A South African boxer died of a brain bleed in hospital in Durban on Tuesday after becoming disoriented in the boxing ring during a fight.
Twenty-four-year-old Simiso Buthelezi dominated the fight from the start of his fight against Siphesihle Mntungwa on Sunday. Video coverage of the match shows Buthelezi knocking Mntungwa into the ropes during the 10th round. Up until that point, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
As Mntungwa got back into the ring, Buthelezi turned his attention to the referee and moved toward him as if about to throw punches in his direction. The referee moved away, and Buthelezi became visibly disoriented. He began punching aimlessly into thin air and away from his opponent before collapsing in the ring.
“Mr. Buthelezi was given the best care possible but he however succumbed to the injury last night,” Boxing South Africa officials said in a statement.
It remains unclear when and how this fatal injury took place. An investigation has been launched to uncover the reason for the brain bleed, according to TMZ. (RELATED: Alex Zverev Falls To The Ground In Pain After Suffering On-Court Injury)
Boxing South Africa have announced the tragic the passing of Simiso Buthelezi.
The video of Buthelezi’s final bout went viral last weekend.
RIP pic.twitter.com/m1IxXdQKdH
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) June 8, 2022