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08/10/2005 Archived Entry: "Update on Kidd; Hernandez and Hitz Voice Concerns."
Update on Kidd; Hernandez and Hitz Voice Concerns.
By Juan C. Ayllon
Giuseppe Kidd (right) in a match in June 2004 (Juan C. Ayllon photo)
CHICAGO, August 10, 2005 - Heavyweight boxer, Giuseppe "Drew" Kidd, noted for his crowd pleasing, all-action style of fighting, is in the fight of his life and, ironically, he's not wearing boxing gloves. Instead, he is reportedly bed bound at Mount Sinai Medical Center under a presumed name recovering from emergency brain surgery.
A source close to Kidd said,"He is in critical condition."
Yesterday, Kidd, 3-0-0, 2 KO's, who was allegedly preparing for a match on Saturday, was sparring with Carl Davis, 8-2-0, 7 KO's, when things took a bad turn.
Kidd's trainer, George Hernandez said, "Everything happened so quickly. Drew never collapsed. He wanted to continue, but I wouldn’t let him because I saw that his legs weren’t there. I just brought him down and that’s when the adverse reactions started happening. That’s when all the training I had at the universities kicked in. I don’t think Drew knew he was hurt. However, I knew better. I made him lay down, I took his pulse and iced him down."
"Nobody feels worse than Carl Davis. Carl had no intention of hurting him. When you’re sparring, who knows what blow is going to cause damage?"
His voice cracking with emotion, Hernandez said, "This is the second time I’ve gone through this. One of my fighters, Bernard Matthews, was fighting at the Allstate Arena under a Hector Camacho card. My fighter stopped a guy from Pittsburgh and he collapsed in the dressing room and ended up in a coma for six months.
"We take it for granted that we’re all good, that we can take a shot. Wer’e made of soft material. God didn’t make us like Superman. Not to place blame on anyone, but this is the sport we chose. Basically, we never know what’s going to happen when we step into the ring. When you get into the ring, there’s not a day that you come out of the ring feeling the same as you did when you went in. In training we all get hurt. I just think it’s a very tragic incident and I just hope he gets better."
Hernandez added, "His boxing career is over. Its not boxing I’m worried about, it’s a human being. Let’s get this kid back on his feet. We’re hoping and praying that he comes back with smiles like when he left the gym."
Staff at Mt. Sinai denied that Kidd was at the hospital. However, a source suggested that Kidd was registered under an assumed name to protect his privacy.
Promoter Bobby Hitz, who works with Kidd said, "This puts life in perspective. This is a very serious thing we do. Here's a guy who's now fighting a fight of his life. My concern and everybody's concern is for Drew. It makes you reevaluate; life is very precious. I'm at a loss for words, because I've been close to the kid. He was the kind of kid that I talked about that has some values and morals. Contract or no contract, he was one of those loyal fighters that you always look for. I want him to be okay and I know the Lord will watch over him."
Our thoughts and prayers are with Giuseppe Kidd.
