Lamon Brewster and the Medical Mess

It has been widely reported that Lamon Brewster suffered a detached retina in his left eye in the first round of his April 1st WBO heavyweight title fight against Sergei Liakhovich in Cleveland, Ohio. However, multiple sources tell SecondsOut that these reports don't tell the whole story. Yes, Brewster suffered a detached retina during the Liakhovich fight. But his eye was injured BEFORE the bout. He underwent laser eye surgery in Los Angeles several weeks before the fight and the eye continued to trouble him.

Surgery of this nature is nothing new for Brewster. Sources also say that he had laser eye surgery for a retinal tear several weeks before his April 10, 2004, fight against Wladimir Klitschko. The decision to proceed with the Klitschko bout was made because it was perceived as the opportunity of a lifetime and Lamon was given a medical opinion that his surgically-repaired eye would not be a problem. The decision to proceed with Brewster-Liakhovich is believed to have been made in part because of Lamon's desire to fulfill his contractual obligations to Don King so he could move to a new promoter.

Bernie Profato (executive director of the Ohio State Athletic Commission) says that boxers who compete in Ohio must have an opthalmological examination within one year of fighting in the state. The one-year requirement opens the door to abuse. A fighter could pass an eye test, be injured months later, and not be tested again prior to his next fight. However, with Brewster-Liakhovich, that point is moot. According to Profato, Brewster underwent an opthalmological examination eight days before the fight.

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