchy.

[IamInuit]

George Chuvalo, The-Hard-Rock-From-Canada, is 76 years of age, and released a book a few months ago, Oct, 2013. Has been out promoting it, "Chuvalo: A Fighter's Life."

I love George. I was bummed when they made his show a half hour.