Only An Autopsy Can Pinpoint The Cause Of Boxer's Death
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 07 Feb 2008
Games and Amusements Board boxing division chief Dr.Nasser Cruz says that an autopsy would have to be conducted on Philippine minimum weight champion Alex Aroy to determine the cause of death after a ten round bout against Arnel Tadena in Villaba, Leyte on Monday and prevent speculation of the cause or causes.
Dr. Redentor Viernes of the GAB medical division said that when Aroy had a CTScan and a complete checkup prior to leaving for South Africa doctors found nothing wrong and "every report was good, everything was fine."
Dr. Viernes said that based on the reports so far "it could have been an internal rupture or something could have gone wrong with his kidney or bladder" based on his inability to urinate and severe abdominal pain.
Aroy?s manager Rex ?Wakee? Salud said the parents of the boxer who is from Maasin, Leyte were already in Villaba and would accompany their son?s body to their hometown. Salud said he would seek the permission of Aroy?s father for an autopsy to be conducted so the cause of his untimely death would be known.
Well-known South African international promoter and manager Branco Milenkovic who promoted two of Aroy?s fights in South Africa told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today in an overseas telephone conversation ?the news shook me up. I switched my phone off and didn?t work all day. It is sad for me because he was one of my international fighters, a very good fighter.?
Milenkovic said Aroy was ?close to my heart and Filipino boxers are great fighters while Filipinos are humble people. Aroy was a very likeable boy.? Milenkovic said he had been planning ?to bring him back again to fight for the vacant WBC International light flyweight title.? Milenkovic sent his ?deepest condolences to Aroy?s family on behalf of me and my family, as well as on behalf of my boxing commission, my national TV broadcaster and Carousel Casino where Aroy put on an outstanding performance last September. I think it?s a big loss for Philippine boxing.?
Salud, in a long distance telephone conversation from Cebu City said the 22 year old boxer was ?in good condition and had never been down in his career.? He said Aroy collapsed about an hour after the fight and was rushed to the District Hospital which regrettably ?had no facilities, not even oxygen? which prompted the attending doctor to recommend that Aroy be transferred to the better equipped and bigger hospital in Palompon but didn?t make it and was pronounced dead-on-arrival.
Dr. Cruz said based on an initial ?raw report? there were no knockdowns during the fight but Aroy later ?complained of abdominal pains and inability to urinate. He was fully conscious and walking during that time. ?
Cruz said the boxer was brought to the District Hospital which was about five minutes away from the stadium where the fight took place. Dr. Cruz said a doctor immediately saw him in the emergency room and inserted a catheter and put him on intravenous fluid since he was dehydrated after the fight.
According to Dr. Cruz the ?center of the problem was in the abdomen but unfortunately the boxer didn?t make it to the hospital.?
Aroy was accompanied by Salud?s matchmaker Willy Flores. Dr. Cruz speculated that there was a possibility ?something went wrong with his kidneys.?
Aroy had earlier lost in his bid to wrest the WBC International title from South Afrina?s Zukisani Kwayiba at the Carousel near Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria, by a majority seven round decision. It was regarded as a typical hometown caper in the Branco Sports Promotion event when the lights mysteriously went out and the officials decided to end the bout and go to the scorecards. Internationally respected referee Bruce McTavish told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that it was in keeping with WBC rules.
Malenkovic was impressed by Aroy?s performance and scheduled a light flyweight title fight but it was called off after his South African opponent was three pounds overweight and Salud refused to allow Aroy to fight.
Aroy won the Philippine Boxing Federation light flyweight title with a fourth round knockout win over Dennis Juntillano on November 22, 2006 and was leading Tadena in their first encounter on August 14 last year when Tadena suffered a nasty gash because of an accidental head-butt and the fight was stopped.
In the rematch Aroy dropped a points decision last Saturday.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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