Manuel Velazquez
Encyclopedia
Manuel Velazquez was a 20th-century anti-boxing
activist who kept meticulous files on boxing-related deaths.
. When Velazquez was about 10 years old he and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois. At 15 he dropped out of school and began work at a railroad roundhouse (a sort of garage for locomotives) in Oak Park, Illinois
. At 19 he joined the Illinois National Guard
, Company F, 131st Infantry. He served from 1924-1925, then moved back to Tampa and worked on a trolley
car.
and worked on a trolley on Sixth Avenue
in Manhattan
and then as a conductor on the New York City Subway
system. During his time in New York he befriended boxer and fellow Floridian Pete Nebo.
Nebo retired at 27 and moved to Key West, Florida
, where he was arrested in 1938 for assaulting a man who called him "punchy." The court determined that Nebo was mentally incompetent due to boxing injuries, and on September 1 he was involuntarily committed to Florida State Hospital
at Chattahoochie
.
Velazquez subsequently began collecting data on boxing injuries, and as a result of what he learned he began to oppose the sport.
. The disease forced him to use a cane starting in 1939. Still, he continued to work, finding employment in the Federal civil service in 1940. This job took him around the country, including stops in New York
, St. Louis, Missouri
, Arlington, Virginia and Fort Benjamin Harrison
.
After his retirement in 1959, Velazquez lived in government-subsidized housing in Tampa. Later he moved to Arizona
, and finally to Greenville, Illinois
where he died at the age of 89.
(4 [1987], 194-210) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3296090&dopt=Abstract. The collection passed to Joseph R. Svinth in the mid-1990s. Svinth maintains an ongoing project called "Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection," which documents "Western" boxing deaths since 1741.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
activist who kept meticulous files on boxing-related deaths.
Early life
Manuel Velazquez was born in Tampa, FloridaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
. When Velazquez was about 10 years old he and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois. At 15 he dropped out of school and began work at a railroad roundhouse (a sort of garage for locomotives) in Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
. At 19 he joined the Illinois National Guard
Illinois National Guard
The Illinois National Guard comprises both Army National Guard and Air National Guard components. The National Guard is the only United States military force empowered to function in a state status. The Constitution of the United States specifically charges the National Guard with dual federal and...
, Company F, 131st Infantry. He served from 1924-1925, then moved back to Tampa and worked on a trolley
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
car.
Association with boxing
In Tampa, Velazquez befriended middleweight boxer Manuel Quintero and consequently spent significant time in the gym. In 1927 Velazquez moved to New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and worked on a trolley on Sixth Avenue
Sixth Avenue (Manhattan)
Sixth Avenue – officially Avenue of the Americas, although this name is seldom used by New Yorkers – is a major thoroughfare in New York City's borough of Manhattan, on which traffic runs northbound, or "uptown"...
in Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
and then as a conductor on the New York City Subway
New York City Subway
The New York City Subway is a rapid transit system owned by the City of New York and leased to the New York City Transit Authority, a subsidiary agency of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and also known as MTA New York City Transit...
system. During his time in New York he befriended boxer and fellow Floridian Pete Nebo.
Nebo retired at 27 and moved to Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, where he was arrested in 1938 for assaulting a man who called him "punchy." The court determined that Nebo was mentally incompetent due to boxing injuries, and on September 1 he was involuntarily committed to Florida State Hospital
Florida State Hospital
Florida State Hospital is a hospital and mental institution in Chattahoochee, Florida. Established in 1876, it was until 1947 Florida's only state mental institution. It currently has a capacity of 1,042 patients...
at Chattahoochie
Chattahoochee, Florida
Chattahoochee is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,287 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,720. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Chattahoochee is...
.
Velazquez subsequently began collecting data on boxing injuries, and as a result of what he learned he began to oppose the sport.
Later life
In 1938 he had to quit his subway job due to multiple sclerosisMultiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. The disease forced him to use a cane starting in 1939. Still, he continued to work, finding employment in the Federal civil service in 1940. This job took him around the country, including stops in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Arlington, Virginia and Fort Benjamin Harrison
Fort Harrison State Park
Fort HarrisonDesignationState ParkLocationIndiana USANearest CitiesLawrence, IndianaCoordinatesArea Date of Establishment1996Governing BodyIndiana DNR...
.
After his retirement in 1959, Velazquez lived in government-subsidized housing in Tampa. Later he moved to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and finally to Greenville, Illinois
Greenville, Illinois
Greenville is a city in Bond County, Illinois, United States, east of St. Louis. The estimated population as of July 2009 is 7,284. The population was 6,955 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Bond County....
where he died at the age of 89.
Legacy
Shortly before his death, Velazquez sent his files to Robert W. Smith, who, along with Andrew Guterman, had written an article called "Neurological Sequalae of Boxing," published in the journal Sports MedicineSports medicine
Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness, treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise...
(4 [1987], 194-210) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=3296090&dopt=Abstract. The collection passed to Joseph R. Svinth in the mid-1990s. Svinth maintains an ongoing project called "Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection," which documents "Western" boxing deaths since 1741.
See also
- Leavander JohnsonLeavander JohnsonLeavander Johnson was an American lightweight boxer from Atlantic City, New Jersey, who once held the International Boxing Federation version of the world title...
- Duk Koo KimDuk Koo KimKim Duk-Koo was a South Korean boxer who died following a boxing match against Ray Mancini. His death sparked a number of reforms in the sport aimed to better protect the health of fighters.-Life and boxing career:...
- James MurrayJames Murray (boxer)James Murray was a Scottish professional bantamweight boxer. He died as a result of injuries sustained in his last fight.Murray was born in Lanark, Scotland...
- Benny ParetBenny ParetBenny "the Kid" Paret, born Bernardo Paret , born in Santa Clara, Cuba, was a Cuban welterweight boxer. Paret won the world welterweight title twice in the early 1960s and died in 1962 following an unsuccessful attempt to defend the crown in what is considered to be the first ring death witnessed...
- Kevin PayneKevin Payne (boxer)Kevin Payne was a professional boxer. He died as a result of injuries sustained in a bout against Ryan Maraldo on March 18, 2006...
- Martin SanchezMartin SanchezMartín Sánchez , aka The Fireman , was a Mexican super featherweight boxer. He died of the injuries sustained in a boxing fight at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Clark County, Nevada....
- Ed SandersEd Sanders (boxer)Hayes Edward “Big Ed” Sanders , was an Olympic champion boxer, was born in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, to Hays Sanders, a municipal garbage worker, and Eva Sanders.-Personal:...
External links
- Death Under the Spotlight: The Manuel Velazquez Boxing Fatality Collection
- http://espndeportes.espn.go.com/news/story?id=366783&redir=trueArticle on Leavander JohnsonLeavander JohnsonLeavander Johnson was an American lightweight boxer from Atlantic City, New Jersey, who once held the International Boxing Federation version of the world title...
on ESPN Deportes (in Spanish)]