Mixed-martial arts competition has taken a lot of the heat off of boxing when it comes to scrutinized physical sports but that doesn’t mean the old-fashioned grudge match has went soft.
23-year-old Oscar “Fantasma” Gonzalez, a Mexican boxer, has reportedly died as a result of the injuries he suffered in his fight against Jesus Galicia for the World Boxing Council’s Latino Silver championship on Saturday, February 1.
Via Fox Sports:
Canelo Promotions says in a statement that Gonzalez died Monday after suffering ”a severe brain injury and brain stem damage” two days earlier. The 23-year-old fighter lost consciousness after being knocked out in a bout in Mexico City and was taken to a hospital.
It was the second boxing fatality in Mexico in three months. Francisco ”Frankie” Leal died in November several days after being knocked out by Raul Hirales in a fight at the Mexican Pacific resort of Los Cabos.
According to Ring TV, Gonzalez’s family will receive a $50K life insurance settlement from WBC.
“My staff members called me at midnight. They had gone to the hospital with him and he has suffered a very critical mental injury, said Mauricio Sulaiman, the WBC Secretary General. It’s so unfortunate. It’s a really, really sad situation. They went to the hospital and they stayed with him, and they called me immediately.”
Check out the video of the fatal blow on the next page.
—
Photo: YouTube