Fighters Killed In The Ring

Fighters killed in the ring are few and far between. But since the introduction of the Marquis of Queensberry Rules in 1884, around 1,604 boxers have met their deaths within the ring. It goes without saying that a series of heavy blows to the head isn’t going to leave you in the best of health.

Introduction: Fighters Killed In The Ring

Remember how excited everyone was about the recent McGregor VS Mayweather match? From online sportsbook news, we could see that the actual fight was pretty crap. But the sports of boxing, MMA and fighting are all designed to raise our blood pressure and bring out the beast from within us. Just have a look at the odds at GTbets. Now there’s the added pressure of big money involvement. And that just the public! Sometimes, in the heat of the battle, contestants can loose their composure, leading to the crossing of lines in aggression and resulting in death. Here are some famous and not so famous fighters and boxers who all lost the ultimate battle, dying in the ring. They would of been better off staying home and watching a movie.

Frankei Campbell

Frankei was an Italian-American heavyweight professional boxer. He died in the ring during his fight with Max Baer on August 25, 1930. Onlookers claim that Baer was slugging Campbell “unmercifully” in the 5th round when he was already unconscious though he was able to support himself by using the ropes. He was to join these other fighters killed in the ring several hours later in hospital. Doctors found that his brain was completely loose from the connective tissue inside his head.

Choi Yo-sam

This Korean boxer died as a result of his fight with Heri Amol in December 25th, 2008 in Seoul. Though Choi won the bout, he collapsed whilst still in the ring. After emergency brain surgery, he was never to regain consciousness, with the final removal of the ventilator on January 3, 2008.

Brad Rone

Brad was a journeyman boxer from Ohio. Because he was prone to injuries, he was denied a license to box in many states. But not Utah. Whilst fighting his friend, Billy Zumbrun, Brad received a jab just before the bell at the end of the first round. He made a turn to walk to his corner, before collapsing, dying instantly from a heart attack.

More Fighters Killed in the Ring: Martin Sanchez

Mexican super feather weight boxer, Martin Sanchez, was severely injured after his 9th round knock out loss to Rustam Nugaev. Martin, who was famously known as “The Fireman”, had to go through surgery for a subdural hematoma. After being placed on a ventilator, he was to die the following morning on July 2, 2005.

Becky Zerlentes

On April 2, 2005 Zerlentes was knocked out in the third round by her opponent, Heather Schmitz. Unfortunately she never regained consciousness. Of all the fighters killed in the ring, Zerlentes is the first woman to die of injuries sustained during a sanctioned boxing match in the United States. According to online sportsbook news, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.

Daniel Aguillon

The Super featherweight boxer, Daniel Aguillon, received a punch to the jaw in the very last minute of the 12th round. He was defending the WBC Central American title on October 15, 2008. Thus he was to die in a Mexico City hospital after a five-day coma having never found consciousness.

Pedro Alcazar

The famous boxer, super-flyweight Pedro Alcazar, died after his victory at WBO Super flyweight championship in Las Vegas. After the fight, he was declared healthy by the ringside doctors. Further more the next day he was sightseeing, only to later collapse in his hotel room, where he was to die.

Leavander Johnson

Leavander Johnson collapsed and died in his dressing room after his fight with Jesus Chavez in 2005. The light weight boxer never saw the end of the match. The referee had to end the fight after Johnson received a barrage of punches from his opponent in the 11th round. After performing emergency surgery to correct a subdural hematoma, he was never to awake from a coma. With his family around him, the plug was pulled on September 22, 2005.

Benjamin Flores

Super bantamweight, 24 year old Benjamin Flores died in the ring fighting Al Seeger. The fight saw stoppage in the 8th round after the referee saw that Flores had was no longer punching back. As a result, after removing the unconscious boxer from the ring, he was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Dallas. The efforts to save his life ended in failure. In summery, another one of too many fighters killed in the ring. Incidentally, if you’re gonna bet on boxing, have a look at the odds with GTbets. Don King will thank you!

Patrick Day

In September of 2019, the young boxer Patrick Day died after suffering a knock out in the 10th round. It was his third knock down during the match and with the final one, his head was seen to hit the canvas in such a way that the referee immediately called an end to the fight. In the ambulance on the way to the hospital, Patrick suffered a seizure that would ultimately lead to a coma. Four days later he passed away. His opponent, former Olympian Charles Conwell was inconsolable

Death Toll Too High

In the first part of 2019, three boxers were to die from boxing sustained injuries. Both 23-year-old Hugo Santillan and 28-year-old Maxim Dadashev died within days of each other from brain trauma. A while later, the young Boris Stanchov died of an apparent heart attack in the ring in Albania. He was just 21 years of age.

Where Will it End?

Despite efforts to make the sport safer, including more glove padding and shorter rounds, hundreds of  boxers have either died or suffered serious brain damage. Common sense would tell you that receiving a  punch to the head, causing a traumatic brain injury, is going to be the main cause. Though there are increasingly loud voices pushing the total abolition of the sport, there appears to be a never ending line of young men (and women) willing to take the chance of serious injury or even death. Just be ready for more sad tales of fighters killed in the ring.