Boxing
South African boxer from scary viral video dies after fighting 'invisible opponent'
A 24-year-old South African boxer involved in a freak boxing incident where he was seen shadow-boxing an imaginary opponent has died after suffering a brain bleed.
South African lightweight boxer Simiso Buthelezi succumbed to his injuries and died on Tuesday after being involved in a freak boxing incident over the weekend in Durban.
The 24-year-old Simiso Buthelezi was up against Siphesihle Mntungwa for the WBF All Africa lightweight title on Sunday but the 10-round contest had to be stopped by the referee after Buthelezi appeared to be shadow-boxing an invisible opponent, clearly in a disoriented state.
The jarring video of Simiso Buthelezi going to the empty corner of the boxing ring and throwing air punches, as if caught in a frenzy, went viral on social media, moments, after the bout concluded with Mntungwa, declared the title-winner.
Buthelezi collapsed after the fight and had to be rushed to the hospital where he was placed in a medically-induced coma after doctors discovered that he was suffering from an internal brain haemorrhage.
On Tuesday, Boxing South Africa (BSA) confirmed that the 24-year-old boxer had died, in a statement jointly issued with the boxer's family.
In the statement, they hailed Buthelezi as "a great boxer who was exemplary both outside and inside the ring". Further, the BSA has assured that they will conduct an independent medical review of the incident and the results of it will be made public.
"At the hospital, Mr Buthelezi was given the best care possible but he however succumbed to the injury," the statement read and further information that Buthelezi was in perfectly good health before the bout, has been confirmed by his trainer Bheki Mngomezulu.
