By Canadian Press

Mexican boxer did not report concussion before deadly Montreal fight: coroner

Nov 28, 2023 | 10:30 AM

MONTREAL — A Quebecer coroner says Mexican boxer Jeanette Guadeloupe Zacarias Zapata did not declare a likely prior concussion before an August 2021 match in Montreal that led to her death.

Coroner Jacques Ramsay concludes in a report released today that 18-year-old Zacarias Zapata died of a traumatic brain injury after she suffered a cerebral knockout during the match with Quebec boxer Marie-Pier Houle.

Ramsay says Zacarias Zapata’s death was accidental but came 15 weeks after a match in Mexico in which she likely suffered a similar cerebral knockout — characterized by head trauma causing a concussion.

The coroner notes that the boxer answered negative to a question on a government-issued questionnaire about previous concussions and head injuries before the 2021 fight at Montreal’s IGA Stadium.

Among Ramsay’s recommendations is a call for Quebec’s sports regulator to require fighters who are knocked out in a preceding match to submit details of what happened and associated medical reports before their next fight.

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He also recommends that the regulator require fighters to undergo neuropsychological testing after cerebral knockouts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 28, 2023.

The Canadian Press