He doesnt sound all that bad tbh. Compare his speech vs a guy like gary goodridge or other prominent boxers from yesteryear.
"doesn't sound all that bad"
I guess it depends on your frame of reference. For me, that story was hard to read. Shines a looot of light behind the scenes. It sounds like there are more ways to fuck up the money aspect of things than there are of ways to keep in good graces.
You dont understand. Im going by the actual sound of his speech in the video there. Not the written story.
Theres a certain 'drawl' that a lot of guys with cte have to their speech where it sounds like their barely conscience, barely 'there'. Spencer doesnt have that, at least yet. Hopefully it stays that wayas I know this sort of thing always getse worse with time.
Glory Kickboxing - Fight sports are guaranteed CTE - whether to a minor degree or a major one is variable per person and career, but everyone who fights pro will get some degree of it.
I can’t find the study off-hand, but a UK study of professional boxers for signs of neurological damage found that the incidence was 100% - fully 100% of them showed some degree of abnormality in scans and testing.
There’s all kinds of arguments around how this truth and reality should be handled.
For me, the imbalance between the insane profits of the promoter and the share to the fighter is something to be addressed. Healthcare, insurance, post-career planning
All this “independent contractor” horseshit is just that - horseshit. Fuck you, promotion - you know what you’re doing and what benefits you’re deriving and how sly you’re being with this legal technicality. It’s not illegal but it is immoral.
Second, gyms like Miletich FS. The training style they had was not atypical for the day and era - Lion’s Den, Chute Boxe, Golden Glory were all slaughterhouses as well - but there is something just so particularly meatheaded about MFS.
The more stories that come out of that gym - not only the training and macho ‘get back in there’ shit but the hazing - it just sounds, ultimately, like a mismanaged environment.
That meathead training style is now all but gone in the sport it seems, but regular head impact is still not a think the soft jelly of your brain is designed to endure on a near-daily basis for X years, no matter how soft you go.
Where in the natural world would a wild human suffer such repeated head impacts day after day for 1-2 decades? Nowhere. The skull and brain simply are not designed for it.
America being America, somehow a way will be found to keep all the CTE sports going while they make money. But for the first time, I can see a day when the science becomes so indisputable that the sports are either forced to fundamentally change, or people switch to different sports.
Yes, America is the only country in the world where sports involving head impacts take place...
How the FUCK was that your only takeaway from all that?
But yeah, the US is the HQ of the UFC, WWE, NFL and the biggest pro boxing operations. So yeah, by far the world capital of CTE-causing sports.
The thread is about an American who got CTE through fighting for an American organization. Your sensitivity is misplaced.
Glory Kickboxing - Fight sports are guaranteed CTE - whether to a minor degree or a major one is variable per person and career, but everyone who fights pro will get some degree of it.
I can’t find the study off-hand, but a UK study of professional boxers for signs of neurological damage found that the incidence was 100% - fully 100% of them showed some degree of abnormality in scans and testing.
There’s all kinds of arguments around how this truth and reality should be handled.
For me, the imbalance between the insane profits of the promoter and the share to the fighter is something to be addressed. Healthcare, insurance, post-career planning
All this “independent contractor” horseshit is just that - horseshit. Fuck you, promotion - you know what you’re doing and what benefits you’re deriving and how sly you’re being with this legal technicality. It’s not illegal but it is immoral.
Second, gyms like Miletich FS. The training style they had was not atypical for the day and era - Lion’s Den, Chute Boxe, Golden Glory were all slaughterhouses as well - but there is something just so particularly meatheaded about MFS.
The more stories that come out of that gym - not only the training and macho ‘get back in there’ shit but the hazing - it just sounds, ultimately, like a mismanaged environment.
That meathead training style is now all but gone in the sport it seems, but regular head impact is still not a think the soft jelly of your brain is designed to endure on a near-daily basis for X years, no matter how soft you go.
Where in the natural world would a wild human suffer such repeated head impacts day after day for 1-2 decades? Nowhere. The skull and brain simply are not designed for it.
America being America, somehow a way will be found to keep all the CTE sports going while they make money. But for the first time, I can see a day when the science becomes so indisputable that the sports are either forced to fundamentally change, or people switch to different sports.
Yes, America is the only country in the world where sports involving head impacts take place...
How the FUCK was that your only takeaway from all that?
But yeah, the US is the HQ of the UFC, WWE, NFL and the biggest pro boxing operations. So yeah, by far the world capital of CTE-causing sports.
The thread is about an American who got CTE through fighting for an American organization. Your sensitivity is misplaced.
Its not the only takeaway, it was just weird of you to put it in your post.
Stupid ass first two sentences. "If you love MMA you'll read this, if you don't, you don't love MMA" something to that extent.
Sometimes we don't know articles exist.
Poor Spencer he was looked at as the next big thing when LW resumed. Unfortunately it didn't go that way, but he had some damn good fights. I hate how his story turned out. Zuffa had more heart than anyone knew, Endeavor fucking sucks. All corporate, no care.
He doesnt sound all that bad tbh. Compare his speech vs a guy like gary goodridge or other prominent boxers from yesteryear.
His problems go way deeper than slurred speech: early-onset dementia, vertigo, probably depression to some degree. Sounds absolutely horrible. Sad to hear.
Obviously head impacts concussion can't be avoided in fights. But at least in the fight they are being checked , monitoried , referees and doctors are present
I think the real problem is the way people were and probably are still training. Trying to prove their status as toughest guy in the gym by killing each other every session and hazing the newbies. Anecdotally I haven't witnessed as much visible evidence of CTE in older Muay Thai fighters who've had many more fights than some of the ufc guys because they are much more sensible with their sparring (because they aren't getting paid to spar)
MMA is a very young sport still. People were claiming boxing was more dangerous when mma has not had the years behind it to compare itself to boxings long term effects
I’ve been trumpeting this for years now, the single most tangibly obvious thing wrong with the sport is how fighters are encouraged (by the rules and corners) to continue to bash the head of a KOed opponent. Any other instance of this in civilized society is considered assault with intent to kill. The sport has some problems so deeply ingrained in it that most fans and participants get annoyed when they are pointed out.
MMA is a very young sport still. People were claiming boxing was more dangerous when mma has not had the years behind it to compare itself to boxings long term effects
100%.
I recall someone doing a demonstration where they punched a bowling ball with a boxing glove on to demonstrate you could hit it repeatedly. Then taking the glove off gave it a half assed punch and that was it, you’ll break your hand, so it’s safer. Just one of many examples floated as the UFC attempted to get back on cable and overcome the John McCain situation.
Glory Kickboxing - Fight sports are guaranteed CTE - whether to a minor degree or a major one is variable per person and career, but everyone who fights pro will get some degree of it.
I can’t find the study off-hand, but a UK study of professional boxers for signs of neurological damage found that the incidence was 100% - fully 100% of them showed some degree of abnormality in scans and testing.
There’s all kinds of arguments around how this truth and reality should be handled.
For me, the imbalance between the insane profits of the promoter and the share to the fighter is something to be addressed. Healthcare, insurance, post-career planning
All this “independent contractor” horseshit is just that - horseshit. Fuck you, promotion - you know what you’re doing and what benefits you’re deriving and how sly you’re being with this legal technicality. It’s not illegal but it is immoral.
Second, gyms like Miletich FS. The training style they had was not atypical for the day and era - Lion’s Den, Chute Boxe, Golden Glory were all slaughterhouses as well - but there is something just so particularly meatheaded about MFS.
The more stories that come out of that gym - not only the training and macho ‘get back in there’ shit but the hazing - it just sounds, ultimately, like a mismanaged environment.
That meathead training style is now all but gone in the sport it seems, but regular head impact is still not a think the soft jelly of your brain is designed to endure on a near-daily basis for X years, no matter how soft you go.
Where in the natural world would a wild human suffer such repeated head impacts day after day for 1-2 decades? Nowhere. The skull and brain simply are not designed for it.
America being America, somehow a way will be found to keep all the CTE sports going while they make money. But for the first time, I can see a day when the science becomes so indisputable that the sports are either forced to fundamentally change, or people switch to different sports.
What I get out of this post is capitalism is bad, adult men shouldn’t be responsible for their lives and health, and Americans are greedy pigs. Just a pathetic outlook.
Lots of people take risks to take part in activities/sports they enjoy.
Rock climbing, sky diving, base jumping, horseback riding, motorcycle riding, car racing etc.
The list goes on and on.
Anyone with a half functioning brain knows some activities have higher risks than others. Most people are ok with the risks to do the things they want to do.