Medical board: not responsible for Leonard's eye
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This is a digitised version of an article from The Cayman Compass's print archive. Occasionally, the digitisation process introduces transcription errors, or other problems.
See the article in its original context from April 1987.
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Leonard and Hagler, both Americans, will meet next Monday night in a world middleweight title fight.
Dr. Charles Filippini said his five-member board has tried without success to be involved in the examination and licensing of Leonard, but has been rebuffed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. "This was all done behind our backs," Filippini said. "They showed us the medical records after they had approved the fight. We were not involved in evaluating or voting on the fight."
Leonard, who underwent retinal surgery on his left eye in 1982, was examined by three doctors in Las Vegas last fall prior to the announcement of the fight. Eye exams are scheduled this week for both Leonard and Hagler.
Filippini, whose board was created in 1983 to advise the commission on medical safety for fighters, said the first he heard of the initial examination was when he read about it in the newspaper.
"I wasn't even aware that Sugar Ray was in Nevada being examined until I read the sports section," he said. "I feel that with something of this importance with all the controversy, you'd think the board would be called on it."
Sig Rogich, a member of the athletic commission, said there was no intention to slight the board. "If that's the case, it was done inadvertently," Rogich said. "You have to remember the medical advisory board is relatively new."
Rogich said Filippini's complaint stems from his view that Dr. Vincent Giovanazzo, a New York specialist in boxing eye injuries, should be brought in for the examination.
"I just don't believe we have a necessity to go out of state now," Rogich said. "We are perfectly amenable to the board's selection of any Nevada physicians to examine Sugar Ray Leonard. We can't do any more than that."
The first examination of Leonard's eye, in which he was pronounced fit to fight, was performed by three doctors. They included one Nevada eye specialist, the doctor who operated on Leonard, and Dr. Louis Angioletti, director of the Retinal Diagnostic Centre of the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary. "The insurance carrier (Lloyds of London) wouldn't have approved it unless they were certain his eye was ok," Rogich said.
Filippini, whose board is now before the state legislature seeking broader powers, told Nevada Governor Richard Bryan in November the board would accept no responsibility if Leonard is injured in next Monday's fight.
"You don't want another Sugar Ray Seales," Filippini said of the former Olympic boxer who was blinded in the ring.
