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Margaret Goodman

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Margaret Goodman
Born (1953-04-12) April 12, 1953 (age 73)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Citizenship
  • Canada
  • United States
Occupations
  • Neurologist
  • author

Margaret Goodman is a Canadian-American neurologist, anti-doping advocate, columnist, and author. She is best known for her work as a ringside physician for the Nevada State Athletic Commission and as the founder and president of the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA). Goodman also wrote a monthly column for The Ring magazine called "The Fight Doctor”. In 2021, Goodman was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Early life and education

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Goodman was born in Toronto, Ontario,[1][2][3] on April 12, 1953. Her father, Nat Goodman, was a professional musician, record producer and manager.[1][3] The family moved to Los Angeles, California when Goodman was a child.[1][3] She graduated from Beverly Hills High School in 1971 and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) in 1975. This was followed by a medical degree from Chicago Medical School in 1984.[1][3] Goodman helped pay for medical school by singing.[1][4][3] Goodman completed her internal medicine internship and residency in neurology at the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center and UCLA in 1988.[5]

Career

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In 1988, Goodman joined a private practice in Las Vegas.[1][3] In 1996, she started her own practice.[1]

Nevada State Athletic Commission

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Goodman got involved with boxing in 1992, originally working ringside at amateurs matches giving free physicals.[1][2] In 1993, Goodman started doing neurological consultations for the Nevada State Athletic Commission.[2] In 1994, a she got a job on the commission's medical staff initially being assigned to professional wrestling events.[1] When she started working boxing fights, she was one of the few female ringside physicians in the world.[1]

Goodman was later appointed as the Medical Advisory Chairman for NSAC by Governor Kenny Guinn[1] in 2001. She was also promoted to chief ringside physician[1] in 2004. In these positions, Goodman spearhead cheaper MRI testing for fighters,[5] leading to Nevada becoming the second state in the United States to institute routine neuroimaging.

Goodman resigned from her position as chief ringside physician in 2005[6] after months of infighting at the commission over stricter safety measures,[7] although she remained medical advisory chairman until the end of her term in 2007.[4][6]

Voluntary Anti-Doping Association

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In 2011, Goodman and her partner Flip Homansky founded the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association or VADA,[8][4] where fighters could voluntarily be drug tested and learn more about performance-enhancing drugs.[9] Goodman served as the organisation's president and chair.[10]

Since the creation of VADA, almost 200 fighters have joined their testing pool, including notable boxers and MMA fighters:

Writing

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Goodman wrote a monthly column for The Ring magazine called "The Fight Doctor" for eight years from 2004 to 2012.[4][6]

Goodman also co-authored and edited the 2001 book Ringside and Training Principles.[12][13] She is also the author of the 2014 medical suspense thriller Death in Vegas. .[4]

Awards and honours

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In 2005, Goodman was awarded the BWAA James A. Farley Award for Honesty and Integrity in Boxing.[5] In 2017, she was awarded the Barney Nagler Award for Long and Meritorious Service to Boxing by the Boxing Writers Association of America.[1][14]

In 2021, Goodman was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.[1]

Personal life

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Goodman's partner Dr. Edwin “Flip” Homansky, was also a ringside physician for the commission.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hauser, Thomas (25 January 2021). "'I realised that horses were being tested for PEDs more often and more thoroughly than boxers.' Margaret Goodman enters the Hall of Fame". Boxing News.
  2. ^ a b c Ecksel, Robert (2004-12-13). "Dr. Margaret Goodman Makes a House Call". The Sweet Science (Interview). Archived from the original on June 24, 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Hauser, Thomas (2003-01-01). "Dr. Margaret Goodman". A Year at the Fights. University of Arkansas Press. pp. 73–77. ISBN 978-1-55728-733-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Lang, Arne K. (2017-06-02). "Dr. Margaret Goodman and VADA: Devil or Angel in the PED Era?". The Sweet Science. Archived from the original on 16 Jun 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  5. ^ a b c "Dr. Margaret Goodman IBHOF inductee". International Boxing Hall of Fame.
  6. ^ a b c Rodriguez, Robert G. (2009-01-26). "Case Study: Boxing in Nevada". The Regulation of Boxing: A History and Comparative Analysis of Policies Among American States. McFarland. pp. 124–136. ISBN 978-0-7864-3862-4.
  7. ^ Gray, Geoffrey (2005-12-03). "A Debate over Safety, Without a Neutral Corner". The New York Times. pp. D7. Retrieved 2025-10-26. In the last decade, Dr. Margaret Goodman, a neurologist in Las Vegas, has developed a reputation as one of the most aggressive ringside doctors in the country.... But for tonight's middleweight championship rematch between Jermain Taylor and Bernard Hopkins, Goodman will not make her customary check-ups between rounds.... After two deaths and two career-ending injuries to boxers in Nevada this year, Goodman resigned as the state's chief ringside doctor.
  8. ^ Pugmire, Lance (2016-05-07). "World Boxing Council starts Clean Boxing Program". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  9. ^ Kaplan, Michael. "These Former Ringside Doctors Want a Clean Fight". Vegas Magazine. Archived from the original on 2015-02-02. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  10. ^ "Dr. Margaret Goodman leads effort to clean up boxing, MMA". New York Daily News. 2012-01-01. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
  11. ^ Rafael, Dan. "Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury fails second VADA test for cocaine". ABC News. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  12. ^ Bourne, Nicholas; Todd, Jan; Todd, Terry (July 2002). "The Cold War's Impact on the Evolution of Training Theory in Boxing" (PDF). Iron Game History. 7 (2): 27.
  13. ^ "Center Devoted to Combat Sports Safety Receives Backing From Champion and Legendary Trainer". TNT Sports (UK). Retrieved 2025-10-26. Dr. Goodman co-authored Ringside and Training Principles; a book aimed primarily at fighters and trainers, and is a regular contributor to Ring magazine.
  14. ^ Hauser, Thomas (2023-11-20). The Universal Sport: Two Years inside Boxing. University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 978-1-61075-804-8.

Notes

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  1. ^ "Wladimir Klitschko to Be Tested By VADA for Anthony Joshua Fight". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  2. ^ Corby, Donagh (2023-09-01). "Anthony Joshua's final drug test results released after opponent tests positive". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  3. ^ a b "Fury vs. Wilder: Both Boxers Pass All VADA Tests, Confirms WBC". www.boxingscene.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  4. ^ Chiappetta, Mike (2012-08-31). "Ben Askren Discusses VADA and Dana White's Stance on Expanded Drug Testing". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  5. ^ Heinis, John. "GSP Posts Letters Detailing VADA Testing Results on Twitter". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  6. ^ "Manny Pacquiao's PED Drug Test Results Revealed Before Mario Barrios Fight". Sports Illustrated. 2025-06-16. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
  7. ^ Chiappetta, Mike (2012-08-01). "VADA: Both B.J. Penn and Rory MacDonald Enrolled For Random Drug Testing". MMA Fighting. Retrieved 2025-08-10.
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