Commission to explore Bussell’s death

The California State Athletic Commission on Monday said it will conduct an inquiry into last week’s death of boxer Jackson Bussell after his sanctioned, six-round bout outside a Calabasas restaurant.

Bussell, 28, a light-welterweight from Reno, fought opponent Javier Garcia to a draw in an undercard bout Thursday night, a decision that was announced just after Bussell collapsed in the ring after congratulating and hugging Garcia. The comatose Bussell was transported to Northridge Medical Center in grave condition and was pronounced dead Friday afternoon.

Authorities are awaiting results of an autopsy but believe the cause of death was brain or neurological damage suffered in the fight.

“It’s a horrible tragedy,” said Armando Garcia, executive officer of the California State Athletic Commission, which assigned eight inspectors to the fight card at the Sagebrush Cantina in Calabasas. “Most people thought [Bussell] won the fight. Everyone’s pretty devastated.”

Garcia said Bussell was cleared to fight after undergoing routine, thorough tests, including a neurological exam, an MRI exam of the brain, and physical and heart tests.

After Bussell collapsed, he was moved from the ring to the emergency room in 17 minutes, Garcia said.

The boxer, a former regional champion from Klamath Falls, Ore., who competed in the 2006 U.S. championships in Colorado Springs, was in his fourth professional bout after gaining his boxing license in Idaho and Arizona, Garcia said. His record was 1-1-2.

“People who were there told us it appeared he was winning the fight until the sixth round, when he got staggered, but then successfully tied the guy up, and did enough to get the draw,” said Det. Joel Price of the Los Angeles Police Department’s West Valley homicide division. “Everything seems to have been done as it was supposed to, with paramedics and ring doctors on hand at the event. It’s just a tragic event.”

Neither Kelly Jackson, Bussell’s trainer, nor officials from Cabral Entertainment, the promoter of the Calabasas fights, returned telephone messages left by The Times on Monday.

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