Greg Page (boxer)
Encyclopedia
Greg Page was a boxer
from Louisville, Kentucky
. He was the World Boxing Association
Heavyweight Champion from 1984 to 1985. His professional record was 58-17-1 with 48 knockouts, defeating Gerrie Coetzee
, Jimmy Young
, James "Quick" Tillis, Renaldo Snipes
, George Chaplin twice, Larry Alexander
, Stan Ward, Alfredo Evangelista, Scott LeDoux
, James Broad
, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, and Tim Witherspoon
in an exceptionally long career, and was a regular sparring partner for Mike Tyson
, famously knocking the champ down in a 1990 session.
He first came to the public's attention by sparring several rounds with the iconic Muhammad Ali
.
In 1976, at the U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. Amateur Heavyweight Championships in Las Vegas
, Page scored a major victory when he defeated Igor Vysotsky
, the big punching Russian who twice beat the legendary Cuban and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Teofilo Stevenson
.
Page won the National AAU
Heavyweight Championship in 1977. The following year, he repeated as the National AAU Heavyweight Champion and won the National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship.
Page finished his amateur career with a record of 94-11.
title on February 7, 1981 with a seventh-round TKO of Stan Ward.
After knocking out Marty Monroe and Alfredo Evangelista, Page had a rematch with George Chaplin and won by a twelve-round split decision. He followed the Chaplin win with a fourth-round knockout of Scott LeDoux
.
Page retained the USBA belt with a unanimous decision over Jimmy Young
on May 2, 1982. The following month, on the undercard of the Larry Holmes
/Gerry Cooney
fight, Page fought Trevor Berbick
. Fighting with a broken right thumb from the second round, Page lost for the first time as a professional, dropping a ten-round unanimous decision to Berbick.
Page returned to defend the USBA belt against contender James "Quick" Tillis in November 1982. After suffering the first knock down of his career in the second round, Page came back to KO Tillis in the eighth round.
over twelve rounds and taking his WBC
#1 ranking. WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes
, claiming the $2.55 million purse he was offered to fight Page wasn't enough, vacated the WBC title.
In March 1984, Page fought Tim Witherspoon
for the vacant WBC belt. Incensed over money troubles with promoter Don King, Page had gone on strike in the gym and arrived out of shape for the bout. Witherspoon, who had lost a disputed decision to Holmes the previous year, pulled off an upset and took the title with a twelve-round majority decision. After the fight, Page fired Leroy Emerson as his trainer.
Page returned in August with new trainer Janks Morton, and fought undefeated David Bey
, ranked sixth in the world by the WBC. Page lost his second fight in a row when Bey took a twelve-round unanimous decision.
When Bey refused to fight reigning WBA heavyweight title holder Gerrie Coetzee
in Sun City, South Africa due to Apartheid, Page stepped in. Coetzee, one of the premier power punchers of the 80's, was favored to retain the title. Page, however, boxed superbly, decking Coetzee twice before knocking him out in the eighth round to win the title.
There was controversy due to the eighth round running long: the knockout was 48 seconds after the round should have ended. The timekeeper had issues with the system all night, and it had also affected undercard bouts. Although the Coetzee camp lodged a protest, the WBA stated that the time did not affect the outcome as Page looked set to win throughout.
Page made his first title defense against Tony Tubbs
in Buffalo, New York on April 29, 1985. Page had beaten Tubbs six out of seven times in the amateurs and was the favorite to win, but Tubbs upset the odds and won by a fifteen-round unanimous decision. To make matters worse, Page's hotel room in Buffalo was burglarized. Taken was Page's championship belt, a $13,000 watch, and a $10,000 mink belonging to his road cook.
In June 1986, Page competed in a heavyweight tournament at the Forum in Inglewood, California. He showed up horribly out of shape at 242 pounds to fight Mark Wills
in a scheduled ten-rounder. Page was dropped by a barrage in the first round, but came back to deck Wills with a left hook in the second. In the sixth round, he stuck his tongue out at Wills, who immediately hit Page with an uppercut. The punch made Page bite his tongue, which would bleed profusely for the rest of the fight. Page was dropped again in the ninth round by a right to the chin, and, in a shocking result, elected to retire before the 10th.
Page became a regular sparring partner for reigning World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson
in the late 80's and boxed on several of his undercards. Before Tyson's upset loss to Buster Douglas in February 1990, Page decked Tyson in a public sparring session. He was believed to be in line to fight Tyson when he fought a rematch with Mark Wills on the undercard of the Pernell Whitaker
/Azumah Nelson
fight in May 1990. At a record low weight of 218 lbs, Page seemed to lack strength. In the sixth round, Page walked straight into a huge overhand right that felled him like a tree. Although he beat the count, he looked dazed enough for referee Carlos Padilla
to wave the fight off.
13 years into a very long career and clearly past his best, Page continued to fight and, in February 1992, fought the big punching Jamaican Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
. Ruddock was returning after two bruising fights with Tyson that, due to the subsequent incarceration of Tyson, had established Ruddock as the most feared heavyweight in the world. Page gave Ruddock a hard time before being rocked by a series of big shots in the eighth round, which caused the referee to stop the contest.
After defeating former WBA Heavyweight Champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith by a unanimous decision, Page was matched with former WBO
Heavyweight Champion Francesco Damiani
in September 1992. In a close contest, he lost two points for repeatedly losing his mouthpiece. The point deductions cost Page a draw: All three judges had Damiani winning by two points.
After winning three straight fights by knockout, Page boxed future WBA Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon
in August 1993. Page was stopped in the ninth round and retired after the fight.
and was in McCall's corner when he stunningly scored a second-round knockout of Lennox Lewis
to win the WBC World Heavyweight Championship in London on September 24, 1994 and was also present for McCall's breakdown in Lewis/McCall rematch pleading with McCall to, "Not do this to himself".
He trained boxers for several years, but grew restless. "I was training boxers to fight guys I could beat myself," Page said.
Page returned to the ring in May 1996. He went 16-0-1 with 15 knockouts before taking on Monte Barrett
in October 1998. Barrett, 18-0 with 12 knockouts, won by a lopsided unanimous decision.
After dropping a dubious decision to journeyman Artis Pendergrass, Page had a rematch with Tim Witherspoon in June 1999. The 40-year-old Page scored a first round knockdown and won when the 41-year-old Witherspoon tore a muscle in his back and couldn't come out for the eighth round.
Page went 2-2 in his next four fights. He was well past his prime, but he continued to fight because he needed money. In 1998, Page filed for bankruptcy, claiming a $50,000 debt. By 2000, he was working his first 9-to-5 job, painting dental equipment at Whip-Mix Corp. in the South End of Louisville.
What followed was chaos. There wasn't an ambulance, a team of paramedics, or oxygen, all of which were required by law. The ringside doctor, Manuel Mediodia, wasn't licensed in Kentucky and was under suspension in Ohio. At the time of the stoppage, Mediodia had already left and had to be brought back into the building. Twenty-two minutes passed before an ambulance arrived.
Before the fight, Page's trainer, James Doolin, complained to several members of the state commission about the conditions, including the lack of oxygen. He then wrote his complaints on a piece of paper and sealed it inside an envelope. Doolin gave it to the commission chairman, Jack Kerns, who then gave it back to Doolin. "Mail it to me," Kerns said.
Page was taken to the emergency room at St. Luke's hospital, where a CT scan revealed a huge mass being formed by the bleeding inside his head. He was then transported to University Hospital in Cincinnati. During post-fight brain surgery, he suffered a stroke and was left paralyzed on the left side of his body. Page was in a coma for nearly a week.
For the rest of his life, Page suffered many complications from his injury. He was hospitalized numerous times for such ailments as pneumonia
, acute respiratory failure
, sepsis
, hypothermia
, and seizure
s.
Page filed a lawsuit against the state of Kentucky and settled out of court for $1.2 million in 2007. As part of the settlement, boxing safety regulations the state enacted the previous year were named the "Greg Page Safety Initiative."
About 100 friends, family and admirers gathered at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for his funeral, which ran more than two hours. Amid tears, gospel music and emotional speeches, messages were read from State Senator Gerald Neal
, who praised Page's "gallant fight," and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, who said Page's legacy would live on.
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...
from Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. He was the World Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
Heavyweight Champion from 1984 to 1985. His professional record was 58-17-1 with 48 knockouts, defeating Gerrie Coetzee
Gerrie Coetzee
Gerhardus Christian Coetzee , better known as Gerrie Coetzee, is a South African former boxer. He made history twice: he was the first boxer from the African continent ever to fight for the World Heavyweight Title, and the first to win the World Heavyweight Title...
, Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young may refer to:*Jimmy Young *Jimmy Young , singer -See also:*Jim Young *James Young...
, James "Quick" Tillis, Renaldo Snipes
Renaldo Snipes
Renaldo Snipes, born Reenaold Snipes on August 15, 1956 in Houston, Texas, is an accomplished American boxer, best known for his title championship bout with Larry Holmes.-Amateur career:...
, George Chaplin twice, Larry Alexander
Larry Alexander
Larry Alexander is a journalist and military historian who has written a number of books about World War II, most notably about Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army...
, Stan Ward, Alfredo Evangelista, Scott LeDoux
Scott LeDoux
Alan Scott LeDoux, "The Fighting Frenchman," was a politician, professional heavyweight boxer, professional wrestler and referee.-Boxing:...
, James Broad
James Broad
James Broad was an American heavyweight boxer who was an amateur star and, prior to the boycott, set to represent America in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. As a pro he won the NABF heavyweight title and was a regular sparring partner of a peak Mike Tyson.-Amateur:Broad took up boxing when he joined the...
, James "Bonecrusher" Smith, and Tim Witherspoon
Tim Witherspoon
"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....
in an exceptionally long career, and was a regular sparring partner for Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
, famously knocking the champ down in a 1990 session.
Amateur star
Page, after a brief stint with a Southern Indiana trainer, started boxing at age 15 under the tutelage of Leroy Emerson at the Louisville Parks Department gym in the Cherokee Triangle neighborhood.He first came to the public's attention by sparring several rounds with the iconic Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
.
In 1976, at the U.S.A.-U.S.S.R. Amateur Heavyweight Championships in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, Page scored a major victory when he defeated Igor Vysotsky
Igor Vysotsky
Igor Vysotsky was an amateur boxer from Russia, best known for twice defeating 1972, 1976, and 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist Teofilo Stevenson. He was the U.S.S.R. Heavyweight Champion in 1978 and had an amateur record of 161-24....
, the big punching Russian who twice beat the legendary Cuban and three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Teofilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson
Teófilo Stevenson Lawrence or Teófilo Stevenson is a former Cuban amateur boxer. He is one of the only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón....
.
Page won the National AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
Heavyweight Championship in 1977. The following year, he repeated as the National AAU Heavyweight Champion and won the National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Championship.
Page finished his amateur career with a record of 94-11.
Early professional career
Page turned pro in February 1979, knocking out Don Martin in two rounds before a crowd of 7,500 at the Commonwealth Convention Center in Louisville. He put together 13 straight wins, 12 by knockout. The only fighter to go the distance with Page was George Chaplin, whom he defeated by a ten-round majority decision.USBA Heavyweight Champion
Page won the vacant USBA HeavyweightHeavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
title on February 7, 1981 with a seventh-round TKO of Stan Ward.
After knocking out Marty Monroe and Alfredo Evangelista, Page had a rematch with George Chaplin and won by a twelve-round split decision. He followed the Chaplin win with a fourth-round knockout of Scott LeDoux
Scott LeDoux
Alan Scott LeDoux, "The Fighting Frenchman," was a politician, professional heavyweight boxer, professional wrestler and referee.-Boxing:...
.
Page retained the USBA belt with a unanimous decision over Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young (boxer)
Jimmy Young was a fast highly skilled Philadelphia heavyweight boxer who had his greatest success during the 1970s, when he most notably beat George Foreman, and many fans felt also Ali . He also fought many top names...
on May 2, 1982. The following month, on the undercard of the Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
/Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney
Gerry Cooney is a retired Irish-American professional boxer from Huntington, New York best known for his loss to Larry Holmes and defeat of aging ex-champion/contender Ken Norton.-Life before boxing:...
fight, Page fought Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick
Trevor Berbick was a Jamaican-Canadian heavyweight boxer who fought as a professional from 1976 until 2000. Berbick briefly held the WBC heavyweight championship in 1986 , before losing it to 20-year old Mike Tyson, via 2nd-round TKO...
. Fighting with a broken right thumb from the second round, Page lost for the first time as a professional, dropping a ten-round unanimous decision to Berbick.
Page returned to defend the USBA belt against contender James "Quick" Tillis in November 1982. After suffering the first knock down of his career in the second round, Page came back to KO Tillis in the eighth round.
World title fights
In 1983, Page retained the USBA title again, beating Renaldo SnipesRenaldo Snipes
Renaldo Snipes, born Reenaold Snipes on August 15, 1956 in Houston, Texas, is an accomplished American boxer, best known for his title championship bout with Larry Holmes.-Amateur career:...
over twelve rounds and taking his WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
#1 ranking. WBC heavyweight champion Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, claiming the $2.55 million purse he was offered to fight Page wasn't enough, vacated the WBC title.
In March 1984, Page fought Tim Witherspoon
Tim Witherspoon
"Terrible" Tim Witherspoon is an American boxer who was twice world heavyweight champion.-Early career:Witherspoon had eight and a half amateur bouts, losing one to Marvis Frazier on decision after getting knocked down....
for the vacant WBC belt. Incensed over money troubles with promoter Don King, Page had gone on strike in the gym and arrived out of shape for the bout. Witherspoon, who had lost a disputed decision to Holmes the previous year, pulled off an upset and took the title with a twelve-round majority decision. After the fight, Page fired Leroy Emerson as his trainer.
Page returned in August with new trainer Janks Morton, and fought undefeated David Bey
David Bey
David Bey is a former USBA heavyweight champion who challenged the legendary Larry Holmes for the world title in 1985....
, ranked sixth in the world by the WBC. Page lost his second fight in a row when Bey took a twelve-round unanimous decision.
When Bey refused to fight reigning WBA heavyweight title holder Gerrie Coetzee
Gerrie Coetzee
Gerhardus Christian Coetzee , better known as Gerrie Coetzee, is a South African former boxer. He made history twice: he was the first boxer from the African continent ever to fight for the World Heavyweight Title, and the first to win the World Heavyweight Title...
in Sun City, South Africa due to Apartheid, Page stepped in. Coetzee, one of the premier power punchers of the 80's, was favored to retain the title. Page, however, boxed superbly, decking Coetzee twice before knocking him out in the eighth round to win the title.
There was controversy due to the eighth round running long: the knockout was 48 seconds after the round should have ended. The timekeeper had issues with the system all night, and it had also affected undercard bouts. Although the Coetzee camp lodged a protest, the WBA stated that the time did not affect the outcome as Page looked set to win throughout.
Page made his first title defense against Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs
Tony Tubbs is a retired professional heavyweight boxer who was the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1985 to 1986.-Amateur career:...
in Buffalo, New York on April 29, 1985. Page had beaten Tubbs six out of seven times in the amateurs and was the favorite to win, but Tubbs upset the odds and won by a fifteen-round unanimous decision. To make matters worse, Page's hotel room in Buffalo was burglarized. Taken was Page's championship belt, a $13,000 watch, and a $10,000 mink belonging to his road cook.
Downward spiral
Page returned to face James "Buster" Douglas in January 1986. Douglas stunned Page and took a unanimous decision.In June 1986, Page competed in a heavyweight tournament at the Forum in Inglewood, California. He showed up horribly out of shape at 242 pounds to fight Mark Wills
Mark Wills
Daryl Mark Williams is an American country music artist, best known professionally as Mark Wills. Signed to Mercury Records between 1996 and 2003, he released five studio albums for the label — Mark Wills, Wish You Were Here, Permanently, Loving Every Minute and And the Crowd Goes Wild — as well...
in a scheduled ten-rounder. Page was dropped by a barrage in the first round, but came back to deck Wills with a left hook in the second. In the sixth round, he stuck his tongue out at Wills, who immediately hit Page with an uppercut. The punch made Page bite his tongue, which would bleed profusely for the rest of the fight. Page was dropped again in the ninth round by a right to the chin, and, in a shocking result, elected to retire before the 10th.
Page became a regular sparring partner for reigning World Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson
Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is a retired American boxer. Tyson is a former undisputed heavyweight champion of the world and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF world heavyweight titles, he was 20 years, 4 months and 22 days old...
in the late 80's and boxed on several of his undercards. Before Tyson's upset loss to Buster Douglas in February 1990, Page decked Tyson in a public sparring session. He was believed to be in line to fight Tyson when he fought a rematch with Mark Wills on the undercard of the Pernell Whitaker
Pernell Whitaker
Pernell Whitaker , nicknamed "Sweet Pea", is a professional boxing trainer and retired American professional boxer...
/Azumah Nelson
Azumah Nelson
Azumah Nelson , a native of Ghana, is a former professional boxer. He is a three-time world champion in two weight classes.Nelson is the former Lineal and two-time WBC Super Featherweight Champion...
fight in May 1990. At a record low weight of 218 lbs, Page seemed to lack strength. In the sixth round, Page walked straight into a huge overhand right that felled him like a tree. Although he beat the count, he looked dazed enough for referee Carlos Padilla
Carlos Padilla, Jr.
Carlos "Sonny" Padilla, Jr. was a boxing referee and judge from the Philippines.The son of actor Carlos Padilla, Sr., Padilla first came to international prominence when he refereed the third fight between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, known as the "Thrilla in Manila"...
to wave the fight off.
13 years into a very long career and clearly past his best, Page continued to fight and, in February 1992, fought the big punching Jamaican Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
Donovan Ruddock
Donovan Ruddock , also known as Razor Ruddock, is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer. He was a promising Heavyweight of the late 1980s and early 1990s...
. Ruddock was returning after two bruising fights with Tyson that, due to the subsequent incarceration of Tyson, had established Ruddock as the most feared heavyweight in the world. Page gave Ruddock a hard time before being rocked by a series of big shots in the eighth round, which caused the referee to stop the contest.
After defeating former WBA Heavyweight Champion James "Bonecrusher" Smith by a unanimous decision, Page was matched with former WBO
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
Heavyweight Champion Francesco Damiani
Francesco Damiani
Francesco Damiani is an Italian former boxer who won the silver medal at the 1982 World Championships and at the 1984 Summer Olympics. As a professional, he was the first WBO heavyweight champion.-Amateur:...
in September 1992. In a close contest, he lost two points for repeatedly losing his mouthpiece. The point deductions cost Page a draw: All three judges had Damiani winning by two points.
After winning three straight fights by knockout, Page boxed future WBA Heavyweight Champion Bruce Seldon
Bruce Seldon
Bruce Samuel Seldon is a retired American boxer and former world champion, having won the World Boxing Association heavyweight title in 1995.-Amateur career:...
in August 1993. Page was stopped in the ninth round and retired after the fight.
Comeback
After retiring, Page started training boxers. He worked with Oliver McCallOliver McCall
Oliver "The Atomic Bull" McCall is an American professional Heavyweight boxer best known for winning the WBC Heavyweight Championship in 1994 after scoring an upset knock out victory over Lennox Lewis, in Lewis' home town of London, England, followed by his infamous in-ring meltdown in the rematch...
and was in McCall's corner when he stunningly scored a second-round knockout of Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
to win the WBC World Heavyweight Championship in London on September 24, 1994 and was also present for McCall's breakdown in Lewis/McCall rematch pleading with McCall to, "Not do this to himself".
He trained boxers for several years, but grew restless. "I was training boxers to fight guys I could beat myself," Page said.
Page returned to the ring in May 1996. He went 16-0-1 with 15 knockouts before taking on Monte Barrett
Monte Barrett
Monte Barrett is an American professional heavyweight boxer. He was regarded by many as a tough gatekeeper and was a former WBC Continental Americas Heavyweight Champion and current WBO Asia Pacific Heavyweight and WBO Oriental Heavyweight champion...
in October 1998. Barrett, 18-0 with 12 knockouts, won by a lopsided unanimous decision.
After dropping a dubious decision to journeyman Artis Pendergrass, Page had a rematch with Tim Witherspoon in June 1999. The 40-year-old Page scored a first round knockdown and won when the 41-year-old Witherspoon tore a muscle in his back and couldn't come out for the eighth round.
Page went 2-2 in his next four fights. He was well past his prime, but he continued to fight because he needed money. In 1998, Page filed for bankruptcy, claiming a $50,000 debt. By 2000, he was working his first 9-to-5 job, painting dental equipment at Whip-Mix Corp. in the South End of Louisville.
Injury
On March 9, 2001, Page fought Dale Crowe at Peel's Palace in Erlanger, Kentucky for $1,500. Page appeared to be holding his own with Crowe until the tenth round. Crowe said, "The timekeeper smacked the mat with his hand toward the end of the fight to indicate ten seconds were left, and that's when I went after Greg with one last flurry." Crowe hit Page with a flush left to the chin and then pushed him back. Page fell against the ropes, slid down, and was counted out by the referee.What followed was chaos. There wasn't an ambulance, a team of paramedics, or oxygen, all of which were required by law. The ringside doctor, Manuel Mediodia, wasn't licensed in Kentucky and was under suspension in Ohio. At the time of the stoppage, Mediodia had already left and had to be brought back into the building. Twenty-two minutes passed before an ambulance arrived.
Before the fight, Page's trainer, James Doolin, complained to several members of the state commission about the conditions, including the lack of oxygen. He then wrote his complaints on a piece of paper and sealed it inside an envelope. Doolin gave it to the commission chairman, Jack Kerns, who then gave it back to Doolin. "Mail it to me," Kerns said.
Page was taken to the emergency room at St. Luke's hospital, where a CT scan revealed a huge mass being formed by the bleeding inside his head. He was then transported to University Hospital in Cincinnati. During post-fight brain surgery, he suffered a stroke and was left paralyzed on the left side of his body. Page was in a coma for nearly a week.
For the rest of his life, Page suffered many complications from his injury. He was hospitalized numerous times for such ailments as pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
, acute respiratory failure
Respiratory failure
The term respiratory failure, in medicine, is used to describe inadequate gas exchange by the respiratory system, with the result that arterial oxygen and/or carbon dioxide levels cannot be maintained within their normal ranges. A drop in blood oxygenation is known as hypoxemia; a rise in arterial...
, sepsis
Sepsis
Sepsis is a potentially deadly medical condition that is characterized by a whole-body inflammatory state and the presence of a known or suspected infection. The body may develop this inflammatory response by the immune system to microbes in the blood, urine, lungs, skin, or other tissues...
, hypothermia
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a condition in which core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal metabolism and body functions which is defined as . Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of through biologic homeostasis or thermoregulation...
, and seizure
Seizure
An epileptic seizure, occasionally referred to as a fit, is defined as a transient symptom of "abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain". The outward effect can be as dramatic as a wild thrashing movement or as mild as a brief loss of awareness...
s.
Page filed a lawsuit against the state of Kentucky and settled out of court for $1.2 million in 2007. As part of the settlement, boxing safety regulations the state enacted the previous year were named the "Greg Page Safety Initiative."
Death
In the early morning hours of April 27, 2009, Page died at home in Louisville. His death was consistent with positional asphyxia, an inability to breathe because of body position. "He had a hospital bed at home, and he slid out, which he has done before," said Jim Wesley, a Jefferson County deputy coroner. "His head was lodged between the rail and the bed."About 100 friends, family and admirers gathered at Our Lady of Mount Carmel for his funeral, which ran more than two hours. Amid tears, gospel music and emotional speeches, messages were read from State Senator Gerald Neal
Gerald Neal
Gerald Neal is a Democratic Party member of the Kentucky Senate, representing District 33 since 1988.-Background:Born September 22, 1945, Senator Neal is an attorney. He graduated from Kentucky State University, with a B.A. and the Brandeis School of Law, University of Louisville where he received...
, who praised Page's "gallant fight," and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, who said Page's legacy would live on.
Amateur achievements
- 1975 National Golden Gloves Quarterfinalist, losing a decision to John TateJohn Tate (boxer)John Tate was an American prizefighter and Olympic boxer, who briefly held the World Boxing Association heavyweight title from 1979 to 1980.-Amateur career:...
. - 1976 Ohio State Fair Champion, upsetting National AAU Champion Marvin Stinson.
- 1976 National Golden Gloves Semi-Finalist, losing a decision to Michael DokesMichael DokesMichael Marshall Dokes is a former American boxer in the heavyweight division, nicknamed "Dynamite."-Amateur career:...
. - 1977 National AAU Heavyweight Champion, defeating Woody Clark. Page avenged an earlier loss to Clark, and was named the tournament's outstanding boxer.
- 1977 National Golden Gloves Finalist, losing to Jimmy Clark.
- 1978 National AAU Heavyweight champion.
- 1978 National Golden Gloves Heavyweight Champion.
- Defeated Igor VysotskyIgor VysotskyIgor Vysotsky was an amateur boxer from Russia, best known for twice defeating 1972, 1976, and 1980 Olympic Gold Medalist Teofilo Stevenson. He was the U.S.S.R. Heavyweight Champion in 1978 and had an amateur record of 161-24....
, the man who twice beat Cuban legend Teofilo StevensonTeófilo StevensonTeófilo Stevenson Lawrence or Teófilo Stevenson is a former Cuban amateur boxer. He is one of the only three boxers to win three Olympic gold medals, alongside Hungarian László Papp and fellow Cuban Félix Savón....
. - Defeated Tony TubbsTony TubbsTony Tubbs is a retired professional heavyweight boxer who was the WBA Heavyweight Champion of the world from 1985 to 1986.-Amateur career:...
six out of seven times during their amateur careers. - Finished amateur career at 94-11.
External links
- AP Obituary in the Louisville Courier-Journal