Punch to belly might have killed Green

Human after all ... Danny Green. Photo: Getty Images









WORLD cruiserweight champion Danny Green might have died
had he been punched in the stomach while carrying a gigantic abscess, a
leading doctor has revealed.




Green is recovering in hospital after having surgery to
remove his appendix. The Green Machine was admitted to hospital several
days ago when it was discovered an abscess had formed around his
appendix. He underwent surgery on Wednesday night, and reportedly is
still in a lot of pain.




The president of the Australian Medical Association (WA),
David Mountain, said had Green been punched in the abdomen after the
abscess evolved the consequences might have been fatal.



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He said the condition was not a result of a specific
physical activity or being injured. ''It's a condition very common in
Western countries, it's diet-related to a large degree, but it's not
related at all to other activities,'' he said.




Sources close to Green have revealed he needed the
surgery, performed at a private hospital in Perth, after a CT scan
revealed the appendix and cyst were 75 millimetres wide, bigger than a
cricket ball.




The inflamed appendix and cyst, described by a medico as
"pus filled", was said to have blocked his pelvic cavity, which in turn
compressed and occluded his bowel.




The operation was required when doctors feared either
could rupture and place Green, 37, at risk of being exposed to
septicemia, a potentially fatal bacteria which is spread via the
bloodstream.




The disorder claimed the life of the great Australian
boxer Les Darcy in 1917, when the 21-year-old was on the verge of
contesting title fights in the United States.




Green, who was negotiating to defend his IBO crown in
April, is believed to have suffered a sharp pain in his abdomen while
on a family holiday on the West Australian coast.




When the pain became unbearable he sought medical
attention at a country hospital, before being sent back to Perth. It is
believed that because Green had a history of stomach problems doctors
struggled to diagnose the cause of the complaint.




After the scan revealed the extent of his ailment Green
was rushed to yet another hospital for the operation. ''He's not
feeling the best today,'' his manager, Wayne Loxley, said.




Green successfully defended his IBO cruiserweight title
belt with a unanimous points decision win over young American BJ Flores
late last year. A date and opponent for his next fight has not been
determined.




Green's trainer, Angelo Hyder, could not say when the Perth boxer would return to training after this setback.




Green would be thankful that a fight is not on the
horizon, considering it could take many weeks or even a couple of
months before he could resume full training again, according to Dr
Mountain.