Head injuries, including strokes and brain swelling, are the most common causes of death in boxing. Acute brain hemorrhage is the leading cause, followed by brain swelling. Blows to the chest can also be fatal. The risk of fatalities increases with the number and force of punches, especially to the head.
Some of the most common causes of deaths in boxing are head injuries. Strokes and brain swelling are the top concerns after a hard punch to the head and lead the way as the most common causes of death. Deaths from blows to the chest are less common but still possible with a heavy contact sport. Doctors have looked at the number of strikes and punches and the amount of force behind the strikes that lead to fatalities in boxing.
The leading cause of deaths in boxing is an acute brain hemorrhage, which is a type of stroke. Brain hemorrhages are basically bleeding where it shouldn’t be, which kills brain cells and often leaves the person partially paralyzed or deceased. These generally occur after a boxer has been hit hard enough on the head that his brain collides with his skull. Loss of consciousness and concussions can also result in hard blows to the head. Some experts say that as long as boxers can strike above the neck, the sport will remain dangerous.
Brain swelling is also among the most common causes of deaths in boxing. In most cases, swelling of a body part is minor or at least easily treated and rarely fatal. Brain swelling, however, is highly fatal because it is trapped by a thick skull. There is little room for the brain to inflate, which puts pressure on it and sometimes prevents blood from supplying the organ with oxygen. Without oxygen, the brain becomes damaged and eventually, if relief is not offered, the person dies.
It is also possible to die from a blow to the chest rather than the head. Commotio cordis occurs when a person receives a powerful blow to the heart during a certain heartbeat cycle. Such an event is very rare overall, but is most often seen in contact sports such as boxing. The rarity is due to the small window of opportunity given thanks to the speed with which the heart beats. Sometimes people with commotio cordis can be revived.
Experts have studied the difference between fatal and non-fatal boxing matches. They found that the risk of fatalities in boxing appears to increase with the number of punches in a match, the number of punches thrown, and the force of the punches. Blows to the head are especially dangerous for boxers, so even frequent punches to that area greatly increase the risk of brain damage and death.
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