A 25-year-old junior welterweight boxer identified as Luis Quinones tragically died on Thursday, September 29, five days after suffering a head injury during a knockout loss in Colombia.
Quinones who was an undefeated boxer (10-0) until his matchup with Jose Munoz on September 24, at Coliseo Elias Chegwin, was knocked out with less than a minute left in the fight.
Videos shared online showed that Quinones fell down after getting punched and was unable to get back on his feet. He was then taken out of the ring on a stretcher by medical personnel.
He reportedly suffered a blood clot in his brain as a result of head trauma from the fight, and was in a coma after surgery. He was declared brain dead on Thursday, but remained on a respirator until his passing.
Quinones’ promoters said in a statement on Friday:
“Cuadrilatero Boxing deeply regrets the death of Luis Quinones, an exceptional human being, disciplined and who always showed the greatest commitment to this sport.
“We would like to thank the staff at the General Clinic of the North, who during this time did what was within their power and took care of Luis in the best possible way.”
Munoz said he is devastated by his death, adding that he never thought “a dream could turn into a real nightmare”.
Quinones was inspired by Julio Cesar Chavez and left his hometown of Barrancabermeja to become a professional boxer. He made his debut in 2018.
