Friends, family mourn mystery death of local kickboxer Glanville

Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2005 | 9:28 a.m.

Family and friends described professional heavyweight kickboxer Tommy "Rhino" Glanville as a tenacious warrior with a gentle soul.

The mystery of his death last Wednesday in his sleep at his Henderson home saddens and puzzles them.

They are searching for answers as to why the 42-year-old athlete was struck down just after starting to train again. He had been out of the sport for about a year following two knockout losses in 2004.

"He had a fierce, warrior's aura, but a kind heart," said Tony Jones, a longtime friend who believes an autopsy will find the cause was an aneurism or something similar that was difficult to detect in the state-mandated comprehensive physicals Glanville took to compete at his advanced age.

"Tommy was everyone's protector, but he was a real teddy bear."

Jones and Glanville's family don't deny that the cause of death could be related to his years in the contests that involve bare feet and fists covered by 10-ounce gloves smashing into competitors' heads.

The Clark County Coroner is withholding a finding on the official cause of death pending toxicology reports that could take 2-8 weeks to return from the laboratory.

Henderson Police responded to the scene on the day Glanville died and found no signs of trauma or foul play. They are treating the case as a natural death, department spokesman Keith Paul said.

Services for George Thomas "Tommy" Glanville III, a Southern Nevada resident of 16 years, will be 6 p.m. Thursday at Palm Mortuary-Eastern. Visitation will be from 4 to 6 p.m. at that location. Palm Mortuary-Henderson is handling the arrangements.

Glanville amassed 19 wins and 7 losses as a professional kickboxer, including handing Mark "The Shark" Miller his first loss as a pro in 2000.

Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, which oversees kickboxing, says Glanville's death appears unrelated to injuries he may have suffered last year while fighting the sport's biggest name, Bob "The Beast" Sapp, who beat Glanville in 33 seconds, or in his last bout in August 2004, a knockout loss to Raul Romero. Both fights were at the Bellagio.

Because Glanville was older than age 36, Nevada required him to undergo comprehensive physicals before each fight. Also, under Nevada rules for boxing and kickboxing, Glanville served required 30-day suspensions for his knockout losses, Ratner said.

George Glanville said his son arguably took more punishment in a 2001 Henderson auto crash than he took from any opponent he ever faced in the ring.

He said his son fell asleep at the wheel of his Cadillac, crashed into a wall on Interstate 215 and was ejected from the vehicle. Doctors at the University Medical Center used more than 100 stitches to close Glanville's head and facial cuts, his father said.

Both Jones and George Glanville said Tommy Glanville had only recently returned to training in hopes of one day returning to the kickboxing ring.

"He had a passion for the fight game," said Jones, who operates Corgroup, a security firm that frequently hired Tommy Glanville to work as a bodyguard. "He knew that he was not going to get to fight forever, but he told me that he still thought he had 'two or three more good years left in me.' "

George Glanville said his son had not looked good -- kind of pale -- recently, noting that Tommy had complained he was not feeling well on the Sunday and Monday prior to his death, but had worked out anyway.

In addition to his father, Glanville is survived by his mother, Norma Glanville of Henderson; two sisters, Lisa Cabalona of Springfield, Ore., and Linda Lewis of Blairsville. Ga.; a son, Billy Monahan of Las Vegas; and a grandmother, Theresa Glanville of Seaford, Del.

He was preceded in death by his brother, Charles Glanville.

Tony Jones is seeking fan photos of Glanville's fight career for a slide show tribute at Thursday's memorial service. Photos can be sent to Jones at cor5221@ aol.com or by calling Jones at (702) 217-0798.