Prize fighter Clive Atwell is scheduled to walk out of the Georgetown Public Hospital today with all his faculties intact following a successful surgery to his skull on October 24.
Boxing fans had held a collective breath as he fought his toughest opponent to date, hemorrhage and swelling in the brain following his WBC FECARBOX super lightweight fight which ended prematurely that night at the Giftland Mall.
He was diagnosed with massive intracranial hemorrhage and general swelling to the brain and an emergency surgery was done on him by local neurosurgeon, Amarnauth Dukhi during which part of the skull was removed. The bleeding ceased and the swelling was under control.
Atwell’s immediate and long term boxing future is in doubt, but the 26 year-old told Stabroek Sport yesterday from his hospital bed that a ring return is imminent.
Quizzed on what may have caused the injury, Atwell noted that he was in three brutal match ups prior to his last fight versus Dexter Gonsalves and the injury most likely occurred during the last 18 months but was aggravated last month during the course of the Gonsalves slugfest.
When Stabroek Sport questioned if any precautionary measures were taken prior to his last ring date, Atwell noted that the customary medical was performed by Dr. Max Hanoman but perhaps an MRI test would have revealed and subsequently prevented further damage to brain.
When contacted for a comment, President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control and WBC FECARBOX president, Peter Abdool, disclosed that every precautionary measure was put in place prior, during and after each bout to protect the combatants.
“We had our doctors and nurses at ring side, we also had an ambulance there and if that was not the case, Clive perhaps would not be alive today. The ring side doctors were able to properly diagnose the problem and the ambulance was shuttled Clive to the hospital, in some countries he might have died.”
Abdool admitted that boxing is a high risk sport and that head injuries come with the territory but in the same breath stated that the board does everything in its power to protect each fighter that enters the ring.
Atwell’s career is against the ropes as the sport’s authorities have strict rules on allowing people with head injuries to compete.
However, the star, known as ‘The Punisher’ had a message for his fans: “Boxing is what I do, its what I love and I will be back to doing what I love when I fully recover.”
