List of deaths due to injuries sustained in boxing
Updated: 11/4/2025, 4:27:42 PM Wikipedia source
In 1995, it was estimated that approximately 500 boxers had died from boxing injuries since the introduction of the Marquess of Queensberry Rules in 1884. Twenty-two boxers died in 1953 alone. The list is incomplete; many other boxers not listed here have died as a consequence of injuries sustained in a contest.
Tables
14 Dec 1894
14 Dec 1894
Date of fight
14 Dec 1894
Victim
Andy Bowen
Opponent
Kid Lavigne
Details
27-year-old Bowen hit his head on the wooden canvas when Lavigne knocked him down in the 18th round. Bowen never regained consciousness and died the following morning.
6 Dec 1897
6 Dec 1897
Date of fight
6 Dec 1897
Victim
Walter Croot
Opponent
Jimmy Barry
Details
Croot never regained consciousness and died the following day from a brain injury. Charged with manslaughter, Barry was exonerated when it was determined that Croot had died from a fractured skull sustained when his head hit the unpadded floor, made of wood.
29 April 1910
29 April 1910
Date of fight
29 April 1910
Victim
Tommy McCarthy
Opponent
Owen Moran
Details
McCarthy sustained a fractured skull and died the next morning.
24 May 1913
24 May 1913
Date of fight
24 May 1913
Victim
Luther McCarty
Opponent
Arthur Pelkey
Details
Pelkey was arrested and changed with manslaughter but was later absolved of blame.
5 Feb 1923
5 Feb 1923
Date of fight
5 Feb 1923
Victim
Andy Thomas
Opponent
Johnny Clinton
Details
Knocked out and did not regain consciousness even though his heart was still beating and died the next morning.
12 Jun 1923
12 Jun 1923
Date of fight
12 Jun 1923
Victim
Jean-Baptiste Rampignon
Opponent
André Gleizes
Details
Rampignon slipped into a coma after a 15-round points loss in a bout for the French flyweight championship and died the following day.
11 Jan 1924
11 Jan 1924
Date of fight
11 Jan 1924
Victim
Frankie Jerome
Opponent
Bud Taylor
Details
Jerome died two days following a twelfth round stoppage loss.
19 Apr 1926
19 Apr 1926
Date of fight
19 Apr 1926
Victim
Clever Sencio
Opponent
Sencio died just two hours after a decision loss. This was the second ring tragedy that involved Bud Taylor.
1 Jun 1928
1 Jun 1928
Date of fight
1 Jun 1928
Victim
Tosh Powell
Opponent
Billy Housego
Details
20-year-old Welsh boxer Powell collapsed during the third round of his bout with London fighter Housego. Powell was taken to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary, where he died of a brain hemorrhage on 2 June.
24 Jan 1930
24 Jan 1930
Date of fight
24 Jan 1930
Victim
Mickey Darmon
Opponent
Eddie Koppy
Details
Fractured skull and cerebral hemorrhage.
20 Aug 1930
20 Aug 1930
Date of fight
20 Aug 1930
Victim
Johnny Anderson
Opponent
"Red" Keuhl
25 Aug 1930
25 Aug 1930
Date of fight
25 Aug 1930
Victim
Frankie Campbell
Opponent
Max Baer
Details
Campbell was knocked unconscious in the ring and died hours later in the hospital. Doctors discovered that his brain had been knocked loose from the connective tissue inside his head.
7 Jun 1932
7 Jun 1932
Date of fight
7 Jun 1932
Victim
Chet Edwards
Opponent
Joe Torkleson
Details
Edwards won the match, later found unconscious in dressing room and brought to hospital where he died the next day.
10 Feb 1933
10 Feb 1933
Date of fight
10 Feb 1933
Victim
Ernie Schaaf
Opponent
Primo Carnera
Details
Schaaf suffered a knockout loss in the 13th round and immediately fell unconscious. He would go into a coma, and was rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery where he ultimately died four days later.
8 May 1933
8 May 1933
Date of fight
8 May 1933
Victim
Jack Holland
Opponent
Tony Marullo
Details
24-year-old Holland, a college football star and artist's model, died of a cerebral hemorrhage after losing in six rounds to Marullo in New Orleans. He collapsed while leaving the ring and died in a hospital the following morning.
17 Mar 1936
17 Mar 1936
Date of fight
17 Mar 1936
Victim
Tony Scarpati
Opponent
Lou Ambers
Details
Scarpati died in hospital without regaining consciousness after his knockout by Lou Ambers in the seventh round of their fight. When he fell, his head struck the ring floor. Although surgeons operated to relieve pressure resulting from the concussion, he failed to regain consciousness.
30 Jan 1937
30 Jan 1937
Date of fight
30 Jan 1937
Victim
Tony Marino
Opponent
Carlos Quintana
Details
26-year-old Marino collapsed at the end of an eight-round bout with Quintana in Brooklyn, New York City. The ringside doctor diagnosed a brain concussion. Marino never regained consciousness, dying two days later at Wyckoff Heights Hospital in Brooklyn. New York state officials found Marino had been knocked down five times in the contest, and passed a rule that any boxer downed three times in round constitutes an automatic end to the contest for "outclassed," which is referred by the WBA as an Automatic Knockout.
16 Jul 1940
16 Jul 1940
Date of fight
16 Jul 1940
Victim
Peter Asero
Opponent
Pete Muscarnera
Details
Seemingly on his way to victory by knocking out Muscarnera to the count of nine in the first round, Asero suffered a knockout in the fourth round. He never revived. Heart attack was given as the cause of death by the Athletic Commission.
2 Jul 1941
2 Jul 1941
Date of fight
2 Jul 1941
Victim
Roy "Jack" Gillespie
Opponent
Jack Chase
Details
Gillespie died from a brain injury; Chase was taken into technical custody.
15 May 1942
15 May 1942
Date of fight
15 May 1942
Victim
John M. Marquez
Opponent
Alfred David Globe
Details
Marquez was knocked out and never regained consciousness.
3 Mar 1946
3 Mar 1946
Date of fight
3 Mar 1946
Victim
Dixon Walker
Opponent
Gus Gerson
Details
Walker died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
24 Jun 1947
24 Jun 1947
Date of fight
24 Jun 1947
Victim
Jimmy Doyle
Opponent
Sugar Ray Robinson
Details
Doyle died 17 hours after being knocked out.
15 Aug 1947
15 Aug 1947
Date of fight
15 Aug 1947
Victim
Glenn Newton Smith
Opponent
Sam Baroudi
Details
Smith was knocked out in the 9th round and never regained consciousness.
2 Feb 1948
2 Feb 1948
Date of fight
2 Feb 1948
Victim
Sam Baroudi
Opponent
Ezzard Charles
Details
Baroudi was killed by a punch from a future heavyweight champion.
28 Feb 1948
28 Feb 1948
Date of fight
28 Feb 1948
Victim
Leroy DeCatur
Opponent
Freddie Herrera
Details
Died after his first professional match.
28 Mar 1948
28 Mar 1948
Date of fight
28 Mar 1948
Victim
Gerardo Hernández
Opponent
Manuel Parrado
Details
Died in the ring following a cerebral hemorrhage.
21 Apr 1948
21 Apr 1948
Date of fight
21 Apr 1948
Victim
Jackie Darthard
Opponent
Bert Lytell
Details
Collapsed after six rounds of fighting and died after being taken to a hospital. Death ultimately ruled to be the result of a brain hemorrhage caused by an undiagnosed injury from a match five months earlier.
29 Sep 1948
29 Sep 1948
Date of fight
29 Sep 1948
Victim
Félix Amado Gómez
Opponent
Bobby McQuillar
Details
"McQuillar hit him with a crushing right hand that sent Kid Dinamita to the canvas. The bell saved him. But he was unable to come out for the ninth round. He was carried out of the ring, and five hours later, on a hospital operating table, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Kid Dinamita was 22 years old."
19 Sep 1949
19 Sep 1949
Date of fight
19 Sep 1949
Victim
Archie Kemp
Opponent
Jack Hassen
Details
Kemp was carried from the ring on a stretcher and did not regain consciousness, dying of a cerebral haemorrhage. Referee Joe Wallis had refused to stop the fight.
22 Feb 1950
22 Feb 1950
Date of fight
22 Feb 1950
Victim
Lavern Roach
Opponent
Georgie Small
Details
Lavern sustained a fatal head injury during the match and died the next day due to a subdural hemorrhage.
20 Dec 1950
20 Dec 1950
Date of fight
20 Dec 1950
Victim
Sonny Boy West
Opponent
Percy Bassett
Details
West suffered from inter-cerebral hemorrhage resulting from a cerebral concussion and died the following day.
29 Aug 1951
29 Aug 1951
Date of fight
29 Aug 1951
Victim
Georgie Flores
Opponent
Roger Donoghue
Details
Knocked out and died a few days later. Donoghue gave match winnings to Flores' family.
12 Dec 1954
12 Dec 1954
Date of fight
12 Dec 1954
Victim
Ed Sanders
Opponent
Willie James
Details
Complained of headaches early in the day. Lost consciousness in the 11th round. Died after a long surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain.
19 Mar 1956
19 Mar 1956
Date of fight
19 Mar 1956
Victim
Hubert Essakow
Opponent
Willie Toweel
8 Nov 1958
8 Nov 1958
Date of fight
8 Nov 1958
Victim
José Blanco
Opponent
Sugar Ramos
Details
Died a day after a knockout loss in the eighth and final round against future world champion Sugar Ramos.
26 Oct 1959
26 Oct 1959
Date of fight
26 Oct 1959
Victim
Walt Ingram
Opponent
José Becerra
9 Apr 1960
9 Apr 1960
Date of fight
9 Apr 1960
Victim
Charlie Mohr
Opponent
Stu Bartell
Details
Died a week after being knocked out in NCAA tournament at Madison, Wisconsin. His death has been credited with resulting in the NCAA's termination of the sport.
6 Jun 1960
6 Jun 1960
Date of fight
6 Jun 1960
Victim
Tommy Pacheco
Opponent
Benny Gordon
Details
Remained unconscious after fight. Brought to hospital where a brain operation was performed but succumbed to injuries.
26 Jun 1960
26 Jun 1960
Date of fight
26 Jun 1960
Victim
Rafael Rodriguez
Opponent
Gaby Sanchez
Details
Floored after hook to the liver.
15 May 1961
15 May 1961
Date of fight
15 May 1961
Victim
Harry Campbell
Opponent
Al Medrano
Details
23-year-old Campbell, a 1960 Olympic boxer, collapsed after the final bell of the tenth round of his bout with Medrano. He never regained consciousness, despite brain surgery.
24 Mar 1962
24 Mar 1962
Date of fight
24 Mar 1962
Victim
Benny Paret
Opponent
Emile Griffith
Details
See Benny Paret vs. Emile Griffith III; Paret died of brain injuries 10 days later.
21 Sep 1962
21 Sep 1962
Date of fight
21 Sep 1962
Victim
Alejandro Lavorante
Opponent
John Riggins
Details
Lavorante would spend 19 months in a coma before dying on April 1, 1964.
21 Mar 1963
21 Mar 1963
Date of fight
21 Mar 1963
Victim
Davey Moore
Opponent
Sugar Ramos
Details
Moore collapsed in the dressing room after the fight, and died 75 hours later. This was the second ring tragedy that Sugar Ramos was involved in.
10 May 1965
10 May 1965
Date of fight
10 May 1965
Victim
Sonny Banks
Opponent
Leotis Martin
Details
Banks is known for being the first fighter to ever score a knockdown against Muhammad Ali. He died three years after this fight at age 24.
11 Mar 1969
11 Mar 1969
Date of fight
11 Mar 1969
Victim
Ulrich Regis
Opponent
Joe Bugner
Details
Regis died four days after the fight following surgery to remove a blood clot.
30 Dec 1969
30 Dec 1969
Date of fight
30 Dec 1969
Victim
Bernard Agbakhume Daudu
Opponent
Carlos San José
Details
Daudu died of injuries sustained in this fight.
2 Feb 1972
2 Feb 1972
Date of fight
2 Feb 1972
Victim
Mick Pinkney
Opponent
Jim Moore
Details
Pinkney was knocked out in the fifth round and died after choking on his own blood.
19 Jul 1978
19 Jul 1978
Date of fight
19 Jul 1978
Victim
Angelo Jacopucci
Opponent
Alan Minter
Details
Jacopucci did not collapse in the ring; he and Minter met for a meal after the fight. Jacopucci then fell into a coma and died. As a result of this, European title fights were limited to 12 rounds.
23 Nov 1979
23 Nov 1979
Date of fight
23 Nov 1979
Victim
Willie Classen
Opponent
Wilford Scypion
Details
Died following the fight.
9 Jan 1980
9 Jan 1980
Date of fight
9 Jan 1980
Victim
Charles Newell
Opponent
Marlon Starling
Details
Died after being knocked out in the 7th round.
20 Jun 1980
20 Jun 1980
Date of fight
20 Jun 1980
Victim
Cleveland Denny
Opponent
Gaétan Hart
Details
Died 16 days after being knocked out.
19 Sep 1980
19 Sep 1980
Date of fight
19 Sep 1980
Victim
Johnny Owen
Opponent
Lupe Pintor
Details
Owen was knocked out and died six weeks later without regaining consciousness.
7 May 1982
7 May 1982
Date of fight
7 May 1982
Victim
Andy Balaba
Opponent
Shin Hi-sup
Details
Died of injuries sustained in the fight.
14 Jun 1982
14 Jun 1982
Date of fight
14 Jun 1982
Victim
Young Ali
Opponent
Barry McGuigan
Details
Collapsed in the ring, fell into a coma, and died from a blood clot two days later.
13 Nov 1982
13 Nov 1982
Date of fight
13 Nov 1982
Victim
Kim Duk-koo
Opponent
Ray Mancini
Details
Kim died four days after the fight, as a result of a subdural hematoma, which filled his skull with 100 cubic centimetres of blood. As a result of this, world championship fights were limited to 12 rounds and increased testing required in Nevada.
1 Sep 1983
1 Sep 1983
Date of fight
1 Sep 1983
Victim
Francisco Bejines
Opponent
Alberto Dávila
Details
Died of brain injuries, despite surgery to remove a blood clot and relieve pressure on his brain.
29 May 1985
29 May 1985
Date of fight
29 May 1985
Victim
Shawn Thomas
Opponent
Chris Calvin
Details
Died of head injuries.
2 Nov 1985
2 Nov 1985
Date of fight
2 Nov 1985
Victim
Jacob Morake
Opponent
Brian Mitchell
Details
Died of head injuries.
29 Nov 1985
29 Nov 1985
Date of fight
29 Nov 1985
Victim
Gerardo Derbez
Opponent
Jorge Vaca
Details
Knocked out and fell into a coma; died from brain injuries.
14 Mar 1986
14 Mar 1986
Date of fight
14 Mar 1986
Victim
Steve Watt
Opponent
Rocky Kelly
Details
Died of brain injuries.
27 Feb 1987
27 Feb 1987
Date of fight
27 Feb 1987
Victim
Jean-Claude Vinci
Opponent
Lionel Jean
Details
Vinci lost the fight on points, and died 30 minutes later.
14 Jun 1988
14 Jun 1988
Date of fight
14 Jun 1988
Victim
Brian Baronet
Opponent
Kenny Vice
Details
Fell into a coma after being knocked out and died three days later.
13 Aug 1988
13 Aug 1988
Date of fight
13 Aug 1988
Victim
Daniel Thetele
Opponent
Aaron Williams
Details
Collapsed without regaining consciousness and died.
4 Mar 1989
4 Mar 1989
Date of fight
4 Mar 1989
Victim
David Thio
Opponent
Terrence "Alli" Halley
Details
Knocked out and died 10 days later.
17 Aug 1990
17 Aug 1990
Date of fight
17 Aug 1990
Victim
Pat Stone
Opponent
Gary Wills
Details
Died of brain injuries the day after the fight.
27 May 1991
27 May 1991
Date of fight
27 May 1991
Victim
Patrick Mdiniso
Opponent
Mongezi Mbadu
Details
Died after being knocked unconscious.
17 Nov 1991
17 Nov 1991
Date of fight
17 Nov 1991
Victim
Clive Sikwebu
Opponent
Ndoda Mayende
Details
Died nine days after being knocked out.
1 Dec 1991
1 Dec 1991
Date of fight
1 Dec 1991
Victim
Minoru Katsumata
Opponent
Takashi Murata
Details
Died after being knocked out in the 10th round. It was his first professional fight.
20 Dec 1991
20 Dec 1991
Date of fight
20 Dec 1991
Victim
David Ellis
Opponent
Abdenago Jofré
Details
Ellis collapsed in the final round and died nine days after.
26 Apr 1994
26 Apr 1994
Date of fight
26 Apr 1994
Victim
Bradley Stone
Opponent
Richie Wenton
Details
Died from a blood clot.
22 Jul 1994
22 Jul 1994
Date of fight
22 Jul 1994
Victim
Robert Wangila
Opponent
David Gonzalez
Details
Died after an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.
6 May 1995
6 May 1995
Date of fight
6 May 1995
Victim
Jimmy Garcia
Opponent
Gabriel Ruelas
Details
Held on the undercard of his brother Rafael's contest against Oscar De La Hoya for the WBO and IBF Lightweight Titles, Gabriel won an 11th-round TKO against Garcia, who died 13 days later due to a blood clot on the brain.
13 Oct 1995
13 Oct 1995
Date of fight
13 Oct 1995
Victim
James Murray
Opponent
Drew Docherty
Details
Murray collapsed in the final round and died on 15 October 1995 due to brain injuries.
9 Dec 1995
9 Dec 1995
Date of fight
9 Dec 1995
Victim
Eugene Barutag
Opponent
Randy Andagan
Details
On December 9, 1995, a young fighter from General Santos City named Eugene Barutag, was scheduled for an eight-round match against veteran Randy Andagan of Biñan, Laguna. Barutag was winning the match in the first four rounds and almost knocked out Andagan, but the latter got his second wind and beat the younger boxer, who at the end of the bout, collapsed in his corner. At that time, there were no standby paramedics in case of emergency. Using the service vehicle of Vintage Sports, Barutag was rushed to the Jose Reyes Memorial Hospital and was declared dead on arrival.
13 Dec 1997
13 Dec 1997
Date of fight
13 Dec 1997
Victim
Felix Bwalya
Opponent
Paul Burke
Details
Was knocked down three times in the final rounds; died nine days later. While in a coma, he was found to have had malaria in his bloodstream. The autopsy report stated the cause of death was cardiorespiratory failure, severe blunt force trauma to the head, and bronchopneumonia in his right lung.
12 Sep 1999
12 Sep 1999
Date of fight
12 Sep 1999
Victim
Randie Carver
Opponent
Kabary Salem
Details
Carver was headbutted repeatedly during the early rounds, with the contest not being stopped contrary to rules in boxing that call for a termination of contest for clash of heads. He lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital. Carver died two days later from blunt head trauma.
20 Oct 2000
20 Oct 2000
Date of fight
20 Oct 2000
Victim
Bobby Tomasello
Opponent
Steve Dotse
Details
Tomasello collapsed in his dressing room after a 10-round draw. He fell into a coma from which he never awoke, dying five days later.
30 Mar 2001
30 Mar 2001
Date of fight
30 Mar 2001
Victim
Muhammad Alfaridzi [ID]
Opponent
Khongtawat Sorkiti
Details
Alfaridzi fell into coma after Sorkiti knocked him out on the eighth round, and died three days later of bleeding in the left side of his brain.
26 Jun 2001
26 Jun 2001
Date of fight
26 Jun 2001
Victim
Beethaeven Scottland
Opponent
George Khalid Jones
Details
Jones hurt Scottland in the tenth, and Scottland dropped to the canvas and was counted out having not risen to his feet. Scottland had to be helped from the ring and fell into a coma, dying from his injuries on July 1, 2001.
23 Jun 2002
23 Jun 2002
Date of fight
23 Jun 2002
Victim
Pedro Alcázar
Opponent
Fernando Montiel
Details
Alcazar was declared healthy by ringside doctors, with no visible signs of any trauma. He collapsed in his hotel room the following day, and died in hospital.
18 Jul 2003
18 Jul 2003
Date of fight
18 Jul 2003
Victim
Brad Rone
Opponent
Billy Zumbrun
Details
He turned around to walk to his corner following the 1st round when he collapsed, dying instantly. An autopsy later revealed Rone had died of a heart attack, which ringside physicians had not inspected him before the contest as required.
28 Dec 2003
28 Dec 2003
Date of fight
28 Dec 2003
Victim
John Eman Juarez
Opponent
Rocky Fuentes
Details
After Rocky Fuentes knocked John Eman Juarez out, John Eman Juarez was immediately carried from the ring on a stretcher unconscious, Juarez would regain consciousness at Cebu Doctors' Hospital but would die due to Subdural Hematoma on January 1, 2004, 1:00AM. Since then, Fuentes was never the same, he would constantly have nightmares and would not live up to his handlers' expectations.
2 Apr 2005
2 Apr 2005
Date of fight
2 Apr 2005
Victim
Becky Zerlentes
Opponent
Heather Schmitz
Details
mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- .mw- } .mw- .mw- } } } }.mw- .mw- Wikinews has related news: First female boxing death occurs in US sanctioned match On April 2, 2005, Zerlentes was participating in the Colorado State Boxing Senior Female Championships (an amateur boxing contest) at the Denver Coliseum in Denver, Colorado. She was knocked out in the third round by her opponent, Heather Schmitz, fell unconscious, and never regained consciousness. Zerlentes is the first woman known to have died of injuries sustained during a sanctioned boxing match in the United States. According to the Denver County coroner, the cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head.
4 March 2004
4 March 2004
Date of fight
4 March 2004
Victim
Luis Villalta
Opponent
Ricky Quiles
Details
35-year-old Luis Villalta died several days after losing consciousness in his dressing room minutes after losing a 12-round title fight in Miami, Florida.
1 Jul 2005
1 Jul 2005
Date of fight
1 Jul 2005
Victim
Martín Sánchez
Opponent
Rustam Nugaev
Details
After the fight, a commission inspector noticed Sánchez walking strangely. He was rushed to a local hospital where he underwent emergency surgery for a subdural hematoma. He died the following morning. This was the first of two deaths in three months that led to boxing authorities in Nevada to begin a series of rule changes for boxer safety.
17 Sep 2005
17 Sep 2005
Date of fight
17 Sep 2005
Victim
Leavander Johnson
Opponent
Jesús Chávez
Details
Johnson collapsed in the locker room following the fight and was taken to hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma following surgery to correct a subdural hematoma. He died on 22 September 2005. The Sánchez and Johnson fatalities led to Nevada authorities creating new regulations on hydration (certain sports drinks in sealed packets), weight cutting, glove weight, and physicians. Rules now require physicians to inspect boxers at weigh-ins, before the contest, and immediately after the contest, and require a minimum of three physicians in the ring. CT scans are now required after fights. In 2016, new brain health testing rules became mandatory, also based on this incident.
18 Mar 2006
18 Mar 2006
Date of fight
18 Mar 2006
Victim
Kevin Payne
Opponent
Ryan Maraldo
Details
Payne underwent surgery after suffering a brain injury during the fight. He died the following day.
31 Mar 2007
31 Mar 2007
Date of fight
31 Mar 2007
Victim
Lito Sisnorio
Opponent
Chatchai Sasakul
Details
Sisnorio sustained brain injuries during the fight and died the next day in hospital. The fight was deemed controversial, as Sisnorio's role in the fight was not officially sanctioned by the Philippine Games and Amusement Board.
25 Dec 2007
25 Dec 2007
Date of fight
25 Dec 2007
Victim
Choi Yo-sam
Opponent
Heri Amol
Details
Choi collapsed while still in the ring after the bout, and was rushed to the Soonchunhyang University Hospital immediately after the fight in order to undergo emergency brain surgery. He died on 3 January 2008 after being removed from his ventilator.
15 Oct 2008
15 Oct 2008
Date of fight
15 Oct 2008
Victim
Daniel Aguillón
Opponent
Alejandro Sanabria
Details
Aguillón was punched in the jaw in the last minute of the 12th round of the super featherweight bout for the Central American title by his opponent Sanabria. He fell unconscious on the floor and was taken to a hospital, but never recovered.
30 Apr 2009
30 Apr 2009
Date of fight
30 Apr 2009
Victim
Benjamín Flores
Opponent
Al Seeger
Details
Flores suffered a brain injury during the fight. He died from his injuries on 5 May 2009.
18 Jul 2009
18 Jul 2009
Date of fight
18 Jul 2009
Victim
Marco Antonio Nazareth
Opponent
Omar Chávez
Details
Nazareth collapsed in the ring and had to be taken to the local hospital, where he underwent a three-hour surgery to treat a cerebral hemorrhage. He died four days later.
20 Nov 2009
20 Nov 2009
Date of fight
20 Nov 2009
Victim
Francisco Rodriguez
Opponent
Teon Kennedy
Details
Rodríguez immediately collapsed, losing consciousness while waiting for an official decision. He was rushed to a hospital for emergency brain surgery and died 2 days later.
17 Jul 2010
17 Jul 2010
Date of fight
17 Jul 2010
Victim
Bae Ki-suk
Opponent
Jung Jin-ki
Details
23-year-old Bae underwent five hours of brain surgery following the fight. After the operation, his body temperature, blood pressure and pulse returned to almost normal, but he remained unconscious and died four days after the bout.
5 Dec 2011
5 Dec 2011
Date of fight
5 Dec 2011
Victim
Roman Simakov
Opponent
Sergey Kovalev
Details
27-year-old Simakov died of brain injuries after collapsing in the ring.
3 Feb 2012
3 Feb 2012
Date of fight
3 Feb 2012
Victim
Karlo Maquinto
Opponent
Mark Joseph Costa
Details
Boxer Karlo Maquinto died Friday, five days after falling into a coma because of a blood clot in his brain after a bout in Caloocan City. He was 21. Maquinto battled back from two knockdowns to earn a majority draw against Mark Joseph Costa in their four-round flyweight bout.The death of the Iloilo-born boxer has sparked calls for an investigation, particularly from House Games and Amusements chair Rep. Amado Bagatsing and boxing promoter Jun Sarreal, who stressed that the medical history of boxers should always be looked into before fights.
31 Mar 2012
31 Mar 2012
Date of fight
31 Mar 2012
Victim
Muhammad Afrizal
Opponent
Irvan Barita Marbun
Details
30-year-old Afrizal began vomiting an hour after the bout and fell unconscious with a hemorrhage. He died four days after brain surgery to remove a blood clot.
28 Mar 2013
28 Mar 2013
Date of fight
28 Mar 2013
Victim
Michael Norgrove
Opponent
Tom Bowen
Details
32-year-old Norgrove collapsed in Round 5, and died on 6 April without regaining consciousness.
19 Oct 2013
19 Oct 2013
Date of fight
19 Oct 2013
Victim
Francisco Leal
Opponent
Raul Hirales
Details
26-year-old Leal went into a coma after suffering a KO loss to Raul Hirales. He was taken from the ring on a stretcher and brought to a hospital in Los Cabos. He was then transferred to Laz Paz, and later brought to a hospital in San Diego, where he died. He had a record of 20-8-3 with 13 KOs.
20 Dec 2013
20 Dec 2013
Date of fight
20 Dec 2013
Victim
Tesshin Okada
Opponent
Masafumi Kamiyama
Details
21-year-old Okada suffered a fourth-round TKO in professional debut. He collapsed after the fight, and was rushed to hospital to undergo surgery for acute subdural hematoma. He died 17 days later on 6 January 2014
10 Oct 2014
10 Oct 2014
Date of fight
10 Oct 2014
Victim
Phindile Mwelase
Opponent
Liz Butler
Details
Mwelase was defeated by knockout in a boxing match in Pretoria, after which she fell into a coma; she died after remaining in the coma for two weeks. It is one of the first recognised deaths in women's professional boxing.
14 Mar 2015
14 Mar 2015
Date of fight
14 Mar 2015
Victim
Braydon Smith
Opponent
John Vincent Moralde
Details
23-year-old Smith lost a 10-round unanimous points decision to Moralde in Toowoomba, Australia. He lost consciousness 90 minutes later at Toowoomba Hospital, and died after spending two days in a medically induced coma at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane.
14 Nov 2015
14 Nov 2015
Date of fight
14 Nov 2015
Victim
David Acevedo
Opponent
Nelson Altamirano
Details
23-year-old Acevedo died a week after lapsing into a coma, following an 8th-round TKO loss against Nelson Altamirano in Managua, Nicaragua.
19 Dec 2015
19 Dec 2015
Date of fight
19 Dec 2015
Victim
Hamzah Al-Jahmi
Opponent
Anthony Taylor
Details
19-year-old flyweight Al-Jahmi died after being knocked unconscious after participating in his first professional match in Youngstown, Ohio.
29 Sep 2016
29 Sep 2016
Date of fight
29 Sep 2016
Victim
Mike Towell
Opponent
Dale Evans
Details
25-year-old Towell was knocked down in the 1st round and again in the 5th prior to the stoppage, he was carried from the ring on a stretcher and taken to hospital. He died late the following day of severe cerebral hemorrhage. Towell had taken a break from fighting due to severe migraines several weeks before his fatal fight.
27 May 2017
27 May 2017
Date of fight
27 May 2017
Victim
David Whittom
Opponent
Gary Kopas
Details
Whittom suffered from a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to Saint John Regional Hospital the next morning to have part of his skull removed. He spent the next 10 months in a medically induced coma before dying on 16 March 2018, aged 39.
16 Jun 2017
16 Jun 2017
Date of fight
16 Jun 2017
Victim
Tim Hague
Opponent
Adam Braidwood
Details
34-year-old Hague was knocked down five times in the first two rounds, and died two days later after being taken off of life support.
24 Feb 2018
24 Feb 2018
Date of fight
24 Feb 2018
Victim
Scott Westgarth
Opponent
Dec Spelman
Details
31-year-old Scott Westgarth defeated Dec Spelman. Westgarth was knocked down just before the end of the fight and collapsed in the locker room. Westgarth was rushed to a nearby hospital and died.
5 Nov 2018
5 Nov 2018
Date of fight
5 Nov 2018
Victim
Christian Daghio
Opponent
Don Parueang
Details
49-year-old Christian Daghio was knocked to the canvas twice in the final round of his WBC Asia title fight against Don Parueang on 26 October. After his second knockdown, Daghio was immediately treated by medical staff inside the ring. He was subsequently taken to hospital in Bangkok, where he spent two days in a coma before dying. Daghio, who was 49, was in violation of upper age limits enforced by most authorities (age 40), and this death, along with one involving a 13-year old boxer (see below) a week later, led to Thai authorities reviewing legislation on minimum, but not maximum, age of boxers.
12 Nov 2018
12 Nov 2018
Date of fight
12 Nov 2018
Victim
Anucha Thasako
Opponent
Phetmongkol Por Peenapat
Details
13-year-old Anucha Thasako died from a brain haemorrhage two days after a boxing charity match against a 14-year-old boy. They were both were not wearing any protective headgear. Thasako was boxing since the age of eight-year-old and had done 170 fights to earn money for his family. After his death the Thai parliament reviewed legislation to ban children under 12 years old from boxing matches.
19 Jul 2019
19 Jul 2019
Date of fight
19 Jul 2019
Victim
Maxim Dadashev
Opponent
Subriel Matías
Details
The match was stopped after 11 rounds by Dadashev's trainer James "Buddy" McGirt, himself a former championship boxer. 28-year-old Dadashev collapsed while being transported to the hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery. He was placed into a coma, before dying three days after the fight due to cerebral edema caused by sustained hits to the head.
25 Jul 2019
25 Jul 2019
Date of fight
25 Jul 2019
Victim
Hugo Alfredo Santillán
Opponent
Eduardo Javier Abreu
Details
According to ringside reports, the 23-year-old Santillán's nose began bleeding in the fourth round of the 20 July contest. Santillán passed out as the judges were announcing the draw. After being admitted to the hospital, he had swelling of the brain and successive kidney failure. As the swelling worsened, it affected the functioning of the rest of his organs and he never regained consciousness. Santillán underwent surgery for a clot in his brain, and twice went into cardiorespiratory failure before he died of cardiac arrest. Santillán was boxing while under suspension. Forty days prior, on June 15, he lost to Artem Harutyunyan by unanimous decision in Hamburg, Germany. After a post-fight medical examination, the Association of German Professional Boxers (German: Bund Deutscher Berufsboxer) suspended Santillán 45 days, which was to have expired on 30 July. Argentine authorities did not notice the BDB suspension on Santillán's licence, as it was not a knockout loss. Trainer Orlando Farias knew about the BDB-assessed suspension, and did not coach him in this fight.
21 Sep 2019
21 Sep 2019
Date of fight
21 Sep 2019
Victim
Boris Stanchov
Opponent
Ardit Murja
Details
It was initially reported that 21-year-old Isus Velichkov collapsed during a match with Ardit Murja after suffering a cardiac arrest. It was later revealed that Stanchov was using the boxing license of his cousin Velichkov. According to Bad Left Hook, Stanchov had been fighting under his name for the past year, and was also stepping into the ring using Velichkov's medicals, The contest took place in Albania, where boxing regulations regarding licencing (such as the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act in the United States) are not enforced. Stanchov's use of Velichkov's medical record is legally a violation of boxing regulations. The tragedy struck in the fifth round of his scrap in Albania after being caught with a jab. He had appeared wobbly on his feet in the moments before hitting the canvas. The fight was immediately waved off, and the referee and medical teams rushed into the ring.
12 Oct 2019
12 Oct 2019
Date of fight
12 Oct 2019
Victim
Patrick Day
Opponent
Charles Conwell
Details
27-year-old Day was knocked down three times in his fight with Conwell. The final knockdown that stopped the fight was particularly brutal, as Day's head violently bounced on the canvas. Seeing the way Day fell, the referee immediately stopped the fight. Day was rushed to a hospital, where he began to suffer seizures, and shortly after fell into a coma. Doctors then performed emergency brain surgery. Four days later on 16 October 2019, Day died from what was described as traumatic brain injury. Following his death, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said the sport needed to become safer.
16 Apr 2021
16 Apr 2021
Date of fight
16 Apr 2021
Victim
Rashed Al-Swaisat
Opponent
Anton Vinogradov
Details
18-year-old Alswaisat was knocked out in a preliminary-round light-heavyweight bout with Vinogradov at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Kielce, Poland. He was treated in the ring and taken to a hospital in Kielce, where he died ten days later on 26 April 2021.
28 Aug 2021
28 Aug 2021
Date of fight
28 Aug 2021
Victim
Jeanette Zacarías Zapata
Opponent
Marie Pier Houle
Details
18-year-old Zapata was knocked down after a series of uppercuts at the end of the fourth round against Houle at the GVM Gala International in Montreal on 28 August 2021. Zapata seemed to suffer a seizure after the fight was stopped, and was taken to the hospital, where she would die on 3 September 2021.
16 Oct 2021
16 Oct 2021
Date of fight
16 Oct 2021
Victim
Moisés Fuentes
Opponent
David Cuéllar Contreras
Details
Fuentes suffered a blood clot in his brain. He never fought again after that and complications from the injury resulted in his death at the age of 37 on November 24, 2022.
2 Nov 2021
2 Nov 2021
Date of fight
2 Nov 2021
Victim
Taurai Zimunya
Opponent
Tinashe Majoni
Details
24-year-old bantamweight Taurai Zimunya was knocked out in the third round of his match with a brain injury. He was taken to the hospital where he never regained consciousness.
7 Jan 2022
7 Jan 2022
Date of fight
7 Jan 2022
Victim
Arest Saakyan
Opponent
Igor Semernin
Details
26-year-old Russian-Armenian boxer Arest Saakyan was knocked down in the last 8th round of bout at the Kings of Ring in Togliatti on 26 December 2021. He died 10 days later.
27 Feb 2022
27 Feb 2022
Date of fight
27 Feb 2022
Victim
Hero Tito
Opponent
James Mokoginta
Details
Tito fell into a coma after suffering a one punch knockout in round 7 from an uppercut against fellow Indonesian James Mokoginta at the Holywings Club in Jakarta, Tito would die on the 3rd of March due to injuries suffered.
25 Mar 2022
25 Mar 2022
Date of fight
25 Mar 2022
Victim
Laron Peoples
Opponent
Sheldon Wright
Details
Peoples died after contending the Elite Male Division at the South Dakota Golden Gloves boxing show in Rapid City. He was taken by ambulance from the scene and died in hospital.
9 April 2022
9 April 2022
Date of fight
9 April 2022
Victim
Dominic Chapman
Opponent
James Bradley
Details
26-year-old novice boxer Chapman was taking part in a charity match at a nightclub when he was felled by a catastrophic punch by a more skilled opponent 3 minutes and 59 seconds into the bout. Chapman died two days later. His opponent was later diagnosed with PTSD.
5 June 2022
5 June 2022
Date of fight
5 June 2022
Victim
Simiso Buthelezi
Opponent
Siphesihle Mntungwa
Details
24-year-old South African boxer Simiso Buthelezi began punching aimlessly in a different direction after Siphesihle Mntungwa was knocked into the ropes by Buthelezi. The referee stopped the fight, and Buthelezi was transported to hospital where a brain bleed was discovered. Buthelezi was placed into a medically induced coma from which he never woke up, as he died two days later.
1 October 2022
1 October 2022
Date of fight
1 October 2022
Victim
Luis Quiñones
Opponent
José Muñoz
Details
25-year-old Colombian Welterweight Luis Quiñones died five days after a professional match at Coliseo Elías Chegwi in Colombia.
25 March 2023
25 March 2023
Date of fight
25 March 2023
Victim
Jubal Reji Kurian
Opponent
Ian David
Details
23-year-old Jubal Reji Kurian died after suffering bleeding on the brain during an amateur bout at Harvey Hadden Sports Village in Bilborough, Nottingham.
6 May 2023
6 May 2023
Date of fight
6 May 2023
Victim
Kenneth Egano
Opponent
Jason Facularin
Details
Kenneth Egano died on May 10, 2023, after a four-day coma stemming from a post-fight brain hemorrhage, while waiting for his fight results, the 22-year old General Santos City-native, Egano collapsed on his fight against Jason Facularin at "Blow by Blow", a boxing event backed by Senator and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, unfortunately as Egano was declared the winner, by the time, Egano has already collapsed, later was pronounced sustaining a comatose hours later, eventually led to his death.
10 October 2023
10 October 2023
Date of fight
10 October 2023
Victim
João Victor Penha
Opponent
Unknown
Details
23-year-old amateur died three days after receiving a knockout punch 90 seconds into a championship boxing match in Jijoca de Jericoacoara, Brazil.
17 Dec 2023
17 Dec 2023
Date of fight
17 Dec 2023
Victim
Timofey Shadrin
Opponent
Unknown
Details
14-year-old boxer died after a series of punches to body at the final of Pervouralsk youth championship.
26 Dec 2023
26 Dec 2023
Date of fight
26 Dec 2023
Victim
Kazuki Anaguchi
Opponent
Seiya Tsutsumi
Details
This match was on the undercard of the Naoya Inoue (WBC, WBO) vs Marlon Tapales (WBA, IBF) super bantamweight (122 pound / 55 kg) title unification match at Ariake Arena on December 26, 2023. In the undercard, Kazuki Anaguchi battled with compatriot Seiya Tsutsumi where Anaguchi suffered four knockdowns, with the last in the final ten seconds of the final (tenth) round. Tsutsumi won via unanimous decision, 94–92, 94–92, 95–91. After the bout, Anaguchi's legs can be seen twitching and was rushed to the hospital, remaining unconscious for more than a month, however, in February 2024, the Japan Boxing Commission declared Anaguchi dead due to subdural hematoma.
5 Apr 2024
5 Apr 2024
Date of fight
5 Apr 2024
Victim
Ardi Ndembo
Opponent
Nestor Santana
Details
Promising Congolese prospect Ardi Ndembo fought Cuban Nestor Santana on 5 April 2024 in a Team Combat League contest between the Las Vegas Hustle (Ndembo) and Miami Stealth (Santana) held inside the Infiniti of Coral Gables, Florida showroom, which was conducted under Team Combat League regulations. Sixteen boxers per team, consisting of two boxers per weight class -- 126 men, 126 women, 135 men, 147 men, 147 women, 160 men, 175 men, 201 men, participate in a 24-round contest with each boxer participating in one-round matches, with boxers doing no more than two of the 24 rounds with one round in each weight and sex class per eight-round period. During the eighth round, which is the final round of the first period and the round for these two boxers, video showed Santana was throwing hooks to the back of Ndembo's head (a rabbit punch in violation of boxing rules) at 30 seconds into the round, which the referee did not notice until slightly later when she warned Santana. After Ndembo slipped around 45 seconds, Santana was taunting. At 56 seconds, Santana knocked Ndembo down and according to Marca, Ndembo remained unconscious on the canvas for ten minutes. Under Team Combat League rules, the knockout ends only the eighth round, not the contest, and the 10-point must scoring system for each round grants an automatic score for knockout. The contest continued with the ninth round featuring the remaining 30 boxers contesting the remaining 15 rounds, as the two boxers' second one-round contest (which was scheduled for the third period) was scratched and ruled a stoppage win for Santana for points purposes, which Miami won, 229–220. Ndembo was moved to Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he was in a coma before his death on 26 April 2024.
12 May 2024
12 May 2024
Date of fight
12 May 2024
Victim
Sherif Lawal
Opponent
Malam Varela
Details
Pro debut for 29-year-old Lawal in contest against Varela at the J+Hackney Leisure Centre in Harrow in London, England. In the fourth round, Lawal went down from a right to the head. Referee Lee Every stopped the contest. Lawal was taken by ambulance to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The main event, Amarildo Bakaj vs Mawuli Folivi, was postponed to 15 September.
10 July 2024
10 July 2024
Date of fight
10 July 2024
Victim
Lemuel Silisia
Opponent
Adam Flood
Details
27-year-old Silisia died several days after competing for the World Boxing Foundation Australasian Super Lightweight Title in Tamworth, NSW after losing on points. He was admitted to hospital with a head injury after the bout.
26 Oct 2024
26 Oct 2024
Date of fight
26 Oct 2024
Victim
Ubayd Haider
Opponent
Zhou Runqi
Details
Haider (born Nathaniel Singh) died 16 days after being knocked out, on November 10, after contesting the IBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title fight on Oct. 26 in Nadi, Fiji. He never regained consciousness after slipping into a coma after emergency brain surgery. The Singh family has filed litigation over the organisers violating boxing safety rules (ambulances, doctors, drug tests, al) after admissions that Fiji authorities did not follow boxing regulations.
1 Feb 2025
1 Feb 2025
Date of fight
1 Feb 2025
Victim
John Cooney
Opponent
Nathan Howells
Details
Cooney died 7 days after his first defence of his Celtic super-featherweight title against Welshman Nathan Howells, in the Ulster Hall in Belfast. The contest was stopped in the ninth round. Cooney was assessed by the onsite medical team in the ring before being taken out on a stretcher and transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital. Cooney suffered an intracranial haemorrhage and underwent surgery to relieve pressure on his brain. He remained in intensive care. His death was announced on the 8th February 2025.
2 Aug 2025
2 Aug 2025
Date of fight
2 Aug 2025
Victim
Shigetoshi Kotari
Opponent
Yamato Hata
Details
The first of two fatalities from Teiken Promotions' August 2, 2025 "Dynamic Glove on U-Next" card at Korakuen Hall in Tokyo, Japan, Kotari and Hata fought to a 12-round split draw for Hata's Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation super featherweight title. Kotari fell unconscious and was taken to a hospital for a brain bleed. The Japan Boxing Commission wrote in a press release that Kotari had a craniotomy. On August 8, it was reported that Kotari had died from a brain injury sustained at the age of 28.
Hiromasa Urakawa
Hiromasa Urakawa
Date of fight
Hiromasa Urakawa
Victim
Yoji Saito
Opponent
Also on "Dynamic Glove on U-Next" held on August 2, 2025, Urakawa was knocked out with 50 seconds remaining of the eighth and final round by Yoji Saito, with the referee calling a stop to the contest two seconds later (officially a knockout win for Saito at 2:12 of the eighth round). Like Kotari, Urakawa also suffered a brain bleed and needed craniotomy brain surgery. On August 9, 2025, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) reported that Urakawa had died of a brain injury. Japanese boxing officials immediately changed the limit of championship contests from 12 to 10 rounds.
| Date of fight | Victim | Opponent | Details |
| 14 Dec 1894 | Andy Bowen | Kid Lavigne | 27-year-old Bowen hit his head on the wooden canvas when Lavigne knocked him down in the 18th round. Bowen never regained consciousness and died the following morning. |
| 6 Dec 1897 | Walter Croot | Jimmy Barry | Croot never regained consciousness and died the following day from a brain injury. Charged with manslaughter, Barry was exonerated when it was determined that Croot had died from a fractured skull sustained when his head hit the unpadded floor, made of wood. |
| 29 April 1910 | Tommy McCarthy | Owen Moran | McCarthy sustained a fractured skull and died the next morning. |
| 24 May 1913 | Luther McCarty | Arthur Pelkey | Pelkey was arrested and changed with manslaughter but was later absolved of blame. |
| 5 Feb 1923 | Andy Thomas | Johnny Clinton | Knocked out and did not regain consciousness even though his heart was still beating and died the next morning. |
| 12 Jun 1923 | Jean-Baptiste Rampignon | André Gleizes | Rampignon slipped into a coma after a 15-round points loss in a bout for the French flyweight championship and died the following day. |
| 11 Jan 1924 | Frankie Jerome | Bud Taylor | Jerome died two days following a twelfth round stoppage loss. |
| 19 Apr 1926 | Clever Sencio | Sencio died just two hours after a decision loss. This was the second ring tragedy that involved Bud Taylor. | |
| 1 Jun 1928 | Tosh Powell | Billy Housego | 20-year-old Welsh boxer Powell collapsed during the third round of his bout with London fighter Housego. Powell was taken to the Liverpool Royal Infirmary, where he died of a brain hemorrhage on 2 June. |
| 24 Jan 1930 | Mickey Darmon | Eddie Koppy | Fractured skull and cerebral hemorrhage. |
| 20 Aug 1930 | Johnny Anderson | "Red" Keuhl | |
| 25 Aug 1930 | Frankie Campbell | Max Baer | Campbell was knocked unconscious in the ring and died hours later in the hospital. Doctors discovered that his brain had been knocked loose from the connective tissue inside his head. |
| 7 Jun 1932 | Chet Edwards | Joe Torkleson | Edwards won the match, later found unconscious in dressing room and brought to hospital where he died the next day. |
| 10 Feb 1933 | Ernie Schaaf | Primo Carnera | Schaaf suffered a knockout loss in the 13th round and immediately fell unconscious. He would go into a coma, and was rushed to the hospital to undergo surgery where he ultimately died four days later. |
| 8 May 1933 | Jack Holland | Tony Marullo | 24-year-old Holland, a college football star and artist's model, died of a cerebral hemorrhage after losing in six rounds to Marullo in New Orleans. He collapsed while leaving the ring and died in a hospital the following morning. |
| 17 Mar 1936 | Tony Scarpati | Lou Ambers | Scarpati died in hospital without regaining consciousness after his knockout by Lou Ambers in the seventh round of their fight. When he fell, his head struck the ring floor. Although surgeons operated to relieve pressure resulting from the concussion, he failed to regain consciousness. |
| 30 Jan 1937 | Tony Marino | Carlos Quintana | 26-year-old Marino collapsed at the end of an eight-round bout with Quintana in Brooklyn, New York City. The ringside doctor diagnosed a brain concussion. Marino never regained consciousness, dying two days later at Wyckoff Heights Hospital in Brooklyn. New York state officials found Marino had been knocked down five times in the contest, and passed a rule that any boxer downed three times in round constitutes an automatic end to the contest for "outclassed," which is referred by the WBA as an Automatic Knockout. |
| 16 Jul 1940 | Peter Asero | Pete Muscarnera | Seemingly on his way to victory by knocking out Muscarnera to the count of nine in the first round, Asero suffered a knockout in the fourth round. He never revived. Heart attack was given as the cause of death by the Athletic Commission. |
| 2 Jul 1941 | Roy "Jack" Gillespie | Jack Chase | Gillespie died from a brain injury; Chase was taken into technical custody. |
| 15 May 1942 | John M. Marquez | Alfred David Globe | Marquez was knocked out and never regained consciousness. |
| 3 Mar 1946 | Dixon Walker | Gus Gerson | Walker died of a cerebral hemorrhage. |
| 24 Jun 1947 | Jimmy Doyle | Sugar Ray Robinson | Doyle died 17 hours after being knocked out. |
| 15 Aug 1947 | Glenn Newton Smith | Sam Baroudi | Smith was knocked out in the 9th round and never regained consciousness. |
| 2 Feb 1948 | Sam Baroudi | Ezzard Charles | Baroudi was killed by a punch from a future heavyweight champion. |
| 28 Feb 1948 | Leroy DeCatur | Freddie Herrera | Died after his first professional match. |
| 28 Mar 1948 | Gerardo Hernández | Manuel Parrado | Died in the ring following a cerebral hemorrhage. |
| 21 Apr 1948 | Jackie Darthard | Bert Lytell | Collapsed after six rounds of fighting and died after being taken to a hospital. Death ultimately ruled to be the result of a brain hemorrhage caused by an undiagnosed injury from a match five months earlier. |
| 29 Sep 1948 | Félix Amado Gómez | Bobby McQuillar | "McQuillar hit him with a crushing right hand that sent Kid Dinamita to the canvas. The bell saved him. But he was unable to come out for the ninth round. He was carried out of the ring, and five hours later, on a hospital operating table, he died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Kid Dinamita was 22 years old." |
| 19 Sep 1949 | Archie Kemp | Jack Hassen | Kemp was carried from the ring on a stretcher and did not regain consciousness, dying of a cerebral haemorrhage. Referee Joe Wallis had refused to stop the fight. |
| 22 Feb 1950 | Lavern Roach | Georgie Small | Lavern sustained a fatal head injury during the match and died the next day due to a subdural hemorrhage. |
| 20 Dec 1950 | Sonny Boy West | Percy Bassett | West suffered from inter-cerebral hemorrhage resulting from a cerebral concussion and died the following day. |
| 29 Aug 1951 | Georgie Flores | Roger Donoghue | Knocked out and died a few days later. Donoghue gave match winnings to Flores' family. |
| 12 Dec 1954 | Ed Sanders | Willie James | Complained of headaches early in the day. Lost consciousness in the 11th round. Died after a long surgery to relieve bleeding in the brain. |
| 19 Mar 1956 | Hubert Essakow | Willie Toweel | |
| 8 Nov 1958 | José Blanco | Sugar Ramos | Died a day after a knockout loss in the eighth and final round against future world champion Sugar Ramos. |
| 26 Oct 1959 | Walt Ingram | José Becerra | |
| 9 Apr 1960 | Charlie Mohr | Stu Bartell | Died a week after being knocked out in NCAA tournament at Madison, Wisconsin. His death has been credited with resulting in the NCAA's termination of the sport. |
| 6 Jun 1960 | Tommy Pacheco | Benny Gordon | Remained unconscious after fight. Brought to hospital where a brain operation was performed but succumbed to injuries. |
| 26 Jun 1960 | Rafael Rodriguez | Gaby Sanchez | Floored after hook to the liver. |
| 15 May 1961 | Harry Campbell | Al Medrano | 23-year-old Campbell, a 1960 Olympic boxer, collapsed after the final bell of the tenth round of his bout with Medrano. He never regained consciousness, despite brain surgery. |
| 24 Mar 1962 | Benny Paret | Emile Griffith | See Benny Paret vs. Emile Griffith III; Paret died of brain injuries 10 days later. |
| 21 Sep 1962 | Alejandro Lavorante | John Riggins | Lavorante would spend 19 months in a coma before dying on April 1, 1964. |
| 21 Mar 1963 | Davey Moore | Sugar Ramos | Moore collapsed in the dressing room after the fight, and died 75 hours later. This was the second ring tragedy that Sugar Ramos was involved in. |
| 10 May 1965 | Sonny Banks | Leotis Martin | Banks is known for being the first fighter to ever score a knockdown against Muhammad Ali. He died three years after this fight at age 24. |
| 11 Mar 1969 | Ulrich Regis | Joe Bugner | Regis died four days after the fight following surgery to remove a blood clot. |
| 30 Dec 1969 | Bernard Agbakhume Daudu | Carlos San José | Daudu died of injuries sustained in this fight. |
| 2 Feb 1972 | Mick Pinkney | Jim Moore | Pinkney was knocked out in the fifth round and died after choking on his own blood. |
| 19 Jul 1978 | Angelo Jacopucci | Alan Minter | Jacopucci did not collapse in the ring; he and Minter met for a meal after the fight. Jacopucci then fell into a coma and died. As a result of this, European title fights were limited to 12 rounds. |
| 23 Nov 1979 | Willie Classen | Wilford Scypion | Died following the fight. |
References
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/sport/boxing-boxers-dying-or-left-seriously-injured-after-fights-1575159.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1894/12/16/archives/put-to-sleep-for-all-time-andy-bowen-killed-in-the-ring-by-kid.html
- Argushttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article9782323
- Los Angeles heraldhttps://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042462/1910-05-01/ed-1/seq-35/
- Press Democrathttp://web.archive.org/web/20240708020035/https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&d=SRPD19130525.2.12&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1
- Jess Willard: Heavyweight Champion of the World (1915-1919)https://books.google.com/books?id=gWIqDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA69
- The Buffalo Enquirerhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/326667145/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- BoxRechttps://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/678353
- Barrier Minerhttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article45632951
- The DeKalb Daily Chroniclehttps://idnc.library.illinois.edu/?a=d&d=DKD19260420.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN-clever+sencio---------
- Journal of Combative Sporthttps://ejmas.com/jcs/jcsart_svinth_b_0700_archive.htm
- The Modesto Beehttps://www.newspapers.com/image/689983150/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- michmemories.orghttps://michmemories.org/exhibits/topics/catalog/decbfcce0518619945492c783b24846a
- Los Angeles Evening Expresshttps://www.newspapers.com/image/608482336/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- The Oklahoma Newshttps://www.newspapers.com/image/593888003/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- "The Strange Death of Ernie Schaaf"http://www.boxing.com/the_strange_death_of_ernie_schaaf.html
- St. Petersburg Timeshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19330510&id=f-dOAAAAIBAJ&pg=4774,3681530
- The Evening Leaderhttp://fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2011/Corning%20NY%20Evening%20%20Leader/Corning%20NY%20Evening%20%20Leader%201933%20%20Mar-Nov%201933%20Grayscale/Corning%20NY%20Evening%20%20Leader%201933%20%20Mar-Nov%201933%20Grayscale%20-%200482.pdf
- Daily Illinihttps://idnc.library.illinois.edu/cgi-bin/illinois?a=d&d=DIL19360321.2.88&e=-------en-20--1--img-txIN---------
- New York City newspapers 16
- St. Louis Globe-Democrathttps://www.newspapers.com/image/573459146/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- sichttps://www.newspapers.com/image/91981603/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- The Tulsa Tribunehttps://www.newspapers.com/image/900176972/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- Reading Eaglehttp://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19480220&id=7sYhAAAAIBAJ&pg=3670,5161401
- The Timeshttps://www.newspapers.com/image/543285418/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- Leader-Telegramhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/272934026/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- CBZ Journalhttp://www.cyberboxingzone.com/boxing/box3-99.htm#pete
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1984/12/15/sports/sports-of-the-times-an-afternoon-in-gleason-s-gym.html
- The Sydney Morning Heraldhttp://www.smh.com.au/articles/2002/12/09/1039379786420.html
- "My First One: Lavern Roach v. Georgie Small, 1950"https://www.badlefthook.com/2010/11/17/1820872/my-first-one-lavern-roach-v-georgie-small-1950
- "Sonny Boy West Succumbs to Ring Injury"https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2209&dat=19501222&id=tExgAAAAIBAJ&pg=4010,3302441
- Nashville Bannerhttps://www.newspapers.com/image/603206756/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- "Ed Sanders"https://web.archive.org/web/20200418085428/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/sa/ed-sanders-1.html
- "One of the saddest moments in South African boxing"https://supersport.com/boxing/history/news/200722_One_of_the_saddest_moments_in_South_African_boxing/one-of-the-saddest-moments-in-south-african-boxing
- San Bernardino Sunhttps://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SBS19581111.1.25&e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN-Jose+Blanco-------
- Sports Illustrated Vault | Si.comhttps://vault.si.com/vault/1959/11/16/death-of-a-fighter-in-guadalajara
- Wisconsin State Journalhttps://madison.com/wsj/news/local/doug_moe/article_4a56a5e8-012c-580d-bde9-21361d66b3a4.html
- St. Louis Globe-Democrathttps://www.newspapers.com/image/574632221/?terms=boxer%20dies%20the%20ring&match=1
- St. Petersburg Timeshttps://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19610518&id=w19SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=K3kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7222,4098540&hl=en
- "Boxing's deadly toll"https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/87290.stm
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1964/04/02/archives/lavorante-dies-of-ring-injuries-argentine-heavyweight-was-hurt-on.html
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1965/05/14/archives/sonny-banks-dies-in-hospital-following-knockout-on-monday.html
- BoxRechttps://boxrec.com/de/box-pro/116394
- The Independenthttps://www.independent.co.uk/sport/fighting-memories-of-death-1324914.html
- Chicago Tribunehttps://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-01-19-9001070683-story.html
- BoxerListhttps://boxerlist.com/boxer/andy-balaba/59920/
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/27/sports/boxer-20-dies-from-injuries.html
- Boxing record for Minoru Katsumata from BoxRec (registration required)https://boxrec.com/en/boxer/160490
- La Tercerahttps://www.latercera.com/noticia/ellis-el-ultimo-boxeador-chileno-fallecido-tras-una-pelea/
- GMA Networkhttps://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/boxing/182472/the-dangers-of-boxing/story//
- CBS Sportshttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/boxer-randie-carver-dies/
- "Boxer dies five days after bout"https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/10/25/Boxer-dies-five-days-after-bout/9299972446400/
- "Petinju Alfaridzi Dimakamkan di Bandung"https://www.liputan6.com/news/read/10632/petinju-alfaridzi-dimakamkan-di-bandung/
- News24https://www.news24.com/xArchive/Archive/Doctors-puzzled-by-boxers-sudden-death-20020716
- "The Rone Incident"http://www.boxing.com/the_rone_incident.html
- "Rocky Fuentes vs. John Eman Juarez"https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Rocky_Fuentes_vs._John_Eman_Juarez
- SunStarhttps://www.sunstar.com.ph/more-articles/free-from-rocky-past
- The Guardianhttps://web.archive.org/web/20220203222947/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/apr/06/usa.boxing
- Baltimore Sunhttps://web.archive.org/web/20210622185027/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-2005-04-17-0504160042-story.html
- Los Angeles Timeshttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2004-mar-04-sp-newswire4-story.html
- "WBC launches probe into boxer Sanchez's death"http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2141461
- "Johnson dies from brain injury sustained in title fight"http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2169415
- ESPN.COMhttps://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2517522
- Las Vegas Review-Journalhttps://www.reviewjournal.com/life/health/nevada-officials-to-require-brain-health-testing-for-fighters/
- "Boxer dies after suffering brain injury in fight"http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2376342
- "Requiem for a boxer: Who will cry for Angelito?"https://web.archive.org/web/20070406185901/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/sports/view_article.php?article_id=58522
- The New York Timeshttps://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/sports/03iht-boxing3.9009106.html
- The Washington Posthttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/21/AR2008102102584.html
- "Houston boxer dies five days after title fight in Dallas"https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Houston-boxer-dies-five-days-after-title-fight-in-1607011.php
- "Nazareth dies of brain hemorrhage"http://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=4348165
- "Chicago boxer Rodriguez dies at 25"http://www.espn.com/chicago/news/story?id=4681182
- "Roman Simakov Dies of Brain Injuries"http://www.boxing.com/roman_simakov_dies_of_brain_injuries.html
- "Boxer Karlo Maquinto's death sparks calls for inquiry"https://sports.inquirer.net/33489/boxer-karlo-maquinto%E2%80%99s-death-sparks-calls-for-inquiry
- "Muhammad Afrizal dies after fight"http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/7773824/indonesian-boxer-muhammad-afrizal-dies-following-brain-surgery
- ESPN.comhttps://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/9865181/mexican-fighter-francisco-frankie-leal-dies-three-days-ko
- "Boxer Dies in Japan After Being Knocked Out in Pro Debut"https://www.boxingscene.com/boxer-dies-japan-being-knocked-out-pro-debut--73385
- the Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/oct/28/south-african-boxer-dies-coma-phindile-mwelase
- "Boxer Back In The Ring After Killing Opponent - | Newsbreak Nigeria"https://newsbreak.ng/boxer-back-in-the-ring-after-killing-opponent/
- CBS Newshttp://www.cbsnews.com/news/boxer-braydon-smith-23-dies-two-days-after-finishing-10-round-fight/
- clevelandhttps://www.cleveland.com/open/2024/09/ohio-pays-275000-settlement-to-family-of-boxer-who-died-after-a-fight.html
- Press and Guidehttps://www.pressandguide.com/2022/07/29/dearborn-boxer-who-was-killed-in-the-ring-could-change-boxing-nationwide/
- Casino.org Bloghttps://www.casino.org/blog/10-fighters-who-died-in-the-ring/
- "Boxer David Whittom dies after 10 months in a coma following Fredericton fight"http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/boxer-david-whittom-dead-coma-fight-1.4581107
- "Tim Hague: Former UFC fighter dies aged 34 after knockout in boxing bout"https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/40323850
- USA Todayhttps://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2018/02/26/british-boxer-scott-westgarth-dies-after-winning-boxing-match-saturday/372257002/
- Repubblica.ithttps://bologna.repubblica.it/cronaca/2018/11/03/news/da_modena_a_bangkok_muore_sul_ring_la_leggenda_italiana_della_thai_boxe-210665753/
- BBChttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46200448.amp
- ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/27244105/boxer-dadashev-dies-friday-fight-injuries
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/49091133
- ESPNhttps://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/27255784/santillan-23-second-boxer-die-week
- boxen.dehttps://www.boxen.de/news/hugo-santillan-nach-boxkampf-verstorben-bereits-der-zweite-todesfall-in-einer-woche-51085
- Bad Left Hookhttps://www.badlefthook.com/2019/9/23/20880604/bulgarian-boxer-dies-while-fighting-under-cousins-identity
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/50066825
- BBC Sporthttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/50080719
- "Jordanian boxer Rashed Al-Swaisat dies after injury in world youth championship fight"https://www.arabnews.com/node/1849881/sport
- "Jeanette Zacarias Zapata: Mexican boxer, 18, dies days after knockout in Montreal"https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/58432013
- "18-year-old Female Mexican Boxer Dies 5 Days after Fight in Montreal"https://www.news18.com/news/sports/18-year-old-female-mexican-boxer-dies-5-days-after-fight-in-montreal-4162556.html
- ESPNdeportes.comhttps://espndeportes.espn.com/futbol-americano/nota/_/id/11275151/fallecio-excampeon-mundial-moises-fuentes
- NewZimbabwe.comhttps://www.newzimbabwe.com/boxer-dies-after-being-knocked-out/
- sport-express.ruhttps://www.sport-express.ru/boxing/reviews/rossiyskiy-bokser-arest-saakyan-umer-posle-porazheniya-nokautom-podrobnosti-incidenta-i-skolko-on-probyl-v-kome-1877146/
- ringtv.comhttps://www.ringtv.com/635868-indonesian-boxer-hero-tito-dies-following-knockout-loss-in-jakarta/
- Argus Leaderhttps://www.argusleader.com/story/sports/2022/03/25/boxer-dies-after-fight-south-dakota-golden-gloves-event/7167532001/
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8vvm651ye3o
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cz4x7r380j0o
- CNNhttps://edition.cnn.com/2022/06/09/sport/simiso-buthelezi-south-africa-boxer-death-spt-intl/index.html
- ESPN.comhttps://www.espn.co.uk/boxing/story/_/id/34696155/junior-welterweight-luis-quinones-25-dies-5-days-ko-loss-colombia
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn00045dq0go#:~:text=A%2023-year-old%20amateur,Sports%20Village%20in%20Bilborough,%20Nottingham.
- rappler.comhttps://www.rappler.com/sports/boxing/boxer-kenneth-egano-dies/#:~:text=Egano%2C%20a%20native%20of%20General,division%20world%20champion%20Manny%20Pacquiao.
- MARCAhttps://www.marca.com/en/boxing/2023/10/17/652e8810ca474177318b4632.html
- Hospital revela causa da morte de jovem lutador nocauteado em competição amadorahttps://www.lance.com.br/fora-de-campo/hospital-revela-causa-da-morte-de-jovem-lutador-apos-levar-nocaute-em-competicao-amadora.html
- Е1.ру - новости Екатеринбургаhttps://www.e1.ru/text/incidents/2023/12/18/73029134/
- cbssports.comhttps://www.cbssports.com/boxing/news/pro-boxer-kazuki-anaguchi-dies-at-23-years-old-after-suffering-brain-injury-in-december-fight/
- espn.phhttps://www.espn.ph/boxing/story/_/id/39446511/japanese-boxer-kazuki-anaguchi-dies-injuries-sustained-december-fight
- Team Combat Leaguehttps://teamcombatleague.com/event/las-vegas-hustle-vs-miami-assassins-june-6-2024/
- boxingscene.comhttps://www.boxingscene.com/ndembo-passes-away-from-injuries-sustained-apr-5-bout--183103
- Sky Sportshttps://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/13135316/sherif-lawal-british-based-middleweight-boxer-dies-after-losing-on-professional-debut
- ABC Newshttps://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-07-11/boxer-lemuel-silisia-dies-after-title-bout-in-tamworth/104076056
- AP Newshttps://apnews.com/article/fiji-boxing-fatality-a17b6de0814e0fada224da86209575c5
- BBC Newshttps://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/ckg0e4vvr08o
- BoxingScene.comhttps://www.boxingscene.com/articles/shigetoshi-kotari-dies-after-suffering-brain-injuries-in-aug-2-bout
- "Boxers Shigetoshi Kotari, Hiromasa Urakawa die from brain injuries after Aug. 2 fights"https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/boxing/2025/08/09/shigetoshi-kotari-hiromasa-urakawa-boxing-deaths/85592192007/
- Ring Magazinehttps://ringmagazine.com/en/news/second-fighter-on-aug-2-card-in-japan-dies-of-brain-injury