Female Boxer Dies After Golden Glove Match In Denver

[Dlove]

Female Boxer Dies After GG Match in Denver
DENVER — A female boxer died from a head injury sustained in Colorado Golden Gloves competition, the Denver County coroner's office said Monday.

Becky Zerlentes, 34, of Fort Collins, died Sunday afternoon, Howard Daniel said. The preliminary cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head, but results from an autopsy conducted Monday were not immediately available.

Zerlentes was hit by a punch from Heather Schmitz, and despite wearing protective headgear fell unconscious during the third round of a bout late Saturday, USA Boxing spokeswoman Julie Goldsticker said.

Physicians jumped into the ring, but Zerlentes never regained consciousness and died several hours later. Zerlentes had a 6-4 record.

"The USA Boxing family's thoughts and prayers go out to Becky's family and husband; we are deeply saddened by this loss," said USA Boxing president Sandy Martinez-Pino.

USA Boxing is the sanctioning body for amateur boxing. The organization lifted its ban on women in 1993 and currently has 2,200 registered participants.

Zerlentes is believed to be the first of her gender to receive a fatal injury in a sanctioned amateur match in the United States.

Goldsticker said the last death at a USA Boxing event was in February 2001, when heavyweight Quinton Grier, 31, of Springfield, Ill., died after a match.

[Tigam]

I don't know... But I'm pretty sure that women aren't built very well to be boxers.

[Ghs]

I dunno, i know some pretty huge "as in ripped" chicks

[fearme504]

hmm thats really sad....My mom always tells me not to box with my friends but i do...no protection..cause its fun...the headaches bloody noses...thats all part of the fun to us....

[titansrule]

well i used to think that fearme....until one night i was boxing with my friend, i really was battering him, but then he got a nice couple of jabs in, and i got a nosebleed, no biggy, i carried on fighting for a while then i went in to clean it up. it just wouldnt stop, it was so annoying. eventually it did...i woke up the next day and i got one from cleaning my teeth, and stupid stuff like that. and that happened day after day after day for about two solid months, it sucked. now they dont come nearly as regulalry but if i even get tapped in the nose, it bleeds. if i get smacked in the nose, say with a ball, it bleeds for ages, and then for weeks afterwards randomly, it sucks.

so basically i cant box anymore, whch sucks, cos its fun...