Boxing is one of the top fighting sports in which injuries are common part. There are several occasions when a boxer got some serious injuries that not even caused their life but also many lives associated with them. Let’s have a look at some of the worst boxing injuries took place in the history of sport.
Worst boxing injuries ever
1. Duk Koo Kim vs Ray Mancini (1982)
It is still considered as the worst fight ever had in the history of boxing. On 13 November 1982, young Korean fighter Duk Koo Kim was up against American boxer Ray Mancini who was defending WBA lightweight title for the second time. The fight was in the 13th round and 21-year old Mancini hit 39 straight punches to Kim. Somehow Korean player managed to survive that round.
In the 14th round, Ray Boom Boom Mancini connected with two big rights to Kim’s head and the Korean boxer was on canvas. Though he tried to rise up and beat 10 counts but the fight was stopped by referee Richard Green. It was such a disaster look of Kim that enforced referee to call stretcher for him and was taken to Desert Spirings hospital in Las Vegas, United States. After fighting 4 days with his critical injuries, Duk Koo Kim died on 18 November, 1982.
Injured Duk Koo Kim
After few months of the incident, Kim’s mother and referee of that match committed suicide. This sorrowful ending of Duk Koo Kim’s life, brought new changes to boxing sport and World Boxing Council (WBC) shortens the 15 rounds bout to 12. So Kim’s death injuries are considered as one of the worst boxing injuries in the history.
Source: Reviewjournal
2. Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson
Evander Holyfield vs Mike Tyson fight also known as “The Sound and the Fury” and “The Bite Fight”. This is one of the most unordinary boxing fights as the pain and injury that American Evander Holyfield got was really incredible. You don’t listen much that a boxer bites ear of another boxer in the ring. Well this happened on 28 June, 1997 when Mike Tyson bite on Evander Holyfield’s ear and some of the part of ear was threatened. Mills Lane was the referee in the match.
Mike Tyson bite Evander Holyfield ear in 1997 fight
Holyfield dominated over Tyson in the starting of the match and won initial rounds. The Holy Bite session came in the 3rd round when Tyson rolled over his head to Evander’s shoulder and bite on it. Holyfield tried to push Mike back but failed to do it and Tyson bite off the ear and spitted out the piece of ear on the ring floor. After this the match was stopped and Tyson was disqualified. He lost his boxing license too for such brutal activity in the ring. Later Mike Tyson got back his license again.
3. Lennox Lewis vs Vitali Klitschko
Vitali Klitschko vs Lennox Lewis fight is popular as “Battle of The Titans”. Both players met in a professional boxing match on 21 June, 2003 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. It was a WBC, IBO, The Ring, Lineal Heavyweight Championships in which Lennox Lewis damaged Vitali Klistschko eye brutally.
Klitschko was underdog in the match but he performed very well and gave great challenge to Lewis in the starting of match. His aggression was remarkable and won first two rounds by hitting on the head of Lewis. He succeed to put a cut on Lewis’ eye in the 2nd round which West Ham born player didn’t like. In the third round Lennox Lewis came out aggressively and punches hard to Vitali Klitschko face. Now Klitschko was in trouble as he got deep cut on his left eye.
Lennox Lewis damaged Vitali Klitschko left eye
The same scenario went to the sixth round though Klitschko condition was not good. In between sixth and seventh round ringside doctor found that if Klitschko eye got any more punch it could be damaged permanently. Though Lewis won the fight but Vitali was cheered by the audience present in the match.
Source: Wikipedia
4. Luis Resto vs Billy Collins Jr.
On June 16, 1983 Billy Collins Jr. and Luis Resto met in Madison Square Garden’s boxing ring and the day captured as one of the worst days in history of sport. It was a 10-round fight in which boxer Luis Resto wore under-padded gloves to win the clash. Resto’s trainer Panama Lewis helped his pupil to follow this illegal way to win the light-middleweight fight.
Billy Collins Jr. got permanent blurred vision after 1983 fight.
Match’s favorite Billy Collins Jr. was injured very badly and he lost his vision power. Collins got permanent blurred vision after 1983 fight. Later on due to this physical problems and mind conditions, he started to drink heavily and on 6 March, 1984 he committed suicide by crashing his car into a culvert.
More info: Resto vs Collins fight
Recently Updated: 22nd August, 2015
