Posted on 09/03/2021
By: Sean Crose
It’s always a horrible story to write – a fighter dies in the ring or due to injuries sustained in the ring. It’s particularly tragic when the fighter in question is a mere 18 years old. Such is the case with Jeanette Zacarias Zapata, who passed away Thursday from injuries received in a bout last Saturday against Marie-Pier Houle in Montreal. Zapata took a straight right to the head towards the end of the fourth, then endured a flurry of shots ending with a clean, powerful right hook to the head. The bell rang a moment later, but Zapata was unable to get back to her corner on her own, even though she remained on her feet. The referee stopped the bout, aware that something was clearly wrong.
Zapata was then taken as quickly as possible to a hospital via ambulance. She was put under a medically induced coma, but was unfortunately unable to survive, succumbing to her injuries yesterday. Group Yvon Michel, which promoted the Zapata-Houle fight, released a public statement:
“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 and especially her husband Jovanni Martinez who was at her bedside until her last moments.”
Boxing Insider offers our profound condolences and prayers for Zapata’s family and friends during this tragic time.