FORMER two-weight world champion Donald Curry is suffering from a brain disease, his son Donovan has revealed.
The 63-year-old was diagnosed with Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome (TES) after a brain scan a few years ago at the renowned Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Centre for Brain Health
Sadly, Curry is now in need of help after he had to leave the facility where he was being cared for in Fort Worth, Texas.
Writing on X, Donovan explained: “This condition has caused impairments in judgment, reasoning, memory, and behaviour, including poor impulse control.
“For some time, he was being cared for at an incredible church facility in Fort Worth, thanks to the support of his former trainer, Paul Reyes, who recently passed away. However, due to incidents of fighting and breaking rules, my dad had to leave. He is currently staying in a hotel in Fort Worth.
“We are searching for a facility that specializes in patients with conditions like my dad’s, ideally one that operates at no cost. If you know of any resources, facilities, or organizations that could help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.”
Tagged to the post were the WBC, Joe Rogan, Top Rank, Premier Boxing Champions as well as Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Leonard and more.
Promoter Lou DiBella responded to Donovan’s plea, echoing the call for help.
“He needs a quality facility, halfway house, or assisted living situation; he needs a place to live that will provide the dignity that @LoneStarCobraTX deserves.”
A world class amateur Curry was a star of the 1980s and seen by many as the man who would succeed Sugar Ray Leonard by becoming the next superstar of the sport. In 1985, Curry showed in his two-round destruction of Milton McCrory his seemingly unstoppable skills that crowned him the undisputed welterweight champion.
Widely considered as the pound-for-pound number one his defeat to Lloyd Honeyghan in 1986 was a monumental upset, one of the biggest ever seen. Curry – who was dealing with managerial issues in the lead-up to the Honeyghan fight – arguably should have moved up in weight long before he eventually did in 1987. And while he won a world title at 154lbs he was never the same fighter that blazed a trail en route to becoming undisputed. He fought for the last time in April 1997, finishing with a 34-6 (25 KOs) record.
His performances in the ring are still remembered over 40 years later and it is now the turn of the boxing community to do what they can to help the ‘Lone Star Cobra’.
