23-year-old boxer Oscar Gonzalez dies after knockout loss
Boxing is indeed a cruel sport. Fighters grow old in a matter of rounds and, at its worst, fighters just starting their careers are robbed not just of their health but of their life.
Boxing took another life as Oscar Gonzalez died after a brutal loss to fellow Mexican Jesus Galicia. Gonzalez was the favorite heading into the fight at the Foro Polanco, Mexico City. He carried a record of 23 wins against only two losses with 17 fights coming via knockout. Galicia on the other hand was on his way into being a journeyman with a record of 12 wins against seven losses.
But in the ring, your better record can’t block any of your opponent’s punches. Your bright future as a prospect can’t shield you from damage.
For 10 rounds in the fight, Gonzalez gave and took punishment until he could not anymore. Once a protege of four-division world champion Erik Morales, Gonzalez is dead at just 23 years of age.
"My staff is at the hospital. I just heard from the hospital. It is confirmed. His wife is there. Medically, there was absolutely nothing that they could do. So he has been pronounced dead," said WBC Secretary General Mauricio Sulaiman broke the news to Lem Satterfield of Ring Magazine.
"Oscar Gonzalez was a brilliant prospect and he had been known by the WBC for several years," Sulaiman said. "His fight was not a brutal fight, but we need to continue looking for prevention. This is just an unfortunate accident that reinforces the need to look for proper safety methods for the boxers in order to make boxing safer."
A tired Gonzalez was on the wrong end of a brutal attack from Galicia in the tenth round of their fight. Quickly fading, Gonzalez lost his balance and stumbled into the ropes. The referee was trying to restart the fight when the boxer dropped his mouthpiece and bowed down his head. He collapsed on the ring mat and never regained consciousness.
The WBC promised a $50,000 peso donation to the family of Gonzalez.
