CHOI?S DEATH IS AN EYE-OPENER FOR KOREAN BOXING
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 06 Jan 2008
The dreadful death of World Boxing Organization (WBO) intercontinental flyweight champion Choi Yo-sam, who collapsed after his title fight against Henri Amol of Indonesia last December 25, will be an enduring tragedy that will always be remembered by the boxing world every Christmas.
The latest ringside tragedy showed the lack of medical control and careless fighting rules in South Korean boxing. It was a brutal clash with both boxers slashing each other right from the start.
The lethal blow was unleashed by Amol on Choi, who was leading in points, and took a hard right to the jaw that sent him to the canvas in the closing seconds of the 12th and final round.
Choi got up and managed to finish the fight for a victorious title defense. However, he collapsed after returning to his corner and went into a coma and never regained consciousness. His death brings bad news to Korean boxing, now suffering from diminishing fan support and lack of talent.
Choi's trainers and family members revealed that the 33-year-old champion was in deep trouble making the weight limit. He suffered from insomnia from taking oriental medicine that were considered as stimulant. He also complained of headaches and fatigue.
He was still half a kilogram above the 50.8-kilogram weight limit on December 23, a day before the weigh-in, and did not take water until the fight started. But Choi was cleared to fight Amol.
In South Korea, pre-match medical tests are not so strict and scheduled fights rarely get canceled. This is in contrast to the stricter regulations in the United States which requires pre-fight MRI tests.
Choi's death hopes to awaken Korean boxing authorities to be more conscientious for the protection of their boxers and take genuine measures to prevent ringside misfortunes. He was the WBC light flyweight world champion from Oct. 1999 to July 2002. His ring record when he died was 32-5-0 (19 KOs).
In 1982, South Korean lightweight Kim Duk-koo died four days after being stopped by Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini during their WBA lightweight world title fight in Las Vegas. Kim was knocked out in the 14th round and never regained consciousness until he died, urging boxing bodies reduce their fights to a maximum of 12 rounds.
Another South Korean fighter Lee Tong-choon, died of acute swelling of the brain in 1995, four days after getting unconscious following a Japanese title fight against Setsuo Kawamasu in Tokyo.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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