Punch kills woman boxer (coma - then "died")

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1453135,00.html

Punch kills woman boxer

Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington
Wednesday April 6, 2005
The Guardian

A boxer who entered the ring for what she intended to be her last bout before retirement has become the first American woman to die from injuries in a sanctioned fight.
Becky Zerlentes, 34, a former regional champion, died after being knocked out by a punch to her left temple during the third round of her fight against Heather Schmitz, 32, in Colorado.

Zerlentes, who was wearing protective headgear, fell to the canvas and, although she received immediate attention from ringside doctors, she never regained consciousness. On Monday, the coroner's office in Denver listed the cause of death as a blunt force trauma to the skull.

She is believed to be the first female boxer to die in a legal fight since US boxing authorities admitted women to the sport 12 years ago. Newspaper reports said yesterday that Zerlentes had planned the fight against Schmitz as her last outing before retirement. "Nobody thought it was a very hard blow," Jeanne DePriest, the manager of Zerlentes's boxing team, told the Rocky Mountain News. "We've been talking to people about this all day, trying to find out what happened. <snip>

Getting fight sanctioned, at least in AZ, requires a physical, an eye exam, and an HIV test. Sanctioned fights also can be stopped by a doctor and/or commisioner present at ringside. I think attributing this to the sport, which I worry the media will do, overlooks the fact it was a freak accident - sure, there's some danger present in boxing, but there's always a chance as a soccer goalie when you try to stop the ball you'll suffer some freak injury and die as well - I don't think boxing is to blame.

movie million dollar baby - and it was other fighters first fight

and it was a "lucky" blow that missed the protective gear and was taken full force on the forehead.

A truly unexpected -freak injury- senario.