Notable boxers who have tragically died in the ring

A brutal sport It should go without saying, but boxing is a brutal sport. Afterall, the main aim is to knock your opponent out by beating th...

A brutal sport

It should go without saying, but boxing is a brutal sport. Afterall, the main aim is to knock your opponent out by beating them with your fists. It’s also possibly one of the oldest sports, dating back at least 5,000 years and widely believed to be older.

It used to be common to fight to the death

What is understood though, that boxing with some loose rules was popular in Ancient Greece, where men would fight each other, often to the death, in exchange for rewards such as livestock.

Safer but still a serious combat sport

Over time, the sport has evolved, introducing rules to ensure the competition is as evenly matched and as safe as it can be. And while pundits may lament the sport for ‘becoming too soft’, there is still serious risk.

On average 13 deaths a year

In fact, it has been reported that since 1890 more than 1,876 fighters have died as a result of injuries suffered in the ring, according to CNN. That’s around 13 people a year. While there is a lot of positives about boxing you cannot skip past the potential dangers of this sport.

Not for the faint of heart

Let’s take a look at some of the most notable deaths to occur in a boxing ring. 

Jimmy Doyle

In June 1947, Jimmy Doyle died in the hospital following a boxing match with Sugar Ray Robinson in Cleveland, Ohio. Doyle, an African-American welterweight, was knocked down in the eighth round and never regained consciousness, according to Boxing247.com

A gesture from Sugar Ray

He died in a local hospital after undergoing surgery 17 hours after the fight.He was just at 22-years-old. According to Robinson’s biographer Wil Haywood, Robinson gave the earnings of his next four fights to Doyle's mother so she could buy a house.

Mike Towell

Scottish welterweight Mike Towell fought Dale Evans on September 29, 2016 in Glasgow, where he was TKO’d in the fifth round of the scheduled 12-round bout.

Severe brain bleeding

The 25-year old was taken to a hospital, where it was revealed that he had  severe brain bleeding, which resulted in his death on September 30, 2016. According to the Guardian, Towell had ceased sparring a few weeks before the fatal battle owing to crippling migraines.