The legend of Brazilian boxing José Adilson Rodrigues dos Santos, popularly known as Maguila, died at the age of 66 in São Paulo on Thursday (24). The former heavyweight champion, known for his powerful punches, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a consequence of the numerous blows to the head he endured.
Maguila was born on July 11, 1958, in Aracaju, and had an impressive boxing career spanning 17 years, during which he accumulated a collection of 85 fights, with 77 victories (61 by knockout), seven losses, and one technical draw. His charismatic personality and folkloric interviews made him beloved by fans, with memorable fights against names like Evander Holyfield and George Foreman.
Maguila’s interest in boxing began in Aracaju, where he watched Éder Jofre’s fights and particularly idolized Muhammad Ali. Growing up in a large family, he watched Ali’s fights on a black-and-white TV at a neighbor’s house and expressed his determination to become a boxer one day. “I started boxing because I was a huge fan of Muhammad Ali. I admired him a lot. When I started watching, I didn’t even have a television at home,” he told Globo Esporte in 2015.
His professional journey began in 1979, and he had his first fight two years later, in 1981, at the “Forja de Campeões,” the largest boxing event in Brazil since 1941.
Outside the ring, Maguila released an album titled “Vida de Campeão” in 2009, featuring the title track he wrote, alongside recordings of famous sambas. He also made television appearances, including a stint as an economic commentator. A samba school honored him by turning his life into a theme.
A feature film about Maguila’s life was announced in 2015, where actor Babu Santana would portray the boxer. He began training for the role, but filming was postponed due to a lack of sponsorship.
In 2013, Maguila was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative and irreversible condition caused by head trauma. This diagnosis affected several other prominent athletes, including fellow boxer Éder Jofre and Bellini, defender of the Brazilian national team that won the World Cup in 1958. The initial symptoms were simple forgetfulness, like losing wallets and keys, but evolved into serious incidents, such as when the former fighter would leave home and become disoriented.
With the family’s consent, the former boxer agreed in 2018 to donate his brain for research after his death, following an action by Bellini’s family. The donation will be sent to the University of São Paulo. The goal is to study the consequences of repeated head impacts in sports such as football, boxing, and rugby, among others. This study is considered crucial for the development of preventive measures.
Source: Reproduction from Globo.com