An 18-year-old female boxer from Mexico died after she was brutally knocked out during a professional fight five days earlier.
Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, a welterweight fighter, was knocked down in the fourth round by Marie Pier Houle. The fight occured at the GVM Gala International in Montreal on Saturday, 28 August.
Zapata was rushed to the hospital after she appeared to suffer a seizure following a left uppercut and a right hook.
Unfortunately, after five days in an induced coma at the Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, Zapata died fter succumbing to her injuries. Her death was announced by fight promoter, Yvon Michel last Thursday.
Part of his statement reads,
“It is with great sadness and torment that we learned, from a representative of her family, that Jeanette Zacarias Zapata passed away this afternoon at 3:45 pm.
“The entire team at Groupe Yvon Michel team is extremely distressed by this painful announcement.
“We would like to offer our most sincere condolences to her family, loved ones, friends and especially her husband Jovanni Martinez who was at her bedside until her last moments.”
Her opponent Marie Pier Houle said she was devastated by the news and had no intention to hurt her. Writing on Facebook, Houle said,
“Following the announcement of the terrible news of the death of Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, I am devastated.
“I extend my deepest condolences to her family and spouse Jovanni Martinez. Thank you for respecting my desire not to comment more.
“The sad news of the departure of a great athlete like Jeanette Zacarias Zapata leaves me sad and devastated. I offer my sincere and deep condolences to her family and husband Jovanni Martinez. May God enlighten your soul and receive it in His Glory.
“This is our job, our passion. Never, forever, had I any intention to seriously hurt an opponent as part of my plans.”
According to the Proceso newspaper, Zacarias Zapata received some devastating blows to the head in earlier matches, and doctors told her she might need surgery. According to her father, her family couldn’t convince her to cancel the Montreal bout.
“I chose this career and if I die this way, boxing in this bout, then I’ll die,” he recalled her saying.
However, the danger wasn’t communicated to organizers in Montreal. Proceso reported that Zacarias Zapata had been knocked unconscious in a fight earlier this year, after which she got bad medical news, but it didn’t go into detail about what exactly she was told.
“Her father and her coach maintain that they couldn’t avoid her insisting, as soon as she felt better, that she would continue to box,” the newspaper wrote.-iharare
