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Damage

The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing

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Damage

By: Tris Dixon
Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
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It's an old story—a fighter gains fame, drives fast cars, makes piles of cash, and dates beautiful women. Then comes the fall—booze, drugs, depression, poverty, illness. This dark narrative has been playing out for a hundred years.

Doctors first identified "Punch Drunk Syndrome" in 1928. It later became known as "Dementia Pugilistica." Today, we call it CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy). The secret history of this disease in boxing has never been fully told—until now.

In Damage, Tris Dixon uncovers the difficult truths of boxing and CTE and chronicles the lives of fighters affected by it. He interviews some of the sport's biggest names, some lesser-known journeymen, and highly respected trainers and other figures to try to understand why no one wants to discuss CTE or take responsibility for it. Ultimately, Dixon takes aim at what boxing can do to help the warriors who sacrifice their health seeking glory in the ring. Will this book finally drive the sport to address the issue and help fighters get the help they deserve?

©2021 Tris Dixon (P)2023 Tantor Boxing Combat Sports & Self-Defense Sports Combat Sports Warrior Health Mental Health
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A very good book. Anyone who has participated in combat sports should read it and pass it on to the next generation. There are some stories in the book that made me cry and feel sad because those who chose boxing did it for themselves or their families. However, when they grew old, they were sick and without any help.

Amazing

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Great book, excellent research and subject line, it’s just a shame about the narration, it sounds like it’s computer generated, The tone and flow just don’t fit the content.

Great book, horrible narration

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lt makes me question, should l continue to watch boxing. It's like a guilty pleasure. The boxers safety must be paramount.

Just how many people have been infected by boxing⁷

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Terrible, terrible, terrible. Not the book - which I'd been very much looking forward to listening to - but the narration. Who chose Jonathan Cowley and why oh why did Tris not narrate this himself? I managed one chapter before deciding I couldn't go on and so returned the book. There was just no sense of any empathy or gravitas; there was no understanding of the subject matter at all. The style of narration was totally at odds with the subject matter and the odd way he (JC) placed emphasis on sentences was totally inappropriate and made it unlistenable. This is in such a marked contrast to Tris's excellent podcast where the admiration of and empathy with the boxers is at the fore at all times and when he comes across as an articulate and eloquent speaker who is more than happy to confront all sides of the sport. I'll be buying the book but this audio version really doesn't do it justice.

Utterly appalling narration

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