Hadlow’s brain scan ‘blessing in disguise’
mat.kermeen@stuff.co.nz contest on the undercard of Parker’s bout with Alexander Flores in Christchurch next Saturday.
But a pre-fight MRI scan – made mandatory last month by Duco Events for their boxing shows – revealed a brain abnormality.
Duco’s move to make MRI brain scans compulsory came after the New Zealand Medical Association called for boxing to be banned following the death of Christchurch man Kain Parsons, who was knocked out at a charity event, last month.
Hadlow, a former four-time national amateur champion, has Vegas training camp where he has increased his strength and conditioning work by about 30 per cent on the camps he used for his losses to Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte.
He feels his power has seen the MRI report but said he needs to seek further advice from a neurologist before having a full understanding of it.
‘‘I fully respect the decision and I value it but I guess the immature fighter in me wants to fight,’’ Hadlow told Stuff.
‘‘You’ve got to be responsible and smart about things, I’m not going to be silly about it but I’ll be doing everything I can in my powers to return.
‘‘Whatever is medically advised of me, I’ll follow.’’
Hadlow has been through some ‘‘dark days’’ since learning of the increased and he has also used his new strength to build a more aggressive approach, mindful that he was bullied by Whyte.
Flores arrived in Auckland on Thursday and had an open training session yesterday.
He has been very vocal about his belief that he will become the first fighter to knock out Parker.
That has been brushed off by Barry who noted that Parker had gone the distance with abnormality on Tuesday but is trying to see it as a positive.
Feeling normal made it harder to understand, he said.
‘‘I’m all good, I’m just not good enough to fight on that card.’’
Hadlow, who completed 24 rounds of sparring with two-weight national champion Bowyn Morgan between the scan and getting the result, has gone to extraordinary lengths to get himself in the best possible shape.
He has been splitting his time between his Queenstown base and Christchurch to train under Phil Shatford at Riverside Boxing Gym. world class fighters. But Barry understands where Flores is coming from with the mind games he is playing with Parker, who he clearly sees as vulnerable. ‘‘He knows the pressure is on Joe, there’s no
Shatford described the MRI result as ‘‘a blessing in disguise’’.
‘‘It was a big opportunity for him but he’s fit and healthy to live the rest of his life and that’s all I care about,’’ Shatford said.
But Hadlow is determined keep an open mind on his future.
‘‘I understand what people mean by people saying it’s a blessing in disguise but when you’re a fighter and you’ve been in there doing the rounds . . . you just want to fight.’’
Shatford conceded he was devastated for Hadlow because he’s been training so hard and was looking extremely promising in the gym. pressure on him and that’s what makes Alexander Flores a very dangerous guy for us,’’ Barry said. ‘‘He’s looking at Joe coming off losses in his last two fights and he likes the position that we are in.’’ to
‘‘Apparently he didn’t want to tell me about the result of the scan because he felt like he’s letting me down but he’s wrong.
‘‘He definitely hasn’t let anyone down at all, I’m bloody proud of him for the way he’s dealt with the whole thing.’’
But Hadlow, a personal trainer and youth worker who has already started training fighters, knows life will go on if he does not fight again.
‘‘Boxing is not everything in life. I can offer more to my friends and family and people around me than just boxing but at the same time I’m a fighter and I want to fight.’’