Is Professional Boxing A.D. Anno Domino Accepting Criminal Misnomer Sport.

By Todd Dewey
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Dec. 26, 2012

Terry Norris counts his victories over Sugar Ray Leonard and John "The Beast" Mugabi as the most memorable moments of his Hall of Fame boxing career.

But the former four-time light middleweight world champion can't remember those fights or any others - nor, for that matter, the date of his 2009 wedding to his wife, Tanya.

Due to repeated blows to his head, Norris, 45, suffers from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy - previously known as pugilistic dementia, or punch-drunk syndrome. It's a degenerative brain disease with symptoms that include memory loss, confusion, depression and emotional outbursts.

Norris also is afflicted with Parkinsonism, a group of nervous disorders similar to Parkinson's disease and marked by muscular rigidity, tremors, speech and swallowing problems, balance and walking problems, and more.

During a recent interview at Bellagio, Norris appeared physically fit but struggled at times to express his thoughts. He also broke down crying more than once.

"I need something to correct my memory. I'm losing ? ," Norris said, before he suddenly stopped talking, buried his head in his hands and began crying and grunting in frustration.

Said Tanya: "The problem with Parkinsonisms is you can't articulate. Sometimes he wants to say something and he just can't."

Regaining his composure after wiping away tears, Norris said, "I'm crying because ? it's embarrassing. It's embarrassing."

DENIAL OF THE DAMAGE

Fghts (47-9, 31 knockouts) and thousands of rounds sparring.

Before his request for a boxing license was denied in 2000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission because of impaired speech indicative of brain damage, Norris was in denial about his condition.