Major Damage Boxers Some Were DieDuk-Koo Kim – after his brutal death both the referee who officiated the match and Kim’s mother committed suicide
Young Korean fighter wasn’t the first boxer to die as a result of injuries suffered in the ring. Nor was he the last. But up to this day, those who watched Kim battle Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini for 14 rounds in the outdoor arena at Caesars Palace, remember vividly a day that would cause a national debate over the very existence of boxing and ultimately bring change to the sport.
Mancini was defending his WBA lightweight title for the second time when he climbed through the ropes at Caesars. In the 13th round, Mancini unleashed a barrage of 39 straight punches. Somehow, Kim survived the round. Early in the 14th, Mancini connected with two big rights to Kim’s head and the Korean dropped to the canvas. He beat the count of 10, but referee Richard Green stopped the fight. Kim was carried out of the ring by stretcher and rushed to Desert Springs Hospital. He died four days later.
This fight became famous for the aftermath: Kim’s mom and the referee Richard Green committed suicide months after Kim’s death. It’s also said that this fight changed boxing rules and posterior fights went from 15 rounds to just 12. Mancini suffered from depression and was never the same fighter again, though he continued to box until 1993. (Link)
Becky Zerlentes – the first woman to die in the ring
College teacher and award-winning female boxer Becky Zerlentes died in 2005 and is believed to be the first woman to die in a sanctioned bout. The preliminary cause of death was “blunt force trauma to the head”, but results from an autopsy were not immediately available. Zerlentes, 34, was struck by opponent Heather Schmitz and, despite wearing protective headgear, fell unconscious during the amateur bout in Denver. Physicians at the Golden Gloves competition jumped into the ring, but Zerlentes never regained consciousness and died several hours later. Zerlentes had won a regional Golden Gloves title in 2002 before taking a break from boxing. She had told her coach before this fight, that this was going to be her last one since she was going to stop boxing because of her age
Evader Holy field – had his ear bite off by Mike Tyson
Few would argue that at the peak of his powers Mike Tyson was unrivalled in the heavyweight division and probably only Mohammad Ali has been as big a boxing box office draw. By the time he fought Evader Holy field in June 1997, however, Tyson’s career was on the slide. Clearly a desperate and out-of-control individual, Tyson, in front of a sold out crowd at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, took a bite out of his opponent’s ear in the third round. The referee, Mills Lane, could hardly believe it until he was summoned over to Holyfield’s corner to inspect the damage. His initial thoughts were to abandon the fight there and then, but instead he ordered the judges to deduct two points from Tyson’s score and resumed hostilities. Within seconds, Tyson repeated the same skulduggery and was promptly disqualified. “It’s like Dracula time,” said the commentator. “I’ve never seen anything like this in boxing.” All hell broke loose, the police came into a by-now crowded ring to try and restore order and like a ripple effect the bedlam moved to the hotel lobby and then the streets outside. Tyson was suspended from boxing and his purse was withheld. It was the beginning of the end for Iron Mike
Frankie Campbell – had his brain knocked off from his skull
Frankie Campbell whose real name was Francisco Camilli was born in 1904. His professional record included 40 fights, 33 wins (26 Kos), 4 loses, 2 draws and 1 no contest. His final fight was held in San Francisco, California, on August 25th, 1930. He lost his life against the infamous Max Baer, portrayed as a vicious killer in the movie Cinderella Man.
They said that Campbell knocked down Baer in the 2nd round, and this, enraged Baer bringing Campbell to an end. While other people talk about Baer losing the 3rd and 4th round in a row, and in the 5th round he couldn’t take it anymore and became enrage because Tillie “Kid” Herman -former friend and trainer of Baer who switched corners overnight – was taunting and jeering Baer. Campbell’s brain was knocked off loose from his skull and was pronounced dead the next day. Baer was charged with manslaughter but later was acquitted of all charges. He would give entire earnings to Campbell’s family from succeeding bouts
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