Simiso Buthelezi, the boxer who went viral for throwing punches in the air after being stunned, is dead

This Tuesday night he died Simiso Buthelezithe 24-year-old South African boxer who became tragically famous last weekend after a video of a fight in the ring went viral, throwing pineapple in the air and totally disoriented until the referee decided his defeat by TKO.

According to local media, Buthelezi was quickly transferred to a Durban hospital, where they managed to stabilize him and it was believed he could recover, but over the course of hours it was found that the young man had a brain injury, internal bleeding and fell into coma. Until Tuesday evening the sad news of his death was spread.

“It is with great sadness for South African boxing and the Buthelezi family that we report the death of Simiso Buthelezi on the night of June 7 in hospital,” reads the South African Professional Boxing Commission statement.

Buthelezi made his professional debut in 2019 and played four fights, all of which he won (2 of them by knockout) when facing his compatriot Sipheshile Mntungwa. In the tenth round, with the fight in his favor (the scorecards gave him the victory), the scene that went around the world takes place and brings back to the table the debate that revolves around the physical risks of boxing.

In that 10th round, the deceased boxer appears to be punishing his opponent, to the point of being on the verge of taking him out of the ring thanks to his onslaught, until the referee intervened to separate them. Something happened at that moment, although no one can yet determine what happened because there were no significant hits or marks to anticipate the outcome, just a left jab to the jaw.

Buthelezi lost his sense of direction, took to one of the corners and started throwing pineapples into the air, causing the fight to end.

According to reports from the South African Professional Boxing Commission, a file has been opened to investigate the causes of the death of the young athlete, who sought the lightweight title in his first 10-round bout. Precisely the turning point that ended up decreeing his death.