Italian boxer Fabrizio De Chiara was declared dead Monday, two days after he collapsed in the ring moments after the referee stopped a title fight.
Doctors at Santa Chiara hospital said the 25-year-old middleweight had been brain dead since Sunday and that his family approved organ donation.Biagio Mazzeo, a deputy prosecutor, opened an investigation into Di Chiara's death. Despite the removal of several organs, the magistrate ordered an autopsy and the seizure of the fight tape.
De Chiara, reportedly the seventh Italian professional boxer to die from injuries sustained on the ring since the 1940s, lapsed into a deep coma Saturday night shortly after a technical knockout during the final round of an Italian title bout against champion Vincenzo Imparato at Avenza.
"I'm upset; we were friends," said Imparato, who floored De Chiara with a sharp blow to the head and another to the stomach. "He looked very tired at the start of the last round. Perhaps he should have been stopped before."
De Chiara, 13-2 as a professional, collapsed after walking back to his corner following referee Lorenzo Giuntini's decision to stop the fight. The fighter's condition worsened Sunday after surgeons twice operated to remove blood that was putting pressure on his brain.
"He liked this sport. He was happy because the fight was going to be televised. He was dreaming of becoming a famous fighter," said Carla Di Chiara, 52, the mother of the boxer.
Antonio Dal Monte, a leading Italian sport physician, urged the use of new softer gloves and safety helmets to protect boxers from growing risks.