1. The Death of Duk Koo Kim
A celebrity in South Korea, Kim had ascended all the way to number one lightweight contender and won a world championship chance against the renowned Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini on November 13, 1982. The match was incredibly gruelling, especially for Kim, who had began to wear down in the final rounds after sustaining enormous pounding from the champion. In the early part of the 14th round Mancini struck Kim with a powerful right hand that forced him to fly into the ropes and smack his head on the canvas.
Kim struggled to stand but the referee halted the bout. Minutes thereafter Duk Koo Kim went into a coma and was carried out of the ring and sent immediately to the hospital. Tragically the Korean celebrity died 4 days later from serious head damage. Out of the hundreds of recorded ring fatalities Kim’s death was one of the saddest. Kim’s opponent Ray Mancini would never again be the same level fighter and it was generally stated that he blamed himself for Kim’s death. Kim’s mother committed suicide three months after her son’s death by ingesting a bottle of pesticide. The bout’s referee Richard Green, overcome with remorse, also committed himself soon after the fight.
2. The Actions of Panama Lewis
At one point Carlos “Panama” Lewis was a world-class trainer. His character, on the other hand was everything but world class. Despite already being under a cloud of suspicion for reportedly feeding his fighters water tainted with illicit stimulants and for wagering on bouts that he was engaged in; Panama Lewis hatched a devilish scheme for his figher Luis Resto. Resto was nothing more than a journeyman fighter or merely a professional opponent when he took on unbeaten rising star Billy Collins Jr, on June 16, 1983.
Knowing Resto was overmatched, Panama and another trainer removed padding from Resto’s gloves and poured an illegal hardening agent on his hand wraps. Luis Resto continued to brutalize his unsuspecting opponent for 10 rounds. After being proclaimed the victor Resto entered Collins’ corner. Collins’ father, who at that moment was dubious of Resto’s new found power, touched Resto’s hand and promptly contacted ringside authorities.
The gloves and hand wraps in issue were taken by the state Athletic Commission and both were brought up on charges. Panama Lewis and Luis Resto both had their licenses permanently revoked and were handed jail terms. Sadly, Billy Collins Jr. would never fight again, his once bright career devastated by the injuries he endured. Collins Jr. was dead less than one year later, suicide was suspected.
3. 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea
Byun Jong II 1988 Olympics Hanging Head in Shame
Many people remember a young Roy Jones Jr. being robbed of a gold medal by unscrupulous Olympic judges, but few recall the even worse episode that preceded it. New Zealander Keith Walker was judging a bantamweight fight between Byun Jong Il of South Korea and Alexander Hristov of Bulgaria. The bout was a brutal foul-filled encounter and Walker had to repeatedly reprimand Jong for head butting.
At the end of the bout Hristov was named the winner but this just infuriated Jong’s compatriots. Numerous South Korean boxing officials and coaches stormed the ring and viciously attacked referee Keith Walker with punches, kicks, bottles, and even chairs. The scared Walker just averted major harm and instantly hurried to the airport and got the first jet back to New Zealand. Shamed and mortified, the Korean Boxing Federation president and the head of the Korean Olympic Committee both resigned following this awful episode. (Photo: Byun Jong II sits in the ring and refuses to get up.)