If you missed part 1 you can read it here
Announcer “I’m here at ringside and in an unprecedented move, the fighters are returning to the ring. Disease looks confused, but is never one to turn down a fight. Mary, in a very nontraditional decision, has asked all of her handlers and doctors to go back to the dressing room. They can only watch this fight. No doctor or handler can step in. There is no referee. It’s only Mary vs. the Disease”
“The bell rings and the fight is on. Family and friends look on as Mary’s condition has weakened. She can hardly stand in the ring. She is exhausted and wobbly. The clock ticks by. Each second seems like an hour. In spite of her feeble state, Mary keeps challenging Disease to hit her. She chides Disease for being weak. She challenges Disease to take his best shot. Disease laughingly throws a few punches. The weakened Mary goes to one knee on the first punch. Mary gets up. She challenges Disease to hit harder. Disease obliges and Mary goes down again. Mary gets up. Barely able to stand, and barely able to speak, she gestures to Disease to hit her again. Disease, again, throws a punch which knocks down Mary. Remember no referee, no handlers, no doctors at ringside, no one can stop this fight. It’s a brave, last stand for this warrior who is clearly no match for a strong Disease. Mary gets up again!! Family and friends at ringside are teary. They cannot do anything to stop this. They are watching Mary fade away. Minutes later, there are no more punches, there are no more gestures, there are no more comments. The fight is over.”
Mary fought her last round. She was a gallant fighter who survived and lived against all the odds. She managed to get knocked down, get up, fight and live. She continued to do this for many years. However on July 10, 2013 she was no match against a strong disease.
All fighters who have fought their last round get memorialized with a 10 bell salute in order to remember their time in the ring.This one is for Mary:
In the sport of boxing, we cheer for our favorite fighters in each of their fights. We relish their victories, and root for their comebacks when they lose. In real life, we do the same. The major difference, however, is that when a person loses, there is no rematch, and the losses are more painful. What this tells me is that we have to rely on the basic tenet of any type of recovery; we have today.
